Confidential report on lake restoration projects, Iowa conservation plan,1932

This report contains findings on 52 lake restoration projects. It summarizes the interpretation of the detailed project reports, maps, and cost estimates.

Lake Restoration 2007 Report and 2008 Plan, December 28, 2007

The Department of Natural Resources (IDNR) Lake Restoration Program focuses on restoring impaired lakes to improve the quality of life for Iowans. Communities are rallying around their water resources as they seek population growth and economic success. Communities of the Iowa Great Lakes Region, Storm Lake, Crystal Lake, Creston and Clear Lake are obvious examples, but other communities including Lake View and Brighton are identifying the importance of lakes for their futures as well. The distribution and nature of Vision Iowa grants, Community Attraction and Tourism grants, and now, Great Places, all further emphasize the importance of water to community, quality of life and economic growth.

Lake Restoration 2008 Report and 2009 Plan, December 30, 2008

The Department of Natural Resources (IDNR) Lake Restoration Program focuses on restoring impaired lakes to improve the quality of life for Iowans. Communities are rallying around their water resources as they seek population growth and economic success. Communities of the Iowa Great Lakes Region, Storm Lake, Crystal Lake, Creston and Clear Lake are obvious examples, but other communities including Lake View and Brighton are identifying the importance of lakes for their futures as well. The distribution and nature of Vision Iowa grants, Community Attraction and Tourism grants, and now, Great Places, all further emphasize the importance of water to community, quality of life and economic growth.

Lake Restoration 2009 Report and 2010 Plan, December 30, 2009

The Department of Natural Resources (IDNR) Lake Restoration Program focuses on restoring impaired lakes to improve the quality of life for Iowans. Communities are rallying around their water resources as they seek population growth and economic success. Communities of the Iowa Great Lakes Region, Storm Lake, Crystal Lake, Creston and Clear Lake are obvious examples, but other communities including Lake View and Brighton are identifying the importance of lakes for their futures as well. The distribution and nature of Vision Iowa grants, Community Attraction and Tourism grants, and now, Great Places, all further emphasize the importance of water to community, quality of life and economic growth.

Lake Restoration 2010 Report and 2011 Plan, December 30, 2010

The Department of Natural Resources (IDNR) Lake Restoration Program focuses on restoring impaired lakes to improve the quality of life for Iowans. Communities are rallying around their water resources as they seek population growth and economic success. Communities of the Iowa Great Lakes Region, Storm Lake, Crystal Lake, Creston and Clear Lake are obvious examples, but other communities including Lake View and Brighton are identifying the importance of lakes for their futures as well. The distribution and nature of Vision Iowa grants, Community Attraction and Tourism grants, and now, Great Places, all further emphasize the importance of water to community, quality of life and economic growth.

Lake Restoration 2011 Report and 2012 Plan, December 30, 2011

The Department of Natural Resources (IDNR) Lake Restoration Program focuses on restoring impaired lakes to improve the quality of life for Iowans. Communities are rallying around their water resources as they seek population growth and economic success. Communities of the Iowa Great Lakes Region, Storm Lake, Crystal Lake, Creston and Clear Lake are obvious examples, but other communities including Lake View and Brighton are identifying the importance of lakes for their futures as well. The distribution and nature of Vision Iowa grants, Community Attraction and Tourism grants, and now, Great Places, all further emphasize the importance of water to community, quality of life and economic growth.

Lake Restoration 2012 Report and 2013 Plan, December 31, 2012

The Department of Natural Resources (IDNR) Lake Restoration Program focuses on restoring impaired lakes to improve the quality of life for Iowans. Communities are rallying around their water resources as they seek population growth and economic success. Communities of the Iowa Great Lakes Region, Storm Lake, Crystal Lake, Creston and Clear Lake are obvious examples, but other communities including Lake View and Brighton are identifying the importance of lakes for their futures as well. The distribution and nature of Vision Iowa grants, Community Attraction and Tourism grants, and now, Great Places, all further emphasize the importance of water to community, quality of life and economic growth.

Lake Restoration 2013 Report and 2014 Plan, December 31, 2013

The Department of Natural Resources (IDNR) Lake Restoration Program focuses on restoring impaired lakes to improve the quality of life for Iowans. Communities are rallying around their water resources as they seek population growth and economic success. Communities of the Iowa Great Lakes Region, Storm Lake, Crystal Lake, Creston and Clear Lake are obvious examples, but other communities including Lake View and Brighton are identifying the importance of lakes for their futures as well. The distribution and nature of Vision Iowa grants, Community Attraction and Tourism grants, and now, Great Places, all further emphasize the importance of water to community, quality of life and economic growth.

