Storm Lake, IA (KICD)– Water quality continues to be a big topic of discussion in the Iowa Great Lakes Area but it is considered to be just as important in the southern portion of the listening area.

Ben Wallace is a Fisheries Biologist for the Iowa Department of Natural Resources that oversees Storm Lake and other surrounding bodies of water. He recently went to the Storm Lake Protective Association to look back at the last year which he says was fairly quiet.

Low water levels can be a bigger issue in water bodies like Storm Lake considering it is more shallow than some other lakes which can cause problems for plant life in high wind events.

Wallace says dry years like we have seen in the recent past also have a tendency to lead to more algae and access problems.

Looking ahead to 2024, Wallace is hoping to be able to take advantage of snow melt to help get water levels back to normal while also continuing with normal operations to keep plant and fish populations at healthy levels.