Cedar Rapids, IA, USA  
Digital Edition Digital Edition
Log in Log In My Account My Account
Subscribe Today
The Gazette The Gazette
The Gazette The Gazette
  • COVID-19
  • News
  • Sports
  • Opinion
  • Food and Drink
  • Business
Digital Edition Digital Edition
Log in Log In My Account My Account
Subscribe
CLOSE
The Gazette
Subscribe
My Account
  • News
    • All News
    • Election 2020
    • Coronavirus
    • Business News
    • Community
    • Crime and Courts
    • Education
    • Government
    • Health
    • Nation and World
    • Time Machine
    • Search Archive

    Our Journalists

    • Rod Boshart
    • Lee Hermiston
    • Erin Jordan
    • James Q. Lynch
    • Trish Mehaffey
    • Vanessa Miller
    • Kat Russell
    • Grace King
    • John Steppe
    • Gage Miskimen
    • Marissa Payne
  • Sports
    • All Sports
    • Iowa Hawkeyes
    • Hawkeye Football
    • Hawkeye Basketball
    • Prep Sports
    • Prep Volleyball
    • Prep Football
    • Prep Basketball
    • Prep Wrestling
    • Iowa State Cyclones
    • UNI Panthers
    • Small College Sports
    • Minor League Sports
    • Outdoors

    Sports Desk

    • Mike Hlas
    • Jeff Johnson
    • Jeff Linder
    • J.R. Ogden
    • K.J. Pilcher
    • Leah Vann
  • Opinion
    • All Opinion
    • Editorial Mission
    • Guest Columnists
    • Letters to the Editor
    • Political Cartoons
    • Staff Columnists
    • Staff Editorials
    • Submit a Letter or Column

    Our Columnists

    • Todd Dorman
    • Adam Sullivan
  • Food and Drink
    • All Food and Drink
    • Chew on This
    • Recipes
    • Restaurants
  • Business
    • All Business
    • Agriculture
    • Business Notes
    • Companies
    • Personal Finance
    • Economy
    • Employment
    • Energy
    • Manufacturing
    • Openings & Closures
    • Real Estate
    • Retail
    • Small Business
    • Transportation

    Our Journalists

    • Rod Boshart
    • Erin Jordan
    • John Steppe
  • Obituaries
    • All Obituaries
    • In Memory Of
    • Submit an Obituary
  • Podcasts
    • All Podcasts
    • Daily News Podcast
    • Fact Checker
    • Hlastradamus Odds
    • Iowa Prep Sports
    • On Iowa
    • On Iowa Politics
    • On UNI
    • Pinning Combination
  • Entertainment
    • All Entertainment
    • Art
    • Books
    • Museums & Galleries
    • Music
    • Theater
    • Things To Do
  • Living
    • All Living
    • Health & Wellness
    • Home & Garden
    • Milestones
    • People & Places
    • Pets & Animals
    • Recreation
    • Religion & Belief
    • Travel

    Our Writers

    • Diana Nollen
  • Kids Gazette
    • See All
    • Kids Cooking Series
    • Kids Galleries
    • Printables
    • Activities
    • Articles
    • Submissions
    • Resources
  • Photos
    • All Photos and Videos
    • The Iowa Photo
    • Photo Store

    Our Photojournalists

    • Andy Abeyta
    • Liz Martin
    • Rebecca Miller
    • Jim Slosiarek
    • Gazette Visuals
  • Milestones
    • All Milestones
    • Anniversaries
    • Days To Remember
    • Engagements
    • Holidays
    • In Remembrance
    • New Arrivals
    • Thank Yous
    • Submit a Milestone
  • Data
    • Arrests
    • Building Permits
    • Interactive Maps & Charts
    • Salaries
  • Gazette Sites
    • Classifieds
    • Corridor Careers
    • Garage Sales
    • Gazette Gives Back
    • Gazette Rewards
    • Gazette Store
    • Green Gazette
    • HER
    • Iowa Wedding Experience
    • Holiday Light Finder
    • Hoopla
    • Iowa Ideas
    • Photo Store
  • Special Events
  • Special Sections
  • Other
    • About The Gazette
    • Archives
    • Article Removal
    • Business Directory
    • CR Arrest Database
    • Mobile Apps
    • Customer Care
    • Order Back Issues
    • Privacy Policies
    • Puzzle Answers
    • Sponsorship Requests
    • Submit a Letter
    • Weather
  • Digital Edition
Daily News PodcastDaily News Podcast
Daily NewslettersDaily Newsletters
Log out

