Muchakinock Creek: Improving Water Quality for the Future, 2005

History has taken its toll on Muchakinock Creek. A number of problems over the years have led to the stream’s current state, one that’s landed it on Iowa’s list of impaired waters. However, the stream is also full of opportunity. The opportunity to improve water quality not only for the aquatic life and wildlife that live there, but also to pass along clean water to future generations of Iowans. But to act on this opportunity, we need your help.

09002-001 Indian Springs Pond Watershed Final Report

Silver Creek is a warm water stream resource located in one of the most intensely cropped portions of Clayton County. The stream has been included on Iowa’s 303(d) list of impaired waters since 2002. Aquatic life, which should be present in Silver Creek, isn’t there. According to the Draft Total Maximum Daily Load (TMDL) for Silver Creek, the primary nonpoint pollution sources are soil erosion from agricultural land uses and direct deposition of ammonia by livestock with access to the stream. The Clayton Soil & Water Conservation District has begun efforts to remove Silver Creek from the impaired waters list. The District has promoted stream corridor and sinkhole protection, and the installation of buffer practices along Silver Creek and its tributaries. Conservation practices have been targeted to crop fields to reduce sediment delivery to the stream. A series of news articles, newsletters, and field days have been utilized to increase public understanding of water quality issues. Landowner interest has outweighed available cost share resources. Additional financial support will allow the project to build upon its early successes, to further address the identified impairments, and to respond to a long list of landowners that are interested in conservation work on their farms.

08021-012 Sands Timber Final Report

Sands Timber Lake is a 60 acre man made impoundment near Blockton, Iowa. The lake is the centerpiece of a 235 acre park, which is owned and managed by the Taylor County Conservation Board. The park is equipped with modern campsites, hiking trails, picnic areas, and a playground. Bordering the western shoreline of the lake is a beautiful hardwood timber which inspired the parks name. Sands Timber Lake has a 4,100 acre drainage area comprised of timber, grassland, and row crop. The lake is fed by four large classic gullies which branch off into many smaller gullies dissecting the drainage area. Since construction in 1993, Sands Timber Lake has been an extremely poor fishery. In 2006 Sands Timber Lake was added to the EPA’s 303d list of impaired water bodies. Turbid water was identified as the primary stressor. In 2007 a bathometric map was made which depicts lake-bottom contours and elevations which, when compared to the original survey of the area, revealed an alarming amount of siltation. What was once a twenty-three foot deep lake in 1994 has now been reduced to a mere fourteen feet. In addition to depth being lost, the lake’s surface has been reduced by nearly ten acres, destroying vital fish habitats. Local interest in preserving and enhancing the lake has led to the completion of a thorough watershed assessment and treatment plan. Included in the plan are several elements, the first being upland treatment. Locals are insistent that if conservation is not implemented in the watershed the lake will continue to degrade and park usage will continue to decline.

08018-010 Walnut Creek Final Report

In 2004 Walnut Creek was placed on the 303d list of impaired water bodies for lack of aquatic life with biological causes. Sediment from farmland as well as the stream banks was listed as the most likely stressor. In response to this listing a preliminary watershed assessment was completed by the six counties which have land in the Walnut Creek watershed. Walnut Creek flows through portions of Shelby, Pottawattamie, Montgomery, Mills, Page, and Fremont Counties before reaching its confluence with the West Nishnabotna River. The preliminary study assessed resource concerns and evaluated anticipated landowner participation levels for the six Huc 12 sub-watersheds which divide the Walnut Creek basin. These preliminary assessments revealed a priority sub-watershed which lies between US Hwy 6 and Hwy 34. A development grant was then funded by the Division of Soil Conservation to conduct a detailed assessment of this area. The detailed assessment involved an assessment of the uplands as well as the stream itself. A better understanding of the resource concerns was gained through the assessment, allowing for a comprehensive watershed plan to be developed. A variety of best management practices will be necessary for our project to be a success, many of which will be funded by other sources besides the WIRB. This grant is the first request for funding submitted by the East Pottawattamie and Montgomery SWCDs’. This grant will serve as the first critical step in building what is destined to be a true watershed success story.

