This week’s report on outdoor news from the Iowa Department of Natural Resources:
Father’s Day fishing
Give dad something he will always treasure this Father’s Day – quality time together. Take dad fishing and create memories that you can relive every time you’re together.
“Fishing is a fun way to celebrate special family events,” said Joe Larscheid, chief of the Iowa Department of Natural Resources Fisheries Bureau. “Enjoy your time together in Iowa’s great outdoors without the stress of busy schedules and interruptions from mobile devices.”
Snap a picture of you and your dad fishing and enter it in the 2017 #MissionFishin Photo Contest. Find the complete contest rules at www.iowadnr.gov/missionfishin.
Visit the Iowa DNR website at www.iowadnr.gov/Fishing for tips on making the most of your fishing trip this Father's Day including what's biting where, fishing maps and great places to fish close to home.
Cabins available
The following state parks have one or more cabins available to rent for this coming weekend beginning June 16:
• Lacey-Keosauqua 319-293-3502
• Lake of Three Fires 712-523-2700
• Pine Lakes 641-858-5832
• Union Grove 641-473-2556
• Waubonsie 712-382-2786
These cabins, which normally rent for one-week minimums, are available for two-night minimum stays, however they must be reserved through the individual park’s office.
Red dye study
U.S. Geological Survey scientists will inject a harmless, bright red fluorescent dye into the auxiliary lock at Locks and Dam 14 on the Mississippi River near Pleasant Valley, June 13, weather permitting. If needed, a backup date is scheduled for June 27.
The goal of the dye study is to understand how well water mixes within the lock chamber, to quantify the amount of leakage into and out of the lock through the gates, and to determine how quickly the dye becomes diluted downstream once released from the lock. Such information is used by federal, state, and local agencies for various engineering applications.
The red dye — known as Rhodamine WT — will be injected into the filling system of the auxiliary lock and may be visible for about a mile downstream along the Iowa shoreline. More dye will be added periodically throughout the day.
Rhodamine WT, which has been used in hydrologic studies for decades, is approved for use as a water tracer by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and is harmless to people, fish, and plants at the concentration being used for this study.
No impact to boats in the river is expected during or after the dye injection. During the study, dye concentrations will be measured at several points in the lock chamber and downstream of the lock by bank and boat-mounted equipment.
Researchers will measure the distribution of the dye in the auxiliary lock and map the dyed water downstream after the dyed water in the lock is released. This study is not expected to impact the operation of the main lock at Locks and Dam 14 or cause any navigation delays in the area.