Iowa’s water quality has suffered due in part to the intense agriculture performed across the state. Wetlands naturally filter water, which helps remove excess nutrients, but a majority of Iowa’s historic wetlands have been drained. Ducks Unlimited (DU) and the Iowa Department of Agriculture and Land Stewardship (IDALS) have partnered to identify where wetlands, specifically those aimed at improving water quality, would be best placed and to work with landowners to install these wetlands. In this presentation, Annina Rupe delves into how GIS is used to simplify and speed up this process for the benefit of Iowans.
Rupe is a geospatial analyst with Ducks Unlimited, Inc. Highly proficient in cartography, data management, and web map and application development, Rupe has over 16 years’ experience with GIS and remote sensing focused on natural resources and conservation in public and nonprofit organizations. She has provided geospatial solutions for a wide variety of project types, including agriculture-focused, private and public lands, and water resources, scaling the solutions as the projects grow. She holds a BA in biology and chemistry from Wartburg College and MS in ecology with an Environmental GIS Certificate from Western Illinois University.
Part of the Spring 2026 GIS Seminar Series hosted by the Department of Urban Planning and Development, this seminar is open to all Iowa State students, faculty, and staff. Contact Professor Monica Haddad, haddad@iastate.edu, to express interest in attending and to receive the link to the online event.