In Iowa, many rivers and lakes improve briefly, then fall back into impairment

In Iowa, many rivers and lakes improve briefly, then fall back into impairment

When Kim Hagemann moved to Iowa in the late 1980s, the state’s lakes and parks were among the first places she explored. She had come from Wisconsin to attend graduate school at Iowa State University, newly married and short on money. For recreation, Hagemann and her husband drove to public lakes and parks across the state, places that, on paper, defined Iowa’s natural landscape. But the outings quickly became discouraging. “After you’ve gone to…