Missouri River 2021 runoff forecast below average

IARN — Reservoir inflows in the Missouri River basin above Sioux City, Iowa were well-below average in March, contributing to a below-average forecast for 2021. John Remus, chief of the Missouri River Basin Water Management Division for the Army Corps of Engineers, says, “Due to the lack of plains snowpack in 2021, below-average mountain snowpack, and dry upper basin conditions, we expect upper basin runoff to be below average.” Read more


Drought conditions remain in northwest Iowa

IARN — The U.S. Drought Monitor on Thursday showed pockets of drought continuing in parts of northwest Iowa, while the majority of the state isn’t experiencing any type of drought intensity. Read more


E15 sales surge in Iowa

IARN — Data from the Iowa Department of Revenue shows 2020 sales of E15 jumped 24% and set a new record in Iowa.

Iowa retailers sold 60.59 million gallons of E15 in 2020, up from 48.96 million gallons in 2019 and more than double the 2017 volume of E15 sales. Monte Shaw is executive director of the Iowa Renewable Fuels Association. He says E15 sales grew in Iowa despite a 14.3% drop in the state’s overall motor gasoline consumption from 2019 levels. Read more