Current Projects
IOWATER Stream Monitoring Workshop
IOWATER, Iowa’s statewide volunteer water quality monitoring
program, will host workshops throughout the state this summer. During the
two-day workshop, classroom instruction will be combined with hands-on training
as participants learn how to monitor and assess the quality of their local
streams, rivers, and lakes. IOWATER emphasizes a perspective based on the
“watershed,” or the area of land that drains into a body of water. As workshop
participants will learn, much of the trash, chemicals and other materials used
on the land will eventually end up in the water. Water quality monitoring
includes physical, chemical, biological and habitat assessments. Physical
assessments document the physical attributes of a waterbody, such as temperature
and water clarity. Chemical testing includes pH, nitrogen, phosphate,
chloride and dissolved oxygen monitoring. Biological monitoring includes
identification of “benthic macroinvertebrates,” or organisms that live in
streams, rivers and lakes. Habitat assessments can be used to document the
suitability of water bodies to sustain aquatic life.
If they choose to do so, volunteers may submit their data to an
online database via the IOWATER website. Anyone can view data submitted by
volunteers, but only certified IOWATER volunteers can enter data. The
dates and locations for workshops in 2008 are:
• April 4-5 in Poweshiek
County
• April 23-24 in Linn
County
• May 2-3 in Franklin
County
• July 18-19 in Dallas
County
• July 30- 31 in Scott
County
•
Aug 15-16 in Howard County
• Sept 5-6 in Jefferson
County
• Sept 26-27 in O’Brien
County
Workshop registration fees are $25 per person or $35 for a team
and cover all program fees, meals and testing equipment. The deadline for
registration is one week before the workshop.
For more information contact Mike Praska, 563-547-3040
Staff & Beaver Water Quality Project - 319 Grant
<-- Click map to enlarge: 2007 was a very busy year in the Staff & Beaver Watershed. Neil Shaffer, project coordinator, works with landowners within the watershed to design and install conservation practices that will reduce soil erosion and improve water quality. During 2007, 56 conservation practices were implemented in the watershed that have reduced sediment loading to the streams by 1,668 tons! Conservation plans have been written on over 3,156 acres and 6 practices were implemented with project dollars. Cost share dollars are available for wetland restoration, terraces, waterways, ag waste facilities, no-till, nutrient management and stalk nitrate testing.
Please check out the website for the Staff/BeaverWater Quality Project for more information!
Lake Hendricks Watershed Development and Plan
<-- Click map to enlarge:
Lake Hendricks, a 54-acre man-made lake, is located 1 mile north of Riceville, IA. The Iowa State University Limnology Lab has been testing Lake Hendricks since 2000 as part of a statewide Iowa Lake Survey. The ISU experts found Lake Hendricks to be low in dissolved oxygen and high in phosphorous, with a high rate of algae growth. Due to these results, Lake Hendricks was placed on the Iowa Department of Natural Resources 303(d) List of Impaired Waters.
The Howard Soil & Water Conservation District is currently working with our Division of Soil Conservation (DSC) regional coordinator, Jeff Tisl, to obtain funding for in-lake testing of Lake Hendricks. The purpose of this study is to determine the source of the impairments. A previous study of the entire Lake Hendricks Watershed left the question of source unanswered, leading to the possibility that the cause may be found inside the lake.
Developing a good watershed plan is critical to improving the Lake Hendricks
Watershed. Other agencies involved are Iowa DNR, Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS), and Howard County Conservation Board (HCCB). We are also asking for the volunteer support of local/ interested groups or individuals. Please call 563-547-3040 if you have any questions or concerns.
Lake Hendricks is the central attraction to Lake Hendricks Park, managed by the Howard County Conservation Board. The park is open year-round to the public, with camping allowed from May-October. Please check out the Howard County Conservation Board website for more information on the park!
Women, Land & Legacy
Women, Land & Legacy holds meetings once every three months. Please call the office for an updated program listing: 563-547-3040.
Meeting four times a year, the first meeting of the Women, Land & Legacy program was held in September 2004 with over 60 women attending. This first successful meeting gathered information from women involved in agriculture on their needs and what future programs they would like to assist them in becoming more informed.
Snacks, refreshments and door prizes are provided by Women, Land & Legacy volunteers. This program is sponsored by Howard SWCD/NRCS, FSA, and ISU Extension.
All interested women from town or country are encouraged to attend our programs and bring a friend or neighbor! Please RSVP to 563-547-3040, space is limited.
“We, as women,
have a big opportunity for change and the opportunity to support those
changes”. -- Howard County
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