1003-001 Williamson Pond Final Report

Williamson Pond is a 26-acre publicly owned lake located about 2 miles east of the town of Williamson, in Lucas County. It has a watershed area of 1,499 acres. It has been managed since 1976 by the Lucas County Conservation Board (while still under state ownership) for fishing, boating, hunting, picnicking and other passive uses. Designated uses are Class AI, primary contact, and Class B (LW) aquatic life. Williamson Pond is on the 2004 EPA 303(d) List of Impaired Waters. A Total Maximum Daily Load (TMDL) for turbidity and nutrients at Williamson Pond was prepared by IDNR in 2005 and approved by EPA in 2006. The TMDL set reduction targets for both suspended sediment and phosphorus. The Williamson Pond Watershed Management Plan has provided the local work group and partners with information to develop and implement strategies to improve and protect water quality. These strategies are based on a three phase approach that will ultimately lead the removal of Williamson Pond from the Impaired Waters List. The goals identified in this proposal (Phase I) will reduce sediment and phosphorus delivery by 453 tons and 589 pounds annually. The Lucas County SWCD has and will continue to provide leadership on the Williamson Pond Project and has secured the partnerships necessary to address water quality problems and hired a part-time project coordinator to manage, implement, and oversee all activities pertaining to this proposal.

09005-002 Silver Creek Watershed Final Report

Silver Creek is a warm water stream resource located in one of the most intensely cropped portions of Clayton County. The stream has been included on Iowa’s 303(d) list of impaired waters since 2002. Aquatic life, which should be present in Silver Creek, isn’t there. According to the Draft Total Maximum Daily Load (TMDL) for Silver Creek, the primary nonpoint pollution sources are soil erosion from agricultural land uses and direct deposition of ammonia by livestock with access to the stream. The Clayton Soil & Water Conservation District has begun efforts to remove Silver Creek from the impaired waters list. The District has promoted stream corridor and sinkhole protection, and the installation of buffer practices along Silver Creek and its tributaries. Conservation practices have been targeted to crop fields to reduce sediment delivery to the stream. A series of news articles, newsletters, and field days have been utilized to increase public understanding of water quality issues. Landowner interest has outweighed available cost share resources. Additional financial support will allow the project to build upon its early successes, to further address the identified impairments, and to respond to a long list of landowners that are interested in conservation work on their farms.

1014-008 Walnut Creek Watershed Final Report

In 2004, Walnut Creek was placed on the 303d list of Impaired Waters due to a low biotic index (lack of aquatic life) during IDNR stream sampling events. Sediment originating from agriculture, streambank erosion, and channelization were listed as the most likely sources impacting aquatic life. In an effort to address these concerns, a preliminary study was completed of the multi-county watershed to identify priority areas. A Watershed Development & Planning Assistance Grant was then funded by the IDALS-DSC to conduct a detailed assessment of these prioritized sub-watersheds. The impending assessment of the watershed and the stream corridor revealed ample opportunities to address gully, sheet and rill erosion while addressing in-stream water velocity issues that plagued the riparian corridor. A comprehensive plan was developed comprised of a variety of best management practices to address the identified concerns. In 2009, this plan was submitted to the WIRB Board by the East Pottawattamie and Montgomery SWCDs and $489,455 was awarded to address concerns identified during watershed assessment inquiries. Despite adverse weather conditions, which has hampered conservation construction recently, this project has held fast to pre-project goals due to the fortitude of the project sponsors and the overwhelming participation by the watershed landowners. Unfortunately, state budget shortfalls are bringing project progress to a halt. As specified in the original WIRB funding request, practice funding for Year 3 was to come from the Division of Soil Conservation’s Watershed Protection Fund (WSPF). Due to Iowa’s budgetary restraints, the Walnut Creek WSPF application, which was submitted this spring, was not funded since no new applications in the state were funded. If funded again, this grant will serve as the critical step in continuing what is destined to be a true watershed success story.

