05018-007 Storm Lake Watershed Final Report

The enclosed project request for funding will address needed conservation work within the Storm Lake Watershed. The proposed conservation practices and activities have been planned for several years but due to funding limitations have not been completed. These innovative practices will address some of the remaining and hard to address problem areas of sediment and nutrient loading within the watershed. The four goals of this project are: installation of four in-stream Boulder Weirs, planting of native grasses around ten surface intakes, completion of three urban rain gardens and hiring of a part-time Iowater monitoring coordinator. Through the new Awaysis destination park project Storm Lake is truly placing a high value on our watershed and lake as a major asset to the area. Awaysis is a $30 million project that's success will hinge on maintaining the highest standards in regard to the water quality of the lake and its watershed.

A Case Study of China’s Commercial Pork Value Chain, August 2005

In China, with the cost of improved technology rising, surplus labor shrinking, and demand for food quality and safety increasing, it will be just a matter of time before the country’s hog production sector will be commercialized like that of developed countries. However, even if China’s cost of production converges to international levels, as shown in this case study, China may continue to retain some competitive advantage because of the labor-intensive nature of the marketing services involved in hog processing and meat distribution. The supply of variety meats offers the most promising market opportunity for foreign suppliers in China. The market may open further if the tariff rate for variety meats is reduced from 20% and harmonized with the pork muscle meat rate of 12%, and if the value-added tax of 13% is applied equally to both imported and domestic products. The fast-growing Western-style family restaurant and higher-end dining sector is another market opportunity for high-quality imported pork.

Little Dairy on the Prairie: from butter makin' to high-tech agriculture, 2005

In 2001, extensive archaeological excavations were conducted at the Oneida Cheese Factory in Jones County. The county is a microcosm of larger dairying trends found throughout northeast Iowa, the state’s premier dairy-producing region. Jones County moved from homemade cheese and butter production by farm women, to the industrialization of the dairy farm and opening of cheese factories and butter creameries. A number of innovations affected the industry around the turn-of-the-twentieth century, including reliable butterfat testing, the introduction of ensilage (silos) that created yearround milk production, and consolidation of the many local creameries into larger creamery organizations, such as the Diamond Creamery run by Henry D. Sherman of Jones County. Iowa’s dairy industry of today looks very different from its heritage: consolidation and competition have drastically reduced the number of cows, dairy farms, and processing plants. In recent years, northeast Iowa has become the center of a movement to revitalize Iowa’s dairy industry, particularly through the use of value-added strategies, such as niche markets and large regional co-operatives: the lessons from Iowa’s dairying legacy are resurfacing as a solution to modern agricultural challenges.

Investigation into Shrinkage of High-Performance Concrete Used for Iowa Bridge Decks and Overlays, TR-633, 2013

High-performance concrete (HPC) overlays have been used increasingly as an effective and economical method for bridge decks in Iowa and other states. However, due to its high cementitious material content, HPC often displays high shrinkage cracking potential. This study investigated the shrinkage behavior and cracking potential of the HPC overlay mixes commonly used in Iowa. In the study, 11 HPC overlay mixes were studied. These mixes consisted of three types of cements (Type I, I/II, and IP) and various supplementary cementitious materials (Class C fly ash, slag and metakaolin). Limestone with two different gradations was used as coarse aggregates in 10 mixes and quartzite was used in one mix. Chemical shrinkage of pastes, free drying shrinkage, autogenous shrinkage of mortar and concrete, and restrained ring shrinkage of concrete were monitored over time. Mechanical properties (such as elastic modulus and compressive and splitting tensile strength) of these concrete mixes were measured at different ages. Creep coefficients of these concrete mixes were estimated using the RILEM B3 and NCHRP Report 496 models. Cracking potential of the concrete mixes was assessed based on both ASTM C 1581 and simple stress-to-strength ratio methods. The results indicate that among the 11 mixes studied, three mixes (4, 5, and 6) cracked at the age of 15, 11, and 17 days, respectively. Autogenous shrinkage of the HPC mixes ranges from 150 to 250 microstrain and free dying shrinkage of the concrete ranges from 700 to 1,200 microstrain at 56 days. Different concrete materials (cementitious type and admixtures) and mix proportions (cementitious material content) affect concrete shrinkage in different ways. Not all mixes having a high shrinkage value cracked first. The stresses in the concrete are associated primarily with the concrete shrinkage, elastic modulus, tensile strength, and creep. However, a good relationship is found between cementitious material content and total (autogenous and free drying) shrinkage of concrete.

Assessment of Channelizing Device Effectiveness on High Speed/High Volume Roadways, 2007

Part 6 of the Manual on Uniform Traffic Control Devices (MUTCD) describes several types of channelizing devices that can be used to warn road users and guide them through work zones; these devices include cones, tubular markers, vertical panels, drums, barricades, and temporary raised islands. On higher speed/volume roadways, drums and/or vertical panels have been popular choices in many states, due to their formidable appearance and the enhanced visibility they provide when compared to standard cones. However, due to their larger size, drums also require more effort and storage space to transport, deploy and retrieve. Recent editions of the MUTCD have introduced new devices for channelizing; specifically of interest for this study is a taller (>36 inches) but thinner cone. While this new device does not offer a comparable target value to that of drums, the new devices are significantly larger than standard cones and they offer improved stability as well. In addition, these devices are more easily deployed and stored than drums and they cost less. Further, for applications previously using both drums and tall cones, the use of tall cones only provides the ability for delivery and setup by a single vehicle. An investigation of the effectiveness of the new channelizing devices provides a reference for states to use in selecting appropriate traffic control for high speed, high volume applications, especially for short term or limited duration exposures. This study includes a synthesis of common practices by state DOTs, as well as daytime and nighttime field observations of driver reactions using video detection equipment. The results of this study are promising for the day and night performance of the new tall cones, comparing favorably to the performance of drums when used for channelizing in tapers. The evaluation showed no statistical difference in merge distance and location, shy distance, or operating speed in either daytime or nighttime conditions. The study should provide a valuable resource for state DOTs to utilize in selecting the most effective channelizing device for use on high speed/high volume roadways where timely merging by drivers is critical to safety and mobility.

Little Dairy on the Prairie: From Butter-makin' Women to High-tech Agriculture, July 10, 2008

In 2001, extensive archaeological excavations were conducted at the Oneida Cheese Factory in Jones County. The county is a microcosm of larger dairying trends found throughout northeast Iowa, the state's premier dairy-producing region, Jones County moved from homemade cheese and butter production by farm women, to the industrialization of the dairy farm and opening of cheese factories and butter creameries.A number of innovations affected the industry around the turn-of-the-twentieth century, including reliable butterfat testing, the introduction of ensilage (silos) that created year round milk production, and consolidation of the many local creameries into larger creamery organizations, such as the Diamond Creamery run by Henry D. Sherman of Jones County. Iowa's dairy industry of today looks very different from its heritage: consolidation and competition have drastically reduced the number of cows, dairy farms, and processing plants. In recent years, northeast Iowa has become the center of a movement to revitalize Iowa's dairy industry, particularly through the use of value-added strategies, such as niche markets and large regional co-operatives: the lessons from Iowa's dairying legacy are resurfacing as a solution to modern agricultural challenges.