FOLLOW US

The Gazette
  • News
  • Sports
  • Opinion
  • Food and Drink
  • Business
  • Obituaries
  • Podcasts
  • Entertainment
  • Living
  • Kids Gazette
  • Photos
  • Milestones
  • Data
  • Gazette Sites
  • Special Events
  • Special Sections
  • Other
  • Digital Edition
  • All News
  • Election 2020
  • Coronavirus
  • Business News
  • Community
  • Crime and Courts
  • Education
  • Government
  • Health
  • Nation and World
  • Time Machine
  • Search Archive

Our Journalists

  • Rod Boshart
  • Lee Hermiston
  • Erin Jordan
  • James Q. Lynch
  • Trish Mehaffey
  • Vanessa Miller
  • Kat Russell
  • Grace King
  • John Steppe
  • Gage Miskimen
  • Marissa Payne
  • All Sports
  • Iowa Hawkeyes
  • Hawkeye Football
  • Hawkeye Basketball
  • Prep Sports
  • Prep Volleyball
  • Prep Football
  • Prep Basketball
  • Prep Wrestling
  • Iowa State Cyclones
  • UNI Panthers
  • Small College Sports
  • Minor League Sports
  • Outdoors

Sports Desk

  • Mike Hlas
  • Jeff Johnson
  • Jeff Linder
  • J.R. Ogden
  • K.J. Pilcher
  • Leah Vann
  • All Opinion
  • Editorial Mission
  • Guest Columnists
  • Letters to the Editor
  • Political Cartoons
  • Staff Columnists
  • Staff Editorials
  • Submit a Letter or Column

Our Columnists

  • Todd Dorman
  • Adam Sullivan
  • All Food and Drink
  • Chew on This
  • Recipes
  • Restaurants
  • All Business
  • Agriculture
  • Business Notes
  • Companies
  • Personal Finance
  • Economy
  • Employment
  • Energy
  • Manufacturing
  • Openings & Closures
  • Real Estate
  • Retail
  • Small Business
  • Transportation

Our Journalists

  • Rod Boshart
  • Erin Jordan
  • John Steppe
  • All Obituaries
  • In Memory Of
  • Submit an Obituary
  • All Podcasts
  • Daily News Podcast
  • Fact Checker
  • Hlastradamus Odds
  • Iowa Prep Sports
  • On Iowa
  • On Iowa Politics
  • On UNI
  • Pinning Combination
  • All Entertainment
  • Art
  • Books
  • Museums & Galleries
  • Music
  • Theater
  • Things To Do
  • All Living
  • Health & Wellness
  • Home & Garden
  • Milestones
  • People & Places
  • Pets & Animals
  • Recreation
  • Religion & Belief
  • Travel

Our Writers

  • Diana Nollen
  • See All
  • Kids Cooking Series
  • Kids Galleries
  • Printables
  • Activities
  • Articles
  • Submissions
  • Resources
  • All Photos and Videos
  • The Iowa Photo
  • Photo Store

Our Photojournalists

  • Andy Abeyta
  • Liz Martin
  • Rebecca Miller
  • Jim Slosiarek
  • Gazette Visuals
  • All Milestones
  • Anniversaries
  • Days To Remember
  • Engagements
  • Holidays
  • In Remembrance
  • New Arrivals
  • Thank Yous
  • Submit a Milestone
  • Arrests
  • Building Permits
  • Interactive Maps & Charts
  • Salaries
  • Classifieds
  • Corridor Careers
  • Garage Sales
  • Gazette Gives Back
  • Gazette Rewards
  • Gazette Store
  • Green Gazette
  • HER
  • Iowa Wedding Experience
  • Holiday Light Finder
  • Hoopla
  • Iowa Ideas
  • Photo Store
  • About The Gazette
  • Archives
  • Article Removal
  • Business Directory
  • CR Arrest Database
  • Mobile Apps
  • Customer Care
  • Order Back Issues
  • Privacy Policies
  • Puzzle Answers
  • Sponsorship Requests
  • Submit a Letter
  • Weather
Daily News PodcastDaily News Podcast Daily NewslettersDaily Newsletters
LOG OUT

FOLLOW US

More Stories

University of Iowa medical expert takes questions on J &…

Iowa orders pause on Johnson & Johnson vaccine

Marion school board votes 5-2 to no longer consider ’Mavericks’

Cedar Rapids clinic to receive federal COVID-19 allocation starting this…

Public funeral in Independence planned Friday for slain Iowa trooper…

'A way to start over again’: Collaboration aims to replant…

House GOP calls for freezing funding for ‘bloated’ regents universities

Iowa City schools relaxing coronavirus quarantine practices after almost 1,000…

Home / News / Environmental News / Outdoors

A needed ‘backyard’ enhancement

By: Orlan Love Mar. 11, 2021 1:00 pm Updated: Mar. 11, 2021 12:37 pm
A needed ‘backyard’ enhancement

QUASQUETON - Twenty-eight flood-reduction projects costing almost $2 million are either underway or completed in my backyard on the Wapsipinicon River and three of its tributaries.

