(Photo by Caroline Rusk) University of Iowa President Sally Mason (third from left) cuts the ribbon to celebrate the opening of the new University Hygienic Laboratory at Iowa Lakeside Laboratory with several educational leaders, volunteers, government officials and others.

Special to the Daily Reporter

Water testing in the Iowa Great Lakes region just became quicker, easier and more accessible for residents.

Iowa Lakeside Laboratory and Regents Resource Center (ILLRRC) and the University Hygienic Laboratory (UHL) celebrated their new partnership to expand water quality services during a ribbon-cutting ceremony and program on Friday, Aug. 1 at the Waitt Building on the ILLRRC campus. Approximately 50 educational leaders, government officials, volunteers and other community members were in attendance.

"The new lab will provide better and faster testing for the folks in this region," said Richard Kelly of UHL.

Lakeside Lab's expanded services include a newly renovated water analysis laboratory, a larger menu of water tests, and the addition of a full-time chemist, Dennis Heimdal, to staff the lab and provide public education in water quality. The Iowa Department of Natural Resources and the Friends of Lakeside Lab are integral parts of the partnership that will increase water quality analysis and monitoring in Northwestern Iowa.

"Maintaining the quality of our water is critical to the health and economic viability of our state," said UHL Director Christopher Atchison. "It is imperative that we closely monitor the status of Iowa's Great Lakes region and preserve its splendor for generations to come."

According to ILLRRC Executive Director Peter van der Linden, the new partnership will increase the volume of tests conducted locally, and improve public awareness and understanding of water quality issues. "We need to take good care of our beautiful Lakes, and ILLRRC is pleased to take a greater role in that effort," he noted.

Volunteer and Lakes area philanthropist Tom Bedell spoke briefly during the program.

"The question is, 'What are we going to do with what we learn?'" he said.

Guest speaker Sally Mason, President of the University of Iowa, was also on hand for the ceremony.

"This is a historic moment for many reasons," she stated. "There was a vision... and where better to have a lab than right here?"

ILLRRC is one of the nation's first biological field stations. It was founded in 1909 by Thomas McBride, a former president and professor of the University of Iowa for "the study of nature in nature" and to provide hands-on educational experiences for college students and the public. In 2006 it was designated a Regent's Resource Center for the people of Northwest Iowa. In partnership with the Friends and other organizations, ILLRRC hosts the Writers in Residence program, Okoboji Entrepreneurial Institute, Cooperative Lakes Area Monitoring Project, and a variety of environmental education initiatives.