09007-004 Upper Buffalo Creek Watershed Final Report

The main channel of Upper Buffalo Creek has been identified on Iowa's 303(d) List of Impaired Waters as having a biological impairment (i.e., greater than 50% decrease in mussel species) due to habitat modification, stream alteration, nutrients, and/or siltation. The Buchanan County SWCD has identified this as a priority watershed because mussel population decreases have been well documented to be directly associated with decreases in ecological value, recreational value, and overall water quality. The presence of a diverse and reproducing mussel population indicates that a healthy aquatic ecosystem is intact, which means good fishing, good water quality for wildlife, and assurance that water is safe for recreation. Dan Cohen, Buchanan Conservation Board Director, stated that "should water quality conditions improve, and fishing holes and habitat be enhanced, there is no doubt that many people would take advantage of the renewed recreational opportunities". This watershed contains two "threatened" species of mussels and five "sensitive" species of fish. The District feels that a watershed project will assist in implementing conservation practices that will greatly improve water quality and enhance biological and recreational venues.

1012-007 Yellow River Headwaters Final Report

The Yellow River Headwaters Watershed (YRHW) drains 26,730 acres of rural land within Winneshiek and Allamakee Counties. While portions of the river have been designated as a High Quality Resource by the State of Iowa, other portions appear on the State's 303(d) List of Impaired Waters due to excessive nutrients, sediment and other water quality issues. The Winneshiek SWCD was fortunate enough to secure WSPF/WPF funds for FY2009 to begin addressing many of the sources of the identified problems, especially along the all-to-critical stream corridor. Initial landowner I producer interest has exceeded expectations and several key BMPs have been installed within the identified critical areas. Yet due to the current budget constraints in the WSPF/WPF programs, we currently have greater landowner I producer interest than we do funds, which is why the District is applying for WIRB funding, to provide supplemental incentives to continue the installation of needed Grade Stabilization Structures, Terraces and Manure Management Systems in identified critical areas. Other funding, currently available to the District, will cover the remaining portions of the project's budget, including staff and our outreach efforts.

06015-008 Bear Creek Watershed Final Report

Big Bear Creek is the upper portion of Bear Creek which drains 26,734 acres and ends at the Highway 136 crossing of Bear Creek. Bear Creek flows into the section of the Maquoketa River, which is on the EPA’s 303(d) List of Impaired Waters. Monitoring by the Iowa DNR indicates that Bear Creek is contributing significant amounts of sediment and nutrients to the Maquoketa River. The primary use of land in the Big Bear Creek Watershed is row crop production. A roadside survey completed by Anamosa Field Office Staff indicated that 123,747 tons/yr. of sediment was being lost due to sheet and rill erosion only. The sediment delivered to Big Bear Creek is 24,447 tons/yr. Based on this data, 34,226 lbs. of Phosphorus is reaching the stream per year. With the added amount of sediment and phosphorus delivery through gully and streambank erosion, one can clearly see that the water quality in Bear Creek is severely impaired. The Big Bear Watershed Project will work to reduce the sediment and phosphorus delivered to the stream by 30% through the installation of practices that trap sediment and reduce erosion.

06014-007 Lower Coldwater-Palmer Creek Watershed Final Report

Lower Coldwater and Palmer Creeks in Butler and Floyd counties are subwatersheds of the Cedar River, which provides drinking water to Cedar Rapids, IA. The increasing concentration of nitrate+nitrate in the river is of concern to the Cedar Rapids water utility, and IDNR snapshot monitoring shows Coldwater and Palmer to be significant potential sources (above the 90th percentile for subwatersheds monitored). Both creeks are also on the Iowa Section 303(d) list of impaired waters (aquatic life). Citizens of these predominantly agricultural watersheds organized the Coldwater-Palmer Watershed Improvement Association to deal proactively with nonpoint source pollutants from crop and livestock operations through a performance-based environmental management program. The locally-adapted program implemented by the Coldwater-Palmer watershed council rewards participants for environmental accomplishments - soil quality improvement and nutrient source reduction as measured by accepted, scientifically-based tests and models. Most of the locally­appropriate BMPs used to improve performance are undertaken voluntarily at participants' initiative. WIRB funds will be combined with funding from the Iowa Com Growers Association and significant in-kind support from the Cedar River Watershed Monitoring Coalition, Iowa State University Extension and other partners. The project will result in sustainable reduction in nutrient loading achieved with voluntary participation of a majority of watershed farm operators.

