The third season of the “Clean Water Pod” podcast will focus on stories from across the country that showcase innovative approaches within the Clean Water Act 303(d) Program. For the season’s first episode, host Jeff Berckes spoke with his former colleague, Jason Palmer, a natural resource biologist, about a successful project they worked on together at the Iowa Department of Natural Resources.
Berckes and Palmer discussed the challenges they encountered when initially implementing Total Maximum Daily Loads (TMDLs) to address bacteria impairments in three different lakes. They determined that lake-wide testing was not accurately capturing the water quality impairment, and so developed a new sampling protocol which examined bacteria in both beach sand and the water. This new analysis revealed high concentrations of bacteria near the shoreline, leading to creative ways of diagnosing and improving water quality and minimizing public health hazards. Their research ultimately resulted in a novel TMDL approach which could then be applied statewide for other lakes with similar bacteria impairments.
The “Clean Water Pod” is available on most podcast platforms, including Apple Podcasts and Spotify.
Podcast updates are posted on X (@CleanWaterPod), as well as NEIWPCC’s social media channels (@NEIWPCC).
About The Clean Water Pod
Through perspectives and stories from across the country, the “Clean Water Pod” explores the challenges and successes of restoring and protecting water quality through the Clean Water Act 303(d) program.
This podcast is funded by a grant through the U.S. EPA and produced by Flip the Field and NEIWPCC.
Learn more about our work around the 303(d) program.