Lake Restoration 2014 Report and 2015 Plan, December 31, 2014

The Department of Natural Resources (IDNR) Lake Restoration Program focuses on restoring impaired lakes to improve the quality of life for Iowans. Communities are rallying around their water resources as they seek population growth and economic success. Communities of the Iowa Great Lakes Region, Storm Lake, Crystal Lake, Creston and Clear Lake are obvious examples, but other communities including Lake View and Brighton are identifying the importance of lakes for their futures as well. The distribution and nature of Vision Iowa grants, Community Attraction and Tourism grants, and now, Great Places, all further emphasize the importance of water to community, quality of life and economic growth.

08023-013 DMACC Lake Final Report

The DMACC Lake Watershed Improvement project will focus on water quality and quantity as well as channel and lake restoration. Roadway, parking lot, and roof drainage from the west and northwest portions of the campus add significant amounts of pollutants and silt to the lake. Severe channel erosion exists along the northern creek channel with exposed cut banks ranging from 2-10 feet in height devoid of vegetation. Heavy lake sedimentation and algae blooms are a result of accumulated sediment being conveyed to the lake. Most sections of the north channel have grades of between 0.5% and 1%. This channel receives large scouring flow velocities. There are no natural riffle or pool systems. There are five areas where these riffle and pool systems may need to be created in order to slow overall channel velocities. This will create a series of rock riffles and a still pool that will mimic the conditions that natural channels tend to create, protecting the channel from undercutting. Multiple practices will need to be implemented to address the pollutant, silt, and channel erosion. Improvements will be specifically tailored to address problems observed within the north channel, on-site drainage from the west and northwest, as well as off-site drainage to the north of the campus and east of Ankeny Blvd (Hwy 69). The result will be improved quality and quantity of site drainage and a channel with a more natural appearance and reduced scour velocities. Sections of the north channel will require grading to establish slopes that can support deep rooted vegetation and to improve maintenance access. Areas with eroded banks will require slope pull back and may also require toe armor protection to stabilize. A constructed wetland will collect and treat runoff from the west on site parking lot, before being discharged into the lake. This project will create educational opportunities to both students and the general public as well as interested parties outside of the local area for how an existing system can be retro fitted for improved watershed quality.

1210-007IJ Central Park Lake Final Report

The Central Park Lake Watershed Assessment and Management Plan identified four categories where improvements are needed to remove the 23 acre lake from the impaired waters list. These include the wastewater system, runoff from surrounding lands, in-lake nutrient re-suspension and runoff from hard surfaces within the park. The lake is currently impaired for bacteria, algae and pH. Through outcomes of the Watershed Assessment and Management Plan, this proposal includes for abandonment and reclamation of the single cell wastewater lagoon site, replacement with three conventional septic systems and construction of two wetlands. One of the wetlands is located on the same site as the reclaimed lagoon and the other is located to intercept sediment and trap nutrients transported by tile lines. The prescribed wastewater system improvements are based on assessment by grab samples test by the State Hygienic Lab, development of a Preliminary Engineering Report, soil analysis and communication with IDNR wastewater officials. The two wetland sites were assessed by officials from IDALS and the Jones County SWCD. This project is part of $1.7 million lake restoration effort to reclaim the 47 year old lake. The lake has a positive economic impact of more than $7.6 million annually and supports an average annual visitation of 58,145, according to the Iowa Lakes Valuation Project, conducted by Iowa State University.

08009-005 Storm Lake Watershed Final Report

Storm Lake, the state's fourth largest natural lake, has been the centerpiece of significant economic development, including a resort, water park, and state marina. While there have been considerable improvements to the lake's water quality through a major on-going lake restoration program and watershed project, the Little Storm Lake area still needs to be addressed. Little Storm Lake is a 190 acre area on the nmihwest side of Storm Lake. The water level in both areas is based on the dam height located on the southeast corner of Storm Lake. Approximately 70% of the water from the watershed flows through Little Storm Lake. Little Storm Lake originally had the ability to remove much of the sediment and nutrients from incoming waters. However, due to degradation, proper wetland function has been compromised. Under normal hydrologic conditions Little Storm Lake has the potential to function as a sediment trap for Storm Lake, but tllis capacity is overwhelmed during high flows. Little Storm Lake is at or near its sediment trapping capacity, which results in higher sediment transport into Storm Lake. Resuspension of sediments due to wind and other in-lake dynamics, such as rough fish, further exacerbate the total turbidity from suspended sediment and results in movement of sediment from Little Storm Lake into Storm Lake. This project includes a fish barrier and water retention structure between Little Storm Lake and Storm Lake and the construction of a pumping station and associated equipment. The project involves periodic dewatering of Little Storm Lake during years of favorable climatological conditions to consolidate the sediments and revegetate the area. Construction of the fish banier would aid restoration efforts by preventing rough fish from destroying the vegetation and would decrease recruitment of rough fish by limiting their spawning area. In the future, if the diminished trapping capacity of Little Storm Lake still results in sediment moving into Storm Lake, a dredging project would be initiated to deepen Little Storm Lake.