Developed under the auspices of the Upper Wapsipinicon River Watershed Management Authority, the projects are part of the Iowa Watershed Approach, which describes itself as a 'statewide watershed improvement program designed to slow down the movement of water through the landscape by strategically building farm ponds, wetlands and other conservation practices in the watershed.”

While I won't live long enough to witness the taming of the Wapsie, I am gratified that concerted conservation measures will enhance streams whose banks I have trod for more than 60 years.

Funded by a $96.9 million federal grant, the Iowa Watershed Approach encompasses the Upper Wapsipinicon and eight other watersheds - Bee Branch Creek near Dubuque, Clear Creek in Iowa and Johnson counties and the following rivers: North Raccoon, West Nishnabotna, East Nishnabotna, English, Middle Cedar and Upper Iowa.

Of the 28 Upper Wapsipinicon projects, 13 are along Smith Creek, whose enchanted 5-mile course to the river includes springs, rock rapids, hardwood forests, bluebell meadows and memories of quests for creek chubs, bullfrogs, pheasants, turkeys and morel mushrooms.

Another 12 projects are along Dry Creek, which flows into the Wapsipinicon three miles above Troy Mills.

The projects include 12 ponds, three wetlands, four oxbow restorations, two grass waterways, two on-road detention basins, one grade stabilization and one water and sediment control basin.

All of the projects - funded with a 10 percent landowner match - are in Buchanan County with the exception of three in Delaware County along Nugents Creek, which flows into Buffalo Creek, the Wapsipinicon's largest tributary, near Coggon.

The projects are 'a first step toward the goal of increasing the watershed's capacity to hold water,” thus reducing flood peaks on the river, said Ross Evelsizer, co-coordinator of the Wapsipinicon initiative with Tori Nimrod, his colleague at Postville-based Northeast Iowa Resource Conservation and Development.

The most visible of the 28 projects is the restoration of a Wapsipinicon oxbow at Cedar Rock State Park. Over time sediment has filled the abandoned section of the river so that it has little capacity to store water and little value as fish and wildlife habitat.

When completed at a cost of $198,000, the restored oxbow will cover 5.1 acres to a maximum depth of 7 feet and will drain 44 acres. With periodic high-water connections to the river, it also will support fish and other aquatic species.

Soil excavated from the oxbow has been used to construct a berm to contain a shallow wetland at the low end of the park's restored prairie.

Park manager Katie Hund said the oxbow and wetland will enhance park visitors' experience.

Besides seeing Cedar Rock, legendary architect Frank Lloyd Wright's Usonian masterpiece, visitors will gain a greater appreciation of nature and learn about efforts to make Iowa more flood-resilient, she said.

Over 50 years, the projects are projected to reduce the discharge from those combined 3,628 acres by an average of 57.5 percent.

Constituting less than four thousandths of the 992,000-acre Upper Wapsipinicon Watershed, the affected acres, while effectively reducing flooding within their subwatersheds, will not appreciably reduce the volume of water carried by the Wapsipinicon.

In fact, any gains in flood resilience may be offset by higher Wapsipinicon flows caused by increased rainfall and intensification of agriculture within the watershed.

'We have to do something, and the beginning is always hard,” said Antonio Arenas, an associate research engineer with the Iowa Flood Center. Arenas said he expects to complete an analysis of the projects' flood reduction benefits by the end of the year.

That analysis will enable replication in other watersheds of the most effective structures and practices, he said.

While flood reduction is the main goal, the projects also will improve water quality, increase wildlife habitat and expand outdoor recreation opportunities, said Kate Giannini, Iowa Flood Center's public relations coordinator.

