Iowa
Wetlands and
Riparian
Areas
Conservation
Plan
Building project designed to protect
Carney Marsh
(Central Iowa)
Carney Marsh is a scenic, 40-acre wetland in Ankeny, owned by the Polk County Conservation Board. Along one side of its wooded border runs a bike trail, where locals often glimpse mallards, herons, and blackbirds. Trail users can also view construction equipment and other signs that this is one of Iowa's most rapidly developing areas. Such activities could easily signal a marsh's demise. Here, the conservation board and the Polk County Soil and Water Conservation District (SWCD