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In an effort to keep an Iowa water quality sensor program afloat past next June, Polk County Supervisors voted this week to invest funds in it, and they invited Linn and Johnson counties to do the same.

The Polk County Board of Supervisors voted Tuesday to allocate $200,000 to the Iowa Water Quality Information System — or I owa WQIS. The system, operated by of IIHR-Hydroscience & Engineering at the University of Iowa, uses dozens of sensors across the state to provide real-time data about nitrate, pH, dissolved oxygen concentrations, discharge rates and temperature in Iowa’s rivers and streams.

The UI sensors have been funded by Iowa State University’s Nutrient Research Center. In 2023, th

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