06018-010 Storm Lake Watershed Final Report

The purpose of this project is to develop a management plan to address the City of Alta’s stormwater runoff. Currently, there is no management plan and the city is growing, so there are increased runoff problems from both residential and industrial sources. A large assortment of pollutants flow from these areas, examples include various forms of sediment, paper, plastic, gravel and metal as well as less visible potentially toxic pollution from lawns, streets, gas stations and other commercial and industrial areas. The goal for this project is to construct two infiltration/detention basins to protect water quality and reduce the peak volume of the City of Alta’s urban runoff. Each basin is designed with two functions: Control gully erosion and surface erosion with detention, while incorporating water quality through infiltration. The downstream erosion control provided by detaining runoff will reduce sediment delivery to Powell Creek and protect downstream agricultural land from urban runoff. The infiltration features designed into the basins will capture pollutants commonly associated with urban stormwater runoff such as: sediment, sand, gravel hydrocarbons, particulate matter, heavy metals, and nutrients.

Strip Tillage Effects on Crop Production and Soil Erosion, 2002

Report produced by Iowa Departmment of Agriculture and Land Stewardship

Historical Development and Applications of the EPIC and APEX Models, June 2005

The development of the field-scale Erosion Productivity Impact Calculator (EPIC) model was initiated in 1981 to support assessments of soil erosion impacts on soil productivity for soil, climate, and cropping conditions representative of a broad spectrum of U.S. agricultural production regions. The first major application of EPIC was a national analysis performed in support of the 1985 Resources Conservation Act (RCA) assessment. The model has continuously evolved since that time and has been applied for a wide range of field, regional, and national studies both in the U.S. and in other countries. The range of EPIC applications has also expanded greatly over that time, including studies of (1) surface runoff and leaching estimates of nitrogen and phosphorus losses from fertilizer and manure applications, (2) leaching and runoff from simulated pesticide applications, (3) soil erosion losses from wind erosion, (4) climate change impacts on crop yield and erosion, and (5) soil carbon sequestration assessments. The EPIC acronym now stands for Erosion Policy Impact Climate, to reflect the greater diversity of problems to which the model is currently applied. The Agricultural Policy EXtender (APEX) model is essentially a multi-field version of EPIC that was developed in the late 1990s to address environmental problems associated with livestock and other agricultural production systems on a whole-farm or small watershed basis. The APEX model also continues to evolve and to be utilized for a wide variety of environmental assessments. The historical development for both models will be presented, as well as example applications on several different scales.

Tillage Manure Managemen and Water Quality, April 2005

Tillage and manure application practices significantly impact surface and ground water quality in Iowa and other Midwestern states. Tillage and manure application that incorporates residue and disturbs soil result in higher levels of soil erosion and surface runoff. Phosphorus and sediment loading are closely linked to the increase in soil erosion and surface water runoff. Manure application (i.e., injection or incorporation) reduces surface residue cover, which can worsen soil erosion regardless of the tillage management system being used. An integrated system approach to manure and tillage management is critical to ensure effi cient nutrient use and improvement of soil and water quality. This approach, however, requires changes in manure application technology and tillage system management to ensure the success of an integrated

Field Experiments of Current Concrete Pavement Surface Characteristics Practices: Iowa Data Collection and Analysis, December 2005

One of the most important issues in portland cement concrete pavement research today is surface characteristics. The issue is one of balancing surface texture construction with the need for durability, skid resistance, and noise reduction. The National Concrete Pavement Technology Center at Iowa State University, in conjunction with the Federal Highway Administration, American Concrete Pavement Association, International Grinding and Grooving Association, Iowa Highway Research Board, and other states, have entered into a three-part National Surface Characteristics Program to resolve the balancing problem. As a portion of Part 2, this report documents the construction of 18 separate pavement surfaces for use in the first level of testing for the national project. It identifies the testing to be done and the limitations observed in the construction process. The results of the actual tests will be included in the subsequent national study reports.

Strategic Plan for Improved Concrete Pavement Surface Characteristics, July 2006

Surface characteristics represent a critical issue facing pavement owners and the concrete paving industry. The traveling public has come to expect smoother, quieter, and better drained pavements, all without compromising safety. The overall surface characteristics issues is extremely complex since all pavement surface characteristics properties, including texture, noise, friction, splash/spray, rolling resistance, reflectivity/illuminance, and smoothness, are complexly related. The following needs and gaps related to achieving desired pavement surface characteristics need to be addressed: determined how changes in one surface characteristic affect, either beneficially or detrimentally, other characteristics of the pavement, determine the long-term surface and acoustic durability of different textures, and develop, evaluate, and standardize new data collection and analysis tools. It is clear that an overall strategic and coordinated research approach to the problem must be developed and pursued to address these needs and gaps.

Historic Alteration of Surface Hydrology on the Des Moines Lobe, 2001

Water fact sheet for Iowa Department of Natural Resources and the Geological Bureau.

