CI
Canary In A Cornfield

Empowering Citizens and Communities Through Water Quality Monitoring

March 6, 2026·51 min
Episode Description from the Publisher

This episode of Canary in a Cornfield focuses on the benefits of citizen water monitoring, featuring Heather Wilson of the Isaac Walton League’s Save Our Streams program and Cole Dickerson of the Socially Responsible Agriculture Project (SRAP). Wilson explains the League’s conservation mission, how Nitrate Watch equips volunteers with free nitrate test strips and a public Clean Water Hub database, and how the data support the League’s annual nitrate report and community advocacy. She highlights major growth in participation, including over 2,200 kits sent in 2025 and more than 1,400 to Iowa, and discusses health concerns associated with nitrate levels at or above 5 mg/L. Dickerson describes SRAP’s work helping communities respond to pollution from industrial livestock facilities, including Water Rangers trainings that guide local monitoring plans and strategies for using data with regulators and media while avoiding confrontation.Links from the episode:The Izaak Walton League of America2025 Nitrate Watch Annual ReportIowa CCI’s water testers programSocially Responsible Agriculture ProjectThe SRAP Water Rangers ProgramLink to SRAP Upcoming Trainings

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