Iowa Drainage Law Manual, TR-497, 2005

The relationship between Iowa’s roads and drainage developed when rural roads were originally constructed. The land parallel to roadways was excavated to create road embankments. The resulting ditches provided an outlet for shallow tiles to drain nearby fields for farming. Iowa’s climate and terrain are nearly ideal for farming, and more than 90 percent of the land suits the purpose. Much of the land, however, needs to be artificially drained to achieve maximum productivity. Most of this drainage has been accomplished with an extensive network of levees, open ditches, and underground tiles. The U.S. Census Bureau estimated that as early as 1920 approximately nine million acres of Iowa farm land had been artificially drained or needed to be. Couple this drainage system with Iowa’s extensive surface transportation system—approximately 100,000 miles of roads and streets, 90,000 on local systems— and potential for conflicts will naturally arise. This is particularly true with urban expansion resulting in residential and commercial development of rural land. This manual contains summaries of and references to the laws most relevant to drainage in Iowa. It also includes frequently asked questions about transportation agencies’ responsibilities related to drainage. Typical policies and agreement forms used by agencies to address drainage issues are illustrated and a glossary of common terms is included.

Establishing Strategies for a Transportation MS4 [Municipal Separate Storm Sewer System], RB36-013, 2015

The objective of this project has been to identify best practices and approaches to Municipal Separate Storm Sewer System (MS4) program planning for the Iowa Department of Transportation. Information is primarily based on existing state MS4 programs as examples and references for use as an agency-based MS4 program is developed.

Books, publications, project completion reports, M.S. and Ph. D. theses : research supported by Iowa State Water Resources Research Institute under the Water Resources Research Act of 1964, U.S. Public Law 88-379, U.S. Department of the Interior, Office of Water Resources Research, 1970

This book, published jointly by the American Society of Agronomy, Soil Science Society of American and Iowa State University presents the papers that were given at a symposium held in Ames, Iowa, on Nov. 30 and Dec. 1, 1965 on the general topic of plant environment and efficient water use.

Water planning law and government.

Water planning efforts typically identify problems and needs. But simply calling attention to issues is usually not enough to spur action; the end result of many well-intentioned planning efforts is a report that ends up gathering dust on a shelf. Vague recommendations like “Water conservation measures should be implemented” usually accomplish little by themselves as they don’t assign responsibility to anyone. Success is more likely when an implementation strategy — who can and should do what — is developed as part of the planning process. The more detailed and specific the implementation strategy, the greater the chance that something will actually be done. The question then becomes who has the legal authority or responsibility to do what? Are new laws and programs needed or can existing ones be used to implement the recommendations? ... This document is divided into four main parts. The first, “Carrots and Sticks” looks at two basic approaches — regulatory and non-regulatory — that can be, and are, used to carry out water policy. Both have advantages and disadvantages that need to be considered. The second, “The powers of federal, state and local governments…,” looks at the constitutional powers the federal government and state and local governments have to carry out water policy. An initial look at the U. S. Constitution might suggest the federal government’s regulatory authority over water is limited but, in fact, its powers are very substantial. States have considerable authority to do a number of things but have to be mindful of any federal efforts that might conflict with those state efforts. And local governments can only do those things the state constitution or state legislature says they can do and must conform to any requirements or limitations on those powers that are contained in the enabling acts. Parts three and four examine in more detail the main programs and agencies at the federal level as well as Iowa’s state and local levels and the roles they play in national and state water policy.

Water Planning Law and Government, November 2008

Water planning efforts typically identify problems and needs. But simply calling attention to issues is usually not enough to spur action; the end result of many well-intentioned planning efforts is a report that ends up gathering dust on a shelf. Vague recommendations like “Water conservation measures should be implemented” usually accomplish little by themselves as they don’t assign responsibility to anyone. Success is more likely when an implementation strategy — who can and should do what — is developed as part of the planning process. The more detailed and specific the implementation strategy, the greater the chance that something will actually be done.

Soil and Water Conservation; Conservation Program Summary, 2003

Report of Conservation Program Summary produced by Iowa Departmment of Agriculture and Land Stewardship

Development of the Iowa Drainage Law Manual, March 2005

Although Iowa has some of the most productive agricultural land in the nation, it also maintains a very extensive road network.Consequently, landowners and roadway officials often must deal with drainage issues affecting private lands and public highways. However, many individuals are unfamiliar with legal drainage requirements, practices, and procedures, which can result in misunderstandings concerning maintenance responsibilities for drainage facilities, sometimes leading to litigation. To assist propertyowners, public agencies, and others with interest in better understanding drainage maintenance responsibilities, a reference manual was developed to describe Iowa’s drainage laws and offer interpretations in a clear and concise manner. To develop a comprehensive drainage manual, researchers identified and reviewed current available literature. These resources described pertinent drainage issues and presented explanations of legal responsibilities. The literature review included manuals and guides from Iowa, surrounding states, and federal agencies. Researchers developed a survey to assess the needs and interestsof potential users of an Iowa drainage law manual. Survey responses were used to identify common problems and concerns among individuals who encounter drainage issues on a regular basis. Issues mentioned in the survey responses included interpretation of drainage laws and commonly encountered questions relating to public improvements and private interests. Many individuals, including county engineers, stated interest in specific topics such as maintenance and/or diversion of drainage, landowner issues, and upstream and downstream impacts. Overall, the survey provided researchers with valuable information regarding drainage issues, problems, current policies, and concerns. A comprehensive manual of Iowa drainage law will assist agencies and individuals in interpreting current code requirements and in implementing effective and beneficial solutions when dealing with drainage issues.

