Ioway Creek Watershed

Ioway (formerly Squaw) Creek Watershed Management Plan Adopted - December 2014

The WMA adopted the Watershed Management Plan in December 2014. You can view the plan here as one large document (PDF) or review it by chapter by clicking on the links below.

Entire Document (PDF)

Table of Contents (PDF)
Section 1 - Introduction (PDF)
Section 2 - Watershed Characterization (PDF)
Section 3 - Stream Health (PDF)
Section 4 - Pollutant Sources (PDF)
Section 5 - Goals and Objectives (PDF)
Section 6 - Implementation Strategies (PDF)
Section 7 - Monitoring Plan (PDF)
Section 8 - Funding Sources (PDF)
Appendix 1 - 28E Agreement (PDF)
Appendix 2 - Listening Session Input (PDF)
Appendix 3 - Recreation Use Assessment (PDF)
Appendix 4 - Agricultural Conservation Practices Framework Findings (PDF)

Mission Statement

The mission of the Ioway Creek Watershed Management Authority is to engage, educate and encourage all citizens to improve the health, stewardship and resiliency of our watershed resources.

Goals

  • Goal #1  Increase people’s awareness and understanding of the individual connections and efforts within the watershed
  • Goal #2 Improve water quality in the watershed.
  • Goal #3 Reduce the effects associated with altered hydrology (heavy flows, diminished base flow) within the watershed
  • Goal #4 Increase the variety of habitat for animal and plant life in the watershed
  • Goal #5  Create outstanding recreational opportunities in the watershed
  • Goal #6  Work cooperatively to identify stakeholders and resources and facilitate partnerships to implement the watershed plan
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Key Findings Presented

At the Ioway Creek WMA Board of Directors meeting on May 15, 2014, the following points were highlighted. In details summaries may be accessed in the links below:

Key findings of the water quality and stream assessment:

  • The hydrology of Ioway Creek has been significantly altered. Flashy: Peak flow rates in the stream can be as much as 100x the base flow.
  • Monitoring data indicates that there are very high levels of nutrients (P and N) and bacteria. Boom/Bust dissolved oxygen cycles.
  • The manner in which past monitoring has been done makes it difficult to detect any trends. Recommendation is to focus effort at one or two sites along the creek and take more frequent baseflow and storm event samples.
  • Stream is NOT healthy: unstable, degraded habitat, carries large sediment load (without flushing it downstream)

Stream Assessment (PDF)
Water Quality Summary (PDF)

View Pat Conrad's presentation at the listing sessions of the WMA (PDF).

View Pat Conrad's presentation with EOR to the Watershed Management Authority (PDF).

The Ioway Creek Watershed Management Authority involves a team of people from large and small communities, rural and urban areas in the counties of Boone, Story, Hamilton and Webster who share an interest in Ioway Creek. There has been a great deal of work conducted over the past ten years in this watershed culminating in the formation of the Ioway Creek Watershed Management Authority.

The Ioway Creek Watershed Management Authority has identified a definite interest in improving the quality of Ioway Creek and its tributaries. With financial support from the Iowa Department of Natural Resources, the time has come to develop a comprehensive watershed management plan to provide guidance for watershed activities over the next twenty years.

The Ioway Creek Watershed Management Authority was created in 2012. With this foundation in place, the next step is to create a watershed management plan. Emmons and Olivier Resources, Inc. (EOR) from Oakdale, Minnesota was hired to facilitate the planning process.