Frequently Asked Questions

The Iowa DNR provides the most reliable information regarding fish consumption and safety —review their advisories before consuming your catch at https://www.iowadnr.gov/environmental-protection/water-quality/water-quality-monitoring-assessment/fish-consumption-safety).

How safe it is to eat fish depends on the fish species and who is consuming it (child, pregnant woman, adult man, etc.). It is important to keep in mind that health advisories for fish consumption also include store bought fish. This is a good place to start learning about safely eating fish: https://www.epa.gov/choose-fish-and-shellfish-wisely/epa-fda-advice-about-eating-fish-and-shellfish

As stated by the Iowa Department of Natural Resources, nitrate and nitrite are nitrogen-oxygen molecules that can combine with many organic and inorganic compounds. Nitrate is the form commonly found in water, often in areas where nitrogen-based fertilizers are used. Similar to most Iowa rivers, nitrates are found in the Cedar River. The main source of nitrates according the DNR in the Cedar River (and in all impacted Iowa rivers) are fertilizers, including agricultural manure.

At the urban level, nitrates come primarily from fertilizing lawns, grass clippings, leaves, pet waste, wildlife droppings, and human sewage. Locally, the City of Cedar Falls implements practices and education to help decrease the risk of nitrates in the water. The City’s Public Works Department applies the minimum amount of fertilizer needed in area parks and has transformed multiple lawn areas into native plantings. The City has installed stormwater best management practices that filter the water, including permeable alleys, wetlands and bioretention cells, and plans to continue to explore this in the future. The City continually encourage residents to adopt best management practices at their homes, and to always pick up their grass clippings, leaves and pet waste via social media, digital, and print campaigns such as Cedar Falls Earth Week.

For more information on how you can help Cedar Falls be more eco-friendly, please visit https://www.cedarfalls.com/1542/Residents-Businesses and reach out to the City’s Stormwater Specialist at 319-273-8600.

For facts and education on nitrate levels in Iowa’s water (especially safe levels for drinking water vs. swimming and recreation)—and ways you can help—check out https://www.iaenvironment.org/blog/iowa-environmental-voice/iec-explainer-nitrates-and-public-health. You can also visit the Iowa Water Quality Information System (IWQIS) to learn more about nitrates and access local date at https://iwqis.iowawis.org/parameters.html.

E. coli is due to runoff from agricultural and septic sources including fecal waste of livestock and humans. Testing and data for E. coli can be difficult as the water is continually moving and changing and there are few test sites available locally. To get alerts on beaches in Iowa, and to learn about DNR monitoring, you can visit https://programs.iowadnr.gov/aquia/beaches.

As with most of Iowa’s streams and rivers which have shown themselves to be impaired for E. coli, the Cedar River can have levels of it which can be higher particularly after heavy rainfall. However, according to the 2024 Iowa DNR assessment summary, reports of waterborne illness related to high levels of bacteria have been extremely rare in Iowa over the last 40 years. You can view the complete summary at https://programs.iowadnr.gov/adbnet/Assessments/Summary/2024.

It is always important to stay safe when engaging in water recreation to avoid potential illness. This includes not entering water with open abrasions, never swallowing river water, showering before and after coming in contact with river water, and not engaging in recreational activities after a heavy rainfall and flooding.

The City works every day to improve local water quality through infrastructure projects, city ordinances, and supporting community programs.

In Cedar Falls, the local government helps protect and enhance river quality in the following ways:

Stormwater Management

• Enforcing ordinances on stormwater management

• Enforcing ordinances that limit what flows into storm sewers (only clean rain or ground water)

• Installing best management practices like biocells, permeable alleys and converting grass areas to native vegetation

• Providing education to resident on what they can do at their own homes to improve water quality

Wastewater Treatment

• The Water Reclamation Facility treats wastewater so it can be safely released into the Cedar River without harmful pollutants.

• Nutrient & Pollutant Reduction: Upgrades are under design to remove more nitrogen, phosphorus, and other contaminants that can degrade river health.

Infrastructure Maintenance

• Regular sewer line cleaning, repairs, and lining prevent leaks and overflows, keeping untreated wastewater out of local waterways.

• Local Ordinances and Zoning

• Cedar Falls regulates construction runoff and illicit discharges, which are the main sources of contaminants in an urban area.

Parks

• Manages and maintains our riverfront parks, trails, and public access.

• Applies small amounts of fertilizer and herbicides, where needed.

• Converts areas of grass to native vegetation, where appropriate.
  

Community Engagement

• Supports and participates in clean-up efforts, including Earth Week. In 2025, we prevented 3.81 tons of solid waste from polluting our waterways by collecting it across the city.