Iowa Natural Resources Council

The Iowa Natural Resources Council (INRC) was created in 1949 by Iowa's General Assembly for the control of water and the protection of the surface and underground water resources of the state. In 1957 and 1963, the Council's duties were expanded to include oversight of all floodplain activities and controlling the conservation of oil and gas. The Council consisted of nine members who were appointed by the Governor with the advice and consent of the Senate and who had overlapping six-year terms. Dr. Merwin D. Dougal, Director of the ISU Water Resources Research Institute, served as chairman of the Council from July 1977 to July 1979. His materials, including notes and correspondence, can be found throughout the collection. With the merger of state agencies in 1983 and again in 1986, the Council's floodplain management responsibilities were transferred and now (2010) rest with the Environmental Protection Commission.