Soil and Water Conservation; Conservation Program Summary, 2002

Report of Conservation Program Summary produced by Iowa Departmment of Agriculture and Land Stewardship

RAGBRAI Learn about the Land; Day 6, July 2008

Today you will be biking over the Iowa and Cedar rivers, two major rivers hit by the Iowa flood of 2008. Three miles northeast of North Liberty you’ll cross the Iowa River. The river crested on June 15, 2008 at a record 31.53 ft., three feet higher than the previous record during the flood of 1993. The flooding river caused extensive damage to the University of Iowa (see cover photo of Iowa Memorial Union taken by Univ. Relations, Univ. of Iowa), Coralville, and numerous smaller towns. The flooding of the Cedar River, which RAGBRAI will cross at Sutliff, caused even greater damage. At Cedar Rapids, the 2008 flood crest of 31.12 ft. was over 11 ft. higher than the previous record set in 1851! This massive amount of water inundated downtown Cedar Rapids, Palo, and Columbus Junction and caused massive damage to buildings and infrastructure. When crossing the Cedar River at Sutliff, be sure to look to your right to see the remains of the Historic Sutliff Bridge, one of the many casualties of the Iowa flood of 2008.

Soil and Water Conservation Quality Review, 2007

A newsletter produced by Iowa Department of Agriculture and Land Stewardship. The DSC is responsible for state leadership in the protection and management of soil, water and mineral resources, assisting soil and water conservation districts and private landowners to meet their agricultural and environmental protection needs.

Call for Proposals Iowa Department of Agriculture and Land Stewardship Division of Soil Conservation, August 31, 2012

IDALS stands for Iowa Department of Agriculture and Land Stewardship. IDALS’s mission is to provide leadership for all aspects of agriculture in Iowa, ensure consumer protection and promote the responsible use of our natural resources. DSC stands for the Division of Soil Conservation and is the division within IDALS responsible for state leadership in the protection and management of soil, water and mineral resources. Learn more about IDALS at www.iowaagriculture.gov

Division of Soil Conservation Soil and Water Quality Review, October 2007

What is in this review produced by The Iowa Department of Agricultural and Land Stewardship: Special Points of Interest: • CREP wetlands remove 40-90% of the nitrate and 90+% of the herbicide in tile drainage water from upper- lying croplands. • The watershed approach is comprehensive, efficient and effective resource management. • The Mines & Minerals Bureau, through the AML Program, worked with various watershed groups to secure an additional $1 million dollars in funding for the construction on AML projects in Marion and Mahaska counties. • Iowa Learning Farm is Building a Culture of Conservation: Farmer to Farmer—Iowan to Iowan.

RAGBRAI Learn about the Land; Day 4, July 2010

The University of Iowa Office of the State Archaeologist and Team Archaeology are back on RAGBRAI for our third year of Archaeology on the Road, and pleased to partner this year with the IDNR: Geological and Water Survey and the U.S. Geological Survey under the theme “Human and Natural History Partners.” Archaeology on the Road brings you the unique cultural history and prehistory of Iowa on the RAGBRAI route, pointing out interesting and significant archaeological sites and sharing Iowa’s past along the way. Look for our booth at Expo and then again on Days 1, 5 and 6 on the route, and also keep an eye out for our Team Archaeology

RAGBRAI Learn about the Land; Day 5, July 2010

The University of Iowa Office of the State Archaeologist and Team Archaeology are back on RAGBRAI for our third year of Archaeology on the Road, and pleased to partner this year with the IDNR: Geological and Water Survey and the U.S. Geological Survey under the theme “Human and Natural History Partners.” Archaeology on the Road brings you the unique cultural history and prehistory of Iowa on the RAGBRAI route, pointing out interesting and significant archaeological sites and sharing Iowa’s past along the way. Look for our booth at Expo and then again on Days 1, 5 and 6 on the route, and also keep an eye out for our Team Archaeology

RAGBRAI Learn about the Land; Day 2, July 2010

The University of Iowa Office of the State Archaeologist and Team Archaeology are back on RAGBRAI for our third year of Archaeology on the Road, and pleased to partner this year with the IDNR: Geological and Water Survey and the U.S. Geological Survey under the theme “Human and Natural History Partners.” Archaeology on the Road brings you the unique cultural history and prehistory of Iowa on the RAGBRAI route, pointing out interesting and significant archaeological sites and sharing Iowa’s past along the way. Look for our booth at Expo and then again on Days 1, 5 and 6 on the route, and also keep an eye out for our Team Archaeology