Heidi Keuler, LaCrosse NFWCO, Jason McVay and Scott Strader, both from USGS, backpack shock a channel on the Iowa River. - FWS photo

During August and September, Louise Mauldin and Heidi Keuler, from the La Crosse National Fish and Wildlife Conservation Office, assisted the Iowa City Office of the U.S. Geological Survey on their National Water Quality Assessment (NAWQA) Program.

This program was implemented in 1991 to support informational needs and decisions related to water-quality management and policy.

The NAWQA Program is designed to answer questions concerning our Nation's water resources. Information on water chemistry, physical characteristics, stream habitat and aquatic life are collected.

This allows resource managers to make science based decisions on water quality issues. La Crosse NFWCO has been called on to provide their expertise on the fishery aspects of this project.

During August and September, four sites along the Iowa River and its tributaries were electrofished to determine the fish community structure. One of the sites sampled in August by Louise Mauldin was on the Meskwaki Tribal Land near Tama, Illinois. 

All fish were identified, weighed, and measured. Fishery information will be analyzed in combination with the other aspects of the study which will allow water resource managers to make informed decisions.

The NAWQA Program has been active for over ten years and 42 of the original 51 Study Units will be reassessed for an additional 10 years.