Feeding of nauplii, copepodites and adults of Calanipeda aquaedulcis (Calanoida) in Mediterranean salt marshes

Feeding of the different developmental stages of Calanipeda aquaedulcis on natural particles (bacterio-, phyto- and microzooplankton) was measured in a Mediterranean salt marsh (Empordà wetlands, NE Iberian Peninsula). Bottle incubations were performed in the field both in autumn and spring. The results showed differences in the diet of the different developmental stages due to both prey type and size. In general, the size of the ingested prey increased with increasing size of the C. aquaedulcis stage. While C. aquaedulcis adults had high ingestion rates and selection coefficients for large prey (micro- and nanoplankton), nauplii preferentially consumed smaller prey items (picoplankton). Copepodites showed the widest prey size range, including pico-, nano- and microplankton. Nevertheless, the lower size limit for particle capture was similar for all stages, i.e. between 1.7 and 2.1 μm. Omnivory was observed in all stages of C. aquaedulcis. Heterotrophic prey (picoplankton, dinoflagellates and ciliates) were the most ingested items. The ability to partition the available food among the different developmental stages could represent an advantage in times of ood scarcity because it may reduce intraspecific competition. This may explain how C. aquaedulcis is able to predominate in the zooplankton community for several weeks during spring and summer ven in situations of low food availability

Community structure in mediterranean shallow lentic ecosystems: size-based vs. taxon-based approaches

The main environmental variables determining the community structure and the functioning of Mediterranean shallow lentic ecosystems are described. These ecosystems are characterized by the unpredictability of their water inputs and the high variability in their water level and physical and chemical composition. Variations in flooding, salinity, and water turnover are determinant in species composition and nutrient dynamics. Taxon-based and size-based approaches to the study of the community structure of aquatic organisms that colonise these ecosystems are also compared. The conventional taxonomic approach, based on the determination of species composition, has been used for the identification of patterns in species richness, distribution and temporal dynamics, and for ecological requirements of species and their potential use as ecological indicators. This taxonbased approach has been compared with a size-based approach, where individuals are classified by their size. Size-based approach gives complementary information about community structure and dynamics, especially when communities are dominated by a single species. The use of size diversity combined with species diversity is suggested for a more complete understanding of community structuring in this type of ecosystem. Detailed examples of two Mediterranean shallow lentic ecosystems, the salt marshes of the Empordà wetlands and the Espolla temporary karstic pond, which differ in hydrology and water origin, are used to discuss the suitability of these different approaches

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.

Iowa's frog and toad call survey (annual report)

Statistics on the occurrence of various frog and toad species across the state, as reported by volunteers in the annual spring survey of Iowa wetlands.

Issue review : Iowa soil and water conservation cost share program.

This issue review provides an overview of funds dispersed for the soil and water conservation cost share program in the Department of Agriculture and Land Stewardship, DALS.

1017-011 Tuttle Lake Watershed Final Report

The Tuttle Lake Watershed is approximately 125,000 acres and Tuttle Lake itself is 2,270 acres; 5,609 acres of the watershed lies in Iowa territory within Emmet County. It is a sub-watershed of the larger East Fork Des Moines River Watershed, also referred to as Hydrologic Unit Code 07100003. For the purpose of this document, grant money is only being applied for the project implementation in the Iowa portion of the Tuttle Lake Watershed. Tuttle Lake was placed on the 2002 EPA 303(d) Impaired Waters List due to a “very large population of suspended algae and very high levels of inorganic turbidity.” In 2004, the Iowa Department of Natural Resources (IDNR) completed a Total Maximum Daily Load (TMDL) study on Tuttle Lake and found excess sediment and phosphorus levels being the primary pollutants causing the algae and turbidity impairment. Although two point sources were located in Minnesota, IDNR determined that the influx of nutrients is likely from agricultural runoff and re-suspension of lake sediment. The condition of Tuttle Lake is such that the reduction of sediment, nutrients [phosphorus and nitrogen] and pathogens is the primary objective. To achieve that objective, wetlands will be constructed in this first phase to reduce the delivery of nitrogen, phosphorus, and sediment to Tuttle 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.

