Iowa River Turns Green, UI: “Um. It’s Dyed. For St. Patrick’s Day. Yeah.”

Students from Chicago were greeted with a recognizable image this Saturday, after the Iowa River turned a deep emerald green color just in time for St. Patrick’s Day. Many Iowa City residents were surprised by the change, since neither city government nor the university announced plans to follow Chicago’s lead and dye the river.

Iowa City Mayor Bruce Teague quickly released a statement suggesting the university was behind the color change, and that he was as surprised as everybody else.

When asked about this, UI President Barbara Wilson responded, “Oh, well, yeah, um, it’s St. Patrick’s Day, so we thought, ya know… green. So yeah, it’s dye.”

In an impromptu press conference, Wilson explained that St. Patrick’s Day is a well-known holiday that celebrates leprechauns and the color green. She also clarified that the river’s sudden change in color has nothing to do with pollution.

“Pollution is actually a myth,” Wilson said.

Before leaving the conference, Wilson stressed that Iowa City residents should under absolutely no circumstances go in the Iowa River, but only because “the dye might get on your swimsuit.”