Maxwell Bernstein | August 28, 2020

The Des Moines River has 10 times the federal recommendation for microcystin, toxins that come from algae, according to the Iowa Capital Dispatch.

The algae feed on fertilizer runoff and manure and produce toxins that cause health issues like skin rashes, intestinal problems, and even liver damage. 

The Des Moines River is one of the two largest sources of water to provide tap water and acts as a source of drinking water for around 500,000 Iowans. The toxins are suspected to originate at Saylorville Lake, a U.S. Army Corps of Engineers flood-control reservoir that sits north of Des Moines.