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.

1016-010 Iowa Great Lakes Watershed Final Report

Part of a phased approach, an intensive information and education program, construction of erosion control practices, and sediment control on construction sites is proposed. These proposed practices will manage sediment runoff and nutrient runoff on agricultural and urban areas. Sediment control “structures” such as waterways, wetlands, modified terraces, grade stabilization structures, sediment basins, and rain gardens is proposed and will be combined with nutrient and pesticide management and reduced tillage to reduce non-point source pollution. A reduction of 15% of the sediment and phosphorus delivered to a water body from priority areas will be looked at as a success in this short-term project focused primarily at education within the project area which is also, for the most part, the top 25% sediment load producing sub-watersheds. In addition, four urban areas have been identified as part of this project as needing immediate assistance. A combination of urban and agricultural conservation practices, shoreline revegetation, and education of landowners will be used to achieve these results on both the urban and the agricultural arena.

07021-008 Sand Creek Watershed Final Report

Sand Creek is the most significant recreational fishery in Delaware County because of its location to Manchester and Lake Delhi. It is a feeder stream for game fish to the main stem of the Maquoketa River which is limited by the dams at Manchester and Lake Delhi. Sand Creek encompasses 16,045 acres and is dominated by row crop agriculture. It is being impacted by sediment, nutrients and E coli bacteria. Sand Creek will be a good example for habitat impaired watershed. The purpose of this project is to decrease the amount of sediment and nutrients reaching Sand Creek and to increase the habitat in Sand Creek to make it a better spawning and growing area for the fish and the food chain for the fish. The objectives of this project are to reduce sediment delivery by 40%, to improve in-stream habitat on 40% of identified critical areas and implement an information/education program. The project will install 3,800 acres of new no-till planting, 6 water and sediment control basins, 4,000 feet of terraces, 20,000 feet of improved or new waterways, 3,200 feet of streambank/ habitat enhancement, 4,500 feet of livestock exclusion fencing and 6 acres of wetlands.

1009-004 Lost Island Lake Watershed Final Report

The Lost Island Lake watershed is located in the prairie pothole region, a region dotted with glacial wetlands and shallow lakes. At 1,180 acres, Lost Island Lake is the state's fifth largest natural lake and its watershed is comprised of nearly 1,000 acres of wetland habitat, including Iowa 's largest natural wetland – Barringer Slough. Unfortunately, Lost Island and its associated wetlands are not functioning to their fullest ecological and water quality potential. In 2002 and 2004, Lost Island Lake was categorized as '·impaired'" on Iowa's Impaired Waters List. Frequent algal blooms and suspended solids drastically increase turbidity levels resulting in its impairment. To investigate these concerns, a two-year study and resulting Water Quality Improvement Plan were completed. The water quality study identified an overabundance of non-native common carp (Cyprinus carpio) in the lake and its surrounding wetlands as a primary cause of impairment. The goal of the Lost Island Lake Watershed Enhancement Project is to restore ecological health to Lost Island Lake and its intricate watershed resulting in improved water quality and a diverse native plant and wildlife community. The purpose of this grant is to obtain funding for the construction of two combination fish barriers and water control structures placed at key locations in the watershed within the Blue Wing Marsh complex. Construction of the fish barriers and water control structures would aid restoration efforts by preventing spawning common carp from entering wetlands in the watershed and establishing the ability to manage water levels in large wetland areas. Water level management is crucial in wetland health and exotic fish control. These two structures are part of a larger construction project that involves a total of four combination fish barriers and water control structures and one additional fish barrier. The entire Lost Island Lake Watershed Enhancement Project is a multi-year project, but the construction phase for the fish barriers and water control structures will be completed before December 31, 2011.

