Milford City Council Approves Agreement for Bridge at Lower Gar Outlet

On Tuesday, October 11th the Milford City Council approved an agreement with Dickinson County with regards to the outlet at Lower Gar.  The county will replace some of the culverts with a bridge.  IGLA’s own Bill VanOrsdel is thrilled with the development as our nonprofit has been working on a solution for over a decade … Read more

DNR Discourages Swimming at Emerson Bay Due To Bacteria Levels

Spirit Lake, IA (KICD 107.7 Radio)– A public beach in the Iowa Great Lakes has a swimming advisory headed into the last weekend before labor Day. The Iowa DNR does periodic tests at public beaches, and the last test on Wednesday indicates a higher than normal level of E Coli bacteria at Emerson Bay on … Read more

Okoboji Blue Water Festival

The Okoboji Blue Water Festival has fast become an Okoboji summer tradition. Join fellow lake lovers this Saturday, August 13 for a full day of fun along the shores of our majestic lakes. Schedule of 2022 Festival Events • 8 AM-Chalkstock • 8:30 AM-James L. Pease presentation “Connecting Wildlife and Water Quality” • 9:30 AM-Kid’s … Read more

RV Parks & Campgrounds in the News

IGLA has been monitoring the number of proposed campgrounds at both the county & city level in our area.  Here are headlines from the past 6-months.  People are paying attention.

SF2312 Threatens Environmental Groups & Landowners

Many must have been wondering whether there was something in Iowa’s water on March 4, 2019. That morning, thousands of Iowans from all corners of the state and with little notice, moved and spoke as one. In the weeks prior, email accounts, text messages, and social media were buzzing with rumors of a concerning proposal … Read more

DNR Updates Impaired Waterways List

The Iowa Department of Natural Resources seeks public comment on its updated lists of Iowa’s impaired waterways, including several bodies of water within Dickinson County. Emerson Bay, West Lake Okoboji Lower Gar Center Lake Diamond Lake Little Spirit Lake Pleasant Lake Little Swan Lake Silver Lake Little Sioux River Prairie Lake   Both Marble Lake … Read more

IGLA Donates to Iowa Natural Heritage Foundation

IGLA started 2022 with a $30,000 contribution to the Iowa Natural Heritage Foundation [INHF] helping to purchase the 50-acre Bedell property and its 2000 feet of pristine East Lake Okoboji shoreline. Adjacent to Elinor Bedell State Park, the 50-acre tract will never be threatened by development, thus preventing the installation of potentially 200 boat slips … Read more

High Water – A Study Initiated by IGLA

The waters of the Iowa Great Lakes may be frozen now, but they were high enough to all but halt boat traffic five months ago. And while wave and erosion control are on the back burner this winter, the Iowa Great Lakes Association is taking the first steps to get a scientific handle on the … Read more

IGLA Engages University of Iowa in Flood Analysis

IGLA (Iowa Great Lakes Association) and Clary Lake Service was honored to bring the world renowned hydrologist, Dr. Larry Weber and his colleagues working to evaluate the Iowa Great Lakes Area Watershed, to a packed house at Arrowwood Resort and Conference Center at Okoboji. This study will take approximately 6-months to complete and findings will … Read more

Invasive Species Education

Community Development Manager, Jen Johnson-Ross, spent an entire day working with Spirit Lake 4th grade students discussing invasive species. This great group of kids learned about zebra mussels, curly leaf pondweed and Asian carp.