1214-008 Clear Lake Watershed Final Report

Clear Lake, Iowa's third largest natural lake, is a premier natural resource and popular recreational destination in north central Iowa. Despite the lake's already strong recreational use, water quality concerns have not allowed the lake to reach its full potential. Clear Lake is listed on Iowa's Draft 2010 303(d) Impaired Waters List for algae, bacteria, and turbidity. Many restoration practices have been implemented to treat the algae and turbidity impairment, but few practices have been installed to treat bacteria. Reducing beach bacteria levels is a priority of the lake restoration partners. Federal, State, and local partners have invested more than $20 million in lake and watershed restoration efforts to improve water clarity and quality. These partners have a strong desire to ensure high bacteria levels at public swim beaches do not undermine the other water quality improvements. Recent bacteria source tracking completed by the State Hygienic Laboratory indicates that Canada Geese are a major contributor of bacteria loading to the Clear Lake swim beaches. Other potential sources include unpermitted septic systems in the watershed. The grant request proposes to reduce bacteria levels at Clear Lake's three public swim beaches by utilizing beach cleaner machines to remove goose waste, installing goose deterrents at the swim beaches, and continuing a septic system update grant program. These practices began to be implemented in 2011 and recent bacteria samples in 2012 are showing they can be effective if the effort is continued.

1228-013 Center Lake Watershed Final Report

A targeted approach is being used in the Iowa Great Lakes Watershed with a keystone project featured within this project application in the heavily urbanized Center Lake Watershed. As identified in the Iowa Great Lakes Watershed Management Plan, urban runoff is the only remaining watershed concern in the Center Lake Watershed as the map in the attachments clearly shows. Fully one third of the watershed concerns of Center Lake will be treated through the installation of 7 keystone urban practices and will remove 63 pounds of phosphorous from entering the lake annually. Due to the interconnectedness of the Iowa Great Lakes (IGL), the watershed has been broken down into sub units called Resource Management Areas (RMA's) for priority practice implementation. This project will mesh with the existing Iowa Great Lakes Watershed Management Plan by reducing pollutant loads from the highest priority RMA's which are resulting in impaired water bodies. The majority of the funding needed for the specific practices specified in this proposal has already been secured through the Iowa DNR Section 319 and Lake Restoration Programs, The Water Quality Commission and the City of Spirit Lake. This funding request will simply bring the overall cost of these keystone practices into the range of affordability for the committed funders and the City of Spirit Lake

08005-002 Silver Lake Watershed Final Report

Silver Lake is located in an 18,053-acre watershed. The watershed is intensively farmed with almost all of the wetlands being previously drained or degraded over the last 50 years. Silver Lake is listed on the State of Iowa’s impaired water bodies list due to sediment and high nutrient level. Silver Lake is also known be in the bottom 25 percentile of Iowa’s lakes due Secchi disk readings and Chlorophyll a level. Farming in the watershed is the principle concern and cause for many of the problems occurring in Silver Lake currently with 78% of the watershed being intensively farmed. There are two major drainage ditches that have been used to drain the major wetlands and sloughs that, at one time, filtered the water and slowed it down before it reached Silver Lake. With these two major drainage ditches, water is able to reach the lake much faster and unfiltered than it once did historically. The loss of 255 restorable wetland basins to row crop production has caused serious problems in Silver Lake. These wetland basins once slowed and filtered water as it moved through the watershed. With their loss over the last 50 years that traditional drainage no longer occurs. We propose to create a Wetland Reserve Program incentive project to make WRP a more attractive option to landowners within the watershed. The incentive will be based on the amount of sediment delivery reduction to the lake, therefore paying a greater payment for a greater benefit to the lake. The expected result of this project is the restoration of over 250 acres of wetland basins with an associated 650 acres of upland buffers. The benefit for these wetlands and buffers would be reduced sediment, reduced nutrients, and slowed waters to the lake.