1010-005 Bloody Run Creek Watershed Final Report

The City of Marquette lies in the 65,000 acre Mississippi River watershed, and is surrounded by steep bluffs. Though scenic, controlling water runoff during storm events presents significant challenges. Flash-flooding from the local watershed has plagued the city for decades. The people of Marquette have committed to preserve the water quality of key natural resources in the area including the Bloody Run Creek and associated wetlands by undertaking projects to control the spread of debris and sediment caused by excess runoff during area storm events. Following a July 2007 storm (over 8” of rain in 24 hours) which caused unprecedented flood damage, the City retained an engineering firm to study the area and provide recommendations to eliminate or greatly reduce uncontrolled runoff into the Bloody Run Creek wetland, infrastructure damage and personal property loss. Marquette has received Iowa Great Places designation, and has demonstrated its commitment to wetland preservation with the construction of Phase I of this water quality project. The Bench Area Storm Water Management Plan prepared by the City in 2008 made a number of recommendations to mitigate flash flooding by improving storm water conveyance paths, detention, and infrastructure within the Bench area. Due to steep slopes and rocky geography, infiltration based systems, though desirable, would not be an option over surface based systems. Runoff from the 240 acre watershed comes primarily from large, steep drainage areas to the south and west, flowing to the Bench area down three hillside routes; designated as South East, South Central and South West. Completion of Phase I, which included an increased storage capacity of the upper pond, addressed the South East and South Central areas. The increased upper pond capacity will now allow Phase II to proceed. Phase II will address runoff from the South West drainage area; which engineers have estimated to produce as much water volume as the South Central and South East areas combined. Total costs for Phase I are $1.45 million, of which Marquette has invested $775,000, and IJOBS funding contributed $677,000. Phase II costs are estimated at $617,000. WIRB funding support of $200,000 would expedite project completion, lessen the long term debt impact to the community and aid in the preservation of the Bloody Run Creek and adjoining wetlands more quickly than Marquette could accomplish on its own.

1204-003 North Fork Maquoketa Watershed Final Report

The Headwaters North Fork Maquoketa River Project encompasses the Hewitt Creek, Bear Creek, and the Coffee Creek-North Fork Maquoketa subwatersheds. These three.sub-watersheds have intensive livestock agriculture production with manures applied generously on the landscape. Approximately 85% of the watershed area is cropland. Although livestock operations are not permitted to discharge waste directly into surface waters, the mishandling and over-application of animal waste and fertilizer have impacted water quality. Each of the subwatersheds has a strong locally led effort, concentrating significant efforts on monitoring, education, and conservation practice adoption. The original MRBI application was accepted by USDA with funding being extended to producers through FY14. A large component of this effort was the IJOBS funds awarded by IDALS to support the Project Coordinator for the first two years of this project. As previous funding for the support of the Project Coordinator has been exhausted, the local partners identified WIRB as a potential replacement funding source. The goal of the existing MRBI effort, in being consistent with this WIRB application, will help landowners and operators in the three selected watersheds voluntarily implement conservation systems that reduce nutrient loss; protect, restore, and enhance wetlands; maintain agricultural productivity; improve wildlife habitat; and achieve other objectives, such as flood reduction.

Riverine Wetland Summary Report, November 2015

The condition of Iowa’s riverine wetlands is poorly known. No historic baseline information about the physical conditions, vegetation communities, and wildlife use in these ecosystems exists in the state. The primary goals of this project were to assess the ecological condition of riverine wetlands in Iowa, and improve the quality and quantity of data available to resource managers. Iowa’s remaining riverine wetlands represent a valuable set of resources, and their continued monitoring and assessment is imperative to future management decisions.

Role of habitat in the distribution and abundance of marsh birds, 1965

This is Special Report no. 43 that studies habitat changes and the affects on marsh birds. It covers the history of vegetation and birds of two marshes, Little Wall and Goose Lake, in Iowa for a 5-year period beginning in 1958 at the culmination of a series of drought years in central Iowa.