Iowa Construction Site Erosion Control Manual, 2006

The purpose of this Iowa manual is to serve as a guide, provide solutions, and offer suggestions on construction sites to comply with Iowa's current soil erosion and storm water runoff regulations. This need is particularly important when land undergoes a land use change. Information provided in this manual will be helpful to land owners, developers, consultants, contractors, planners, local government, as well as the general public. This manual is intended to provide techniques that will meet the mandates of current legislation. Innovations that will benefit the user and still provide effective control are encouraged.

Miles of Public Roads in Iowa by Surface Type, December 31, 2009

Public roads by surface type in Iowa by Iowa Department of Transportation.

Measurement of Pavement Surface Variations, July 1974

The measurement of pavement roughness has been the concern of highway engineers for more than 70 years. This roughness is referred to as "riding quality" by the traveling public. Pavement roughness evaluating devices have attempted to place either a graphical or numerical value on the public's riding comfort or discomfort. Early graphical roughness recorders had many different designs. In 1900 an instrument called the "Viagraph" was developed by an Irish engineer.' The "Viagraph" consisted of a twelve foot board with graphical recorder drawn over the pavement. The "Profilometer" built in Illinois in 1922 was much more impressive. ' The instrument's recorder was mounted on a frame supported by 32 bicycle wheels mounted in tandem. Many other variations of profilometers with recorders were built but most were difficult to handle and could not secure uniformly reproducible results. The Bureau of Public Roads (BPR) Road Roughness Indicator b u i l t in 1941 is the most widely used numerical roughness recorder.' The BPR Road Roughness Indicator consists of a trailer unit with carefully selected springs, means of dampening, and balanced wheel.

Crash Rates and Crash Densities on Secondary Roads in Iowa by Surface Type 2001 – 2009, July 6, 2010

Crash Rates and Crash Densities on Secondary Roads in Iowa by Surface Type produced by the Iowa Department of Transportation.

Pavement Surface on Macadam Base: Adair County Final Report, Iowa Highway Reserach Board Project HR-209

The quality and availability of aggregate for pc concrete stone varies across Iowa. Southwest Iowa is one area of the state that is short of quality aggregates. The concrete stone generally available in the area is limestone from the Argentine or Winterset ledges with an overburden of up to 150 feet. This concrete stone is classified as Class 1 durability and is susceptible to 'ID"-cracking. In addition, the general engineering soil classification rates the soils of southwest Iowa as having the poorest subgrade bearing characteristics in the state. 1 The combination of poor soils and low quality aggregate has contributed to premature deterioration of many miles of portland cement concrete pavement. Research project HR-209 was initiated in 1979 to explore alternative construction methods that may produce better pavements for southwest Iowa.

Effects of Pavement Surface Texture on Noise and Frictional Characteristics HR-281, February 1987

An experimental modification of the transverse groove surface texture of a section of an urban interstate highway was performed by the Iowa Department of Transportation. Transverse groove texturing i s a design feature required by the Federal Highway Administration t o reduce skidding under wet pavement conditions. Adjacent residents claimed the texturing was the cause of especially annoying tonal characteristics within the traffic noise. A research proposal to modify the existing texture pattern by surface grinding and to study the noise and friction effects was approved for funding by the Iowa Highway Research Board. Results i n the form of a comparison between traffic noise before modification and traffic noise immediately after and 15 months after modification indicate that the change in surface texture has lowered overall traffic noise levels by reducing a high frequency component of the traffic noise spectrum. Fraffic testing data show reduced capacity of the roadway to inhibit wet pavement skidding as a result of the surface modification.

Erosion Control for Highway Applications, Phase I: Review and Synthesis of Literature, Final Report, TR-464, May 2002

The project described herein has led to a convenient, computer-based expert system for identifying and evaluating potentially effective erosion- and sedimentation-control measures for use in roadway construction throughout Iowa and elsewhere in the Midwest. The expert system is intended to be an accessible and efficient practical resource to aid state, county, and municipal engineers in the selection of the best management practices for preventing unwanted erosion and sedimentation at roadway construction sites, during and after construction.

Construction and Evaluation of Submerged Vanes for Stream Control, HR-274, 1988

The objective of this study was to determine the practicality and effectiveness of using submerged vanes ("Iowa Vanes") to control bank erosion in a bend of East Nishnabotna River, Iowa. The vane system was constructed during the summer of 1985. It functions by eliminating, or reducing, the centrifugally induced helical motion of the flow in the bend, which is the root cause of bank undermining. The system was monitored over a 2-year period, from September 1985 to October 1987. Two surveys were conducted in the spring of 1986 in which data were taken of depths and velocities throughout the bend and of water-surface slope. The movement of the bank was determined from aerial photos and from repeated measurements of the vane-to-bank distance. The bankfull scour depths and velocities along the bank have been reduced significantly; and the movement of the bank has been stopped or considerably reduced. The improvements were obtained without changing the energy slope of the channel. Areas of design improvements were identified.