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Hi3 Water

Iowa Water Assets

Midwest

Iowa's water resources include the Jordan and Dakota aquifers, alluvial aquifers along major rivers, and significant agricultural water demand.

Reasonable Use99 counties tracked2249 active alerts
61,630
Total Assets
58.2
Avg WIS
49,094
Verified
1
High WIS (75+)

Iowa Water Intelligence Report

Hi3 Water tracks 61,630 water assets across Iowa, spanning 99 counties and 7 distinct asset types. The average Water Intelligence Score (WIS) across Iowa is 58.2/100, with 1 assets scoring in the high-value range (75+). Iowa operates under Reasonable Use water law, which directly affects water rights acquisition and asset valuation in this state.

The dominant water asset type in Iowa is River (44,116 assets, avg WIS 64.6). The highest concentration is in Linn County with 776 tracked assets.

2,249 active regulatory alerts are currently tracked in Iowa, including EPA violations, drought declarations, and state water board enforcement actions. Always check the regulatory intelligence for any asset before making acquisition decisions.

Data sources: USGS Water Data, EPA ECHO, state water boards, and verified field reports. Water Intelligence Scores are computed across flow rate, geological stability, legal accessibility, sustainability, and rarity. Report last updated: June 29, 2026.

Asset Types in Iowa

River
44,116
Avg WIS 64.6
Well
12,504
Avg WIS 41.5
Reservoir
4,120
Avg WIS 43.8
Lake
856
Avg WIS 42.0
Spring
32
Avg WIS 39.3
Aquifer
1
Avg WIS 69.0
Fossil Water
1
Avg WIS 80.0

Intelligence Grade Distribution

How Iowa assets are graded

S (≥90) — Exceptional0 (0.0%)
A (75-89) — Excellent1 (0.0%)
B (55-74) — Good44,276 (71.8%)
C (35-54) — Fair17,353 (28.2%)
D (<35) — Limited0 (0.0%)

Regulatory Alerts

Drought, EPA violations, and enforcement actions affecting Iowa

90
critical
27
high
2052
medium
80
low
0
info
Maquoketa River near Maquoketa, IA — Gage Height 12.9 ft
usgs_flood · flood_warning
Mississippi River at McGregor, IA — Gage Height 12.1 ft
usgs_flood · flood_warning
Turkey River at Garber, IA — Gage Height 10.5 ft
usgs_flood · flood_warning

Top Counties in Iowa

Linn
776 assetsWIS 43
Marion
380 assetsWIS 41
Dubuque
361 assetsWIS 41
Johnson
352 assetsWIS 43
Muscatine
291 assetsWIS 43
Hardin
287 assetsWIS 42
Delaware
282 assetsWIS 41
Story
261 assetsWIS 42
Black Hawk
250 assetsWIS 42
Kossuth
248 assetsWIS 41
Webster
244 assetsWIS 42
Mahaska
225 assetsWIS 41

Aquifer Type Mix

unconfined
1,054
Avg WIS 44
confined
195
Avg WIS 53
fossil
1
Avg WIS 80

Top 10 Water Assets in Iowa

Ranked by Water Intelligence Score — Iowa's highest-scoring springs, wells, and aquifers.

View all on map
  1. 1

    Dakota Sandstone Fossil Aquifer — Central Iowa

    Fossil Water
    Carroll County·100 GPM
    80
    WIS
  2. 2

    Silurian-Devonian Aquifer — Eastern Iowa

    Aquifer
    Linn County·400 GPM
    69
    WIS
  3. 3

    Saylorville Dam

    Reservoir
    ·50,000,000 GPM
    67
    WIS
  4. 4

    Cleveland Dam

    Reservoir
    ·4,488 GPM
    66
    WIS
  5. 5

    Mathes

    Reservoir
    ·6,732,465 GPM
    66
    WIS
  6. 6

    Hayes Dam

    Reservoir
    ·113,554 GPM
    66
    WIS
  7. 7

    Wenger Dam

    Reservoir
    ·210,502 GPM
    66
    WIS
  8. 8

    Carl Kirkland Dam

    Reservoir
    ·11,221 GPM
    66
    WIS
  9. 9

    East Fork Grand River Watershed Site E-49

    Reservoir
    ·91,562 GPM
    66
    WIS
  10. 10

    Matt Brown Dam

    Reservoir
    ·6,284 GPM
    66
    WIS
Avg Flow Rate
274,461 GPM
Avg Depth
217 ft
For Sale
0
Fossil Water
1

Explore Iowa on the Interactive Map

View all 61,630 water assets, aquifer boundaries, water rights data, and regulatory alerts for Iowa.

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