Pesticides in Iowa Database

A database documenting pesticide occurrences (including both herbicides and insecticides) in the surface water and groundwater resources of Iowa was created in 1992. The database merges information collected by state agencies, federal agencies, and private sources over the past 30 years. Information was gathered from over 3500 sites including observations from public, domestic, and monitoring wells; rain collectors; agricultural tile lines; and streams, lakes, springs, and reservoirs. The database is periodically updated when new information becomes available. Pesticide information in the database is linked through the use of an unique identifier to a header file including information on site variables (location, depth, elevation, site type, etc.) as well as information relating to the origin of the data (agency, principle investigator, project, and article references).

The following are summaries of pesticide water-quality trends:
Pesticide Trends in Surface and Groundwater in Iowa: 1980-1995 (poster)
Pesticide Trends in Iowa's Surface and Groundwater, 1980-1995 (Iowa Geology 1998 article).

For more information contact Mary Skopec at (319)335-1575.