Linn County, University of Iowa to partner on 3 water quality studies

CEDAR RAPIDS — Linn County will partner with University of Iowa researchers to learn more about water quality and pollution sites within the county.

The county Board of Supervisors this week approved the partnership, which will see three separate studies completed related to water quality in Linn County. The maximum cost of the studies is estimated at a combined $130,000.

Findings and recommendations from those studies will act as the “backbone” of the comprehensive water quality management and mitigation plan being drafted by a cross-departmental team of county staff.

“We’re working on a water resource plan, which again is just a more holistic” look at water quality in Linn County, said county Sustainability Director Cara Matteson. “There’s three projects, … all under one contract.”

The three studies include an aquifer vulnerability map, a contaminant plume map and a surface water sampling assessment to be completed in collaboration with University of Iowa researchers over the next year.

The aquifer vulnerability map will highlight areas of the county based upon parameters such as groundwater recharge potential, contaminant risk and typical groundwater usage.

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The containment plume map compiles known bodies of contaminated groundwater, called plumes, to map their extent and any overlapping impacts, while the surface water sampling assessment will compile available data on surface water sampling in Linn County and identify any gaps.

The partnership with the University of Iowa runs through Sept. 30, 2026, to ensure enough time to complete the studies and culminate results. However, work will continue at the county to advance other water-related initiatives in the meantime.

“It’s really important for us to get this information, but that doesn’t mean we have to wait until this information can come before us” to get started, said Linn County District 1 Supervisor Kirsten Running-Marquardt. “This will help guide our work long-term, and I think that’s absolutely critical.”

For example, the county already has put out more than 100 new Indian Creek placards as part of an informational campaign to help people know when they’ve entered the watershed. The county also is seeking candidates to conduct a water balance study to better understand water quantity in Linn County, as well as current and future usage rates.

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