07008-002 Yellow River Watershed Improvement Project Final Report

Two sections of the Yellow River have been named to the State of Iowa’s 303d list of impaired waters. The listing reflects streams with pollution problems linked to habitat alterations, in addition to those with potential disease causing bacteria, viruses and parasites. This fact, combined with local knowledge of water quality problems, shows the need for land treatment practices and habitat improvement measures. This project would target the Yellow River watershed, which totals approximately 49,800 acres. Areas that drain directly into the Yellow River mainstream will be targeted. Individually, these areas are too small to be considered sub-watersheds. This project will assess the drainage areas for active gullies and prioritize grade stabilization structures based upon severity and impact on the fishery. Funding would be utilized to target high priority grade stabilization structure sites and provide cost-share for those projects. A prerequisite for cost-share allocation is 75% of the land contributing to the drainage area must have some form of treatment in place. The Allamakee SWCD has received an EPA Region 7 Grant toward grade stabilization structures in the same area. Landowners have indicated that 75% cost-share is necessary to implement practices. To meet this request, the EPA funding would be used at a 15% cost-share rate if matched with 60% cost-share from WIRB funding. If matched with Federal EQIP funds, 25% of funds obtained from WIRB would be used. If other funds were depleted, WIRB funds would be utilized for the entire 75% cost-share.

05005-002 Farmers Creek Watershed Final Report

Farmers Creek is a moderately flowing stream that winds through seventeen miles of central Jackson County, encompassing a watershed area of 30,590 acres. Due to nutrient loading and sedimentation, the stream was placed on Iowa’s 303(d) List of Impaired Waters in 2002. A three year grant project was initiated in January 2005 to reduce both sediment delivery and phosphorus levels by 40% in critical areas along the stream corridor. Over thirty-five BMP’s were started in the first nine months of this project. Funding through WIRB is being requested specifically for streambank stabilization and protection projects not covered by other cost-share programs. Innovative project designs and techniques will be installed and act as demonstration sites. Projects may include jetties, weirs, cedar revetments, cattle crossings, and fencing. To assist in excluding cattle from the stream, watering systems such as slingpumps, pasture pumps, or water rams will be installed, in conjunction with filter strips and riparian buffers.

05002-001 Little Pony Creek Watershed Final Report

Farmers Creek is a moderately flowing stream that winds through seventeen miles of central Jackson County, encompassing a watershed area of 30,590 acres. Due to nutrient loading and sedimentation, the stream was placed on Iowa’s 303(d) List of Impaired Waters in 2002. A three year grant project was initiated in January 2005 to reduce both sediment delivery and phosphorus levels by 40% in critical areas along the stream corridor. Over thirty-five BMP’s were started in the first nine months of this project. Funding through WIRB is being requested specifically for streambank stabilization and protection projects not covered by other cost-share programs. Innovative project designs and techniques will be installed and act as demonstration sites. Projects may include jetties, weirs, cedar revetments, cattle crossings, and fencing. To assist in excluding cattle from the stream, watering systems such as slingpumps, pasture pumps, or water rams will be installed, in conjunction with filter strips and riparian buffers.

06010-005 Holiday Lake Watershed Final Report

Holiday Lake is included in the Walnut Creek watershed, which is listed on the 303(d) list of impaired water bodies. Research indicates that the causes of impairment are sedimentation and habitat alterations. To improve water quality, the goals of this project are to reduce the sediment delivery into Holiday Lake by 50% and assist in educating watershed residents about cost-effective ways to control sediment and nutrient contaminates. The best management practices will be installed to filter the water, reducing sediment and chemical loading into the lake. When all practices are installed, nearly 100% of the lake’s drainage area will be controlled.