Here’s an unmistakable signal that Driftless Water Defenders is dialing up the magic and gathering the right vibe for its work to keep the region’s water clean. The May 8 benefit concert in Decorah, featuring legendary folksinger Greg Brown and other Iowa artists, sold out just a couple of weeks after tickets went on sale in January. The concert is the first big fund raising event hosted by DWD. It will be held in the Steyer Opera House at the Hotel Winneshiek, and promises to be a memorable night of lyrics and music striking just the right chords for water quality and the public interest.

Join us on Wednesday, April 16, 2025 at Parents Hall, Olmsted Center at Drake University or by Live Stream to hear our registered agent and legal counsel, James C. Larew speak about the right to clean water.

Pipelines and agricultural polluters were targets of Driftless Water Defenders’ court actions in February. DWD joined opponents of the Summit Carbon CO2 pipeline who are appealing the Iowa Utility Commission’s (IUC) decision to allow the pipeline’s owners to exercise eminent domain to construct the project.

(Decorah, Iowa) — Today, Driftless Water Defenders (“DWD”), an Iowa non-profit membership corporation focused on water issues in Iowa, filed a federal civil lawsuit against Agri Star Meat & Poultry, LLC for violating the federal Clean Water Act (“CWA”).  

We’re off to a very strong start. We’ve established a comprehensive program of litigation, public engagement, and communications. In just our first eight months, by combining litigation with public engagement, DWD initiated substantive water-protecting legal initiatives on four fronts.

(Decorah, Iowa)—Driftless Water Defenders, an Iowa non-profit membership corporation focused on water issues in Iowa, has issued Agri Star Meat & Poultry, LLC, and Agri Star General, Inc. a Notice of Violations and Intent to Sue Under the Clean Water Act. Agri Star owns and operates the offending agricultural processing facility located in Postville, Iowa. DWD is represented by Public Justice, FarmSTAND, and Larew Law Office.

DECORAH -- In a case that seeks much greater protection for Iowa’s surface and groundwater Driftless Water Defenders (DWD) yesterday filed a citizen complaint with Iowa’s Department of Natural Resources (DNR)  to challenge the agency’s rubber stamp approval of water use permits.