Workers with Cole Excavating of Greene dump soil on a berm that will contain a shallow wetland at Cedar Rock State Park near Quasqueton on Feb. 25. The soil was removed from a Wapsipinicon River oxbow that is being restored to increase its capacity to store water after heavy rains. (Orlan Love/correspondent)

Orlan Love

Lenten dinner surprise worked just fine

Dabbling, catching and ... fishing

An ice-fishing watch party was fun, too

Finding pheasants not always an easy task

A spectacular outdoor show

All articles by Orlan

Give us feedback

We work hard to provide fair, accurate coverage because we value your trust. If you find an error or omission in our reporting, please tell us here.

Submit a story idea

Do you have a story idea that we should look into? Please tell us here.

Related Stories

Owls of winter

Owls of winter

By Brandon Caswell, correspondent Outdoors Dec. 28, 2020 12:06 pm

An ice-fishing watch party was fun, too

An ice-fishing watch party was fun, too

Orlan Love Outdoors Feb. 12, 2021 9:29 am

Time traveling in Iowa

Time traveling in Iowa

By Marion and Rich Patterson, correspondent Outdoors Mar. 12, 2021 10:47 am

Outdoors

Lenten dinner surprise worked just fine

Lenten dinner surprise worked just fine

Orlan Love

Outdoors Apr. 5, 2021 10:53 am

Walleyes abundant in area rivers

Walleyes abundant in area rivers

By Doug Newhoff, correspondent

Outdoors Mar. 29, 2021 9:54 am

Woodcocks are ‘masters of disguise’

Woodcocks are ‘masters of disguise’

By Brandon Caswell, correspondent

Outdoors Mar. 29, 2021 1:16 pm

Dabbling, catching and ... fishing

Dabbling, catching and ... fishing

Orlan Love

Outdoors Mar. 24, 2021 1:24 pm

News

Iowa City schools relaxing coronavirus quarantine practices after almost 1,000…

Iowa City schools relaxing coronavirus quarantine practices after almost 1,000…

Grace King

K-12 Education 21m ago

Iowa Senate wants Department of Public Safety cold case unit

Iowa Senate wants Department of Public Safety cold case unit

Rod Boshart

Government & Politics 1h ago

Senate boosts higher education spending

Senate boosts higher education spending

Rod Boshart

State Government 1h ago

UNI cancels Johnson & Johnson COVID vaccine clinic

UNI cancels Johnson & Johnson COVID vaccine clinic

Vanessa Miller

Higher Ed 4h ago

Environment & Nature

Virtual EcoFest focuses on tree replenishment for Earth Day

Virtual EcoFest focuses on tree replenishment for Earth Day

Elijah Decious

Community Apr. 13, 2021 11:44 am

Iowa state park camping fees increase for the first time…

Iowa state park camping fees increase for the first time…

Erin Jordan

Government & Politics Apr. 5, 2021 9:51 pm

Reckoning comes this week for some Iowa legislative ideas

Reckoning comes this week for some Iowa legislative ideas

Rod Boshart

News Mar. 28, 2021 6:13 pm

Know an Iowa City student with ideas to take action…

Know an Iowa City student with ideas to take action…

Grace King

Education Apr. 1, 2021 9:53 pm

Sports

Iowa football takeaways: Tory Taylor’s quest, Spencer Petras’ accuracy and…

Iowa football takeaways: Tory Taylor’s quest, Spencer Petras’ accuracy and…

Leah Vann

Hawkeye Football 3h ago

Kirkwood sweeps way into national volleyball quarterfinals

Kirkwood sweeps way into national volleyball quarterfinals

K.J. Pilcher

Sports 3h ago

At Lisbon, a track program, then a track ... and…

At Lisbon, a track program, then a track ... and…

Jeff Linder

High School Track and Field 4h ago

Bowling alleys, like universities, are melting pots

Bowling alleys, like universities, are melting pots

Mike Hlas

Iowa Hawkeyes Apr. 13, 2021 11:16 am

FOLLOW US

The Gazette is Iowa’s independent, employee-owned source for local, state, and national news coverage.

© 2021 The Gazette

All Rights Reserved.

  • Advertise with us
  • Privacy
  • Web Accessibility

Contact Us

  • 116 3rd St SE
    Cedar Rapids, Iowa 52401
  • customercare@thegazette.com
  • (319) 398-8333
  • Live Chat

Links

  • Puzzle Answers
  • CR Arrest Database
  • Article Removal Request
  • Archives
  • Green Gazette
  • Corridor Careers Jobs
  • Work at The Gazette
  • Customer Care

© 2021 The Gazette

All Rights Reserved.

  • Advertise with us
  • Privacy
  • Web Accessibility
Folience A Folience Company