Citizens United for the Conservation of Underground Water was incorporated in Carroll County, Iowa in 1981. Their purposes in organizing were: to protect Iowa's underground water supplies and aquifers from depletion or misuse by irrigation or other excessive uses; to protect underground and surface water supplies with a view toward ensuring adequate water to residents of Iowa and to resist applications for irrigation which would be detrimental to the underground and/or surface water supplies of the state; and to protect the environment and the ecology of the area from the misuse of Iowa's natural water supplies.

The group's concern was that increased irrigation could lower water levels in neighboring wells, and perhaps require other farmers to install pumping equipment as the flow in artesian wells decreased. Members attended hearings to express objections to the granting of irrigation permits, and in one case they were able to have limits placed on the amount of water a particular farmer could withdraw for irrigation purposes. The farmer was also required to place water meters on his wells, and to notify a monitor, appointed by the water commissioner prior to irrigation pumping. At the state level, the group hoped to promote the development of a water-resources plan. Such a plan had been mandated by a 1957 act regarding water use, but had not yet been developed by the time of the group's formation in 1981. (For more information on the goals and activities of this organization, see the memoranda file, 1/12, and the news clippings file, 1/14).

Citizens United for the Conservation of Underground Water was dissolved in 1988.

The collection (1981-1988, n.d.) contains correspondence, legislative materials, news clippings, annual report filings, a court brief, committee materials and articles of incorporation and dissolution documents.

The collection is organized alphabetically.