$15,000 Grant Award

In December, we learned from the Clif Family Foundation that the Maquoketa River WMA would be receiving $15,000 toward its stream sensor project with the University of Iowa Flood Center. The WMA was asked to apply back in August after attending an event at the Rodale Midwest Organic Center's Field Day in Linn County. Our education table set up for the event and we were approached by the same funders as the research farm. This is a huge step forward in providing real time water quality data to communities with in the watershed.

Giving Tuesday was a success!

After Thanksgiving, we raised $1000 to purchase watershed educational material for events

in the next year. Thank you to all that contributed!

Speaking of events, the Watershed Coordinator's Father-in-law made this incredible 3D map of the Maquoketa Watershed to have on display at events. The vertical elevation is exaggerated to 20x to show all those hills and drainages leading to the larger tributaries and eventually to the North Fork or main stem of the Maquoketa.

You will be able to see this beauty in person at various events this year!

Cost share opportunity...

Michelle Turner named new E.D. of Limestone Bluffs RC&D

The Limestone Bluffs RC&D Board of Directors of the Board are pleased to announce that Michelle Turner has been selected to fill the role as Executive Director.

Michelle recently completed her contract with the Jackson Soil and Water Conservation District and is excited to be able to continue writing grants for the Limestone Bluffs RC&D.

She worked for the Jackson SWCD for most of the past 22 years as a conservation technician and watershed coordinator. Her two biggest projects were the Farmers Creek Watershed Project and the Tete Des Morts Creek Watershed Project. Both streams were on the Iowa 303d list of impaired waters, but were recently delisted by the Iowa Department of Natural Resources. Michelle also wrote development grants for Pleasant Creek and Prairie Creek watersheds, which allowed assessments to be completed and prepared for future projects.

Before her career as a conservationist, Michelle was a high school vocational agriculture instructor, and adjunct professor of biology for Palm Beach Community College.

Welcome Michelle!

Constructed Wetland Success Story

Dikes w/ Shallow Water Excavations for Treatment of Day-Lighted Tile

Buchanan County, IA – Vinton RT

By Luke Tweeten

East site wetland several weeks after construction was completed

In the early fall of this year, in southeast Buchanan County, bulldozers and backhoes moved out as construction was completed on a new wetland. Zimpfer Family Farms, the owners, are comprised of four sisters who currently live out-of-state. They reached out to NRCS to improve conservation efforts on their family farm. Their first idea was to construct a wetland within and around their tree planting. Such a project then required numerous video and phone calls to assure everyone was in understanding and agreeance with what was to be done - and with constructing a wetland, communication was key.

Wetlands help filter out nitrates and other nutrients from surface and subsurface drainage. They also have the added benefit of creating habitat for a wide diversity of organisms, including waterfowl, amphibians, and aquatic mammals. One of the biggest downsides, however, is that they take cropland out of production.

“Beaver deceiver” installed to protect inlet from damage. Michael Luebbers, CET (Allison) for scale

Excavating the core trench for the east dike

Jeff Lutz, CET out of Waverly, surveyed and designed the project and was a key part of its success. This project involved two dikes, multiple excavated pools, principal spillway inlets with “beaver deceivers”, and new tile that outlets into the wetland. It turned out be a great year for this project as the ground was dry enough for construction where it may be too wet in a normal precipitation year.

As the vegetation establishes and precipitation falls (we hope!), this wetland will be teeming with life and will be filtering out nutrients before they make it to our major waterways. Many hands helped this project come to fruition and it is a great example of the impact we can have - how we can serve our customers and improve our state’s natural resources!

Above: Wetland site prior to construction (2021 Photo)

Below: Wetland site during construction (August 2023 photo)

About the author:

Hi! My name is Luke Tweeten. I am a Soil Conservation Technician on the Vinton Resource Team – a position that I began in June of 2023. Prior to that, I was an SCT in Freeport, Illinois for three years. I grew up on a farm near Forest City, IA and took up an interest in conservation from a young age. I earned my bachelor’s degree in environmental sciences from the University of Iowa in 2019. I have worked seasonal positions at two different Iowa State Parks – Pilot Knob and Lake Macbride. Throughout my time with NRCS, I have enjoyed working with many different producers and fellow conservationists to help solve resource concerns and improve our natural resources.