Review by Victoria Angelique:

The short documentary, THE VALUE OF WATER, is an informative film that showcases the importance of cleaning up the lakes in Iowa. It uses science and personal interviews to tell the story of each lake.

Green algae and zebra mussels have become invasive species to the Iowa lakes. Interviews depict how dangerous green algae is to humans and animals that might become in contact with the lakes. It can make living creatures become very sick or even die. Zebra mussels are depicted with voice over to show how they travel from lake to lake by attaching themselves to boats. The scientists explain how they are fixing these problems to clean up the lakes in a way that everyone could understand.

The cinematography is expertly done for a documentary discussing lakes. Careful shots showcase the green algae & compares it to the cleaned up lakes. The zebra mussels are intertwined with interviews to really drive the point home on how invasive the species is by getting close up shots on them. The chemists are depicted showing the development of solutions to clean up the lakes, whether that’s from pellets or cover crop to prevent phosphorus from growing the blue-green algae or moving the zebra mussels so that aquatic life can thrive. 

The best part of this documentary is the passion behind those involved in the cleanup of the Iowa lakes. Water is essential for life, proving that the work behind the Kiko Pellets could potentially save more bodies of water outside of the state. It takes more than just the scientists, but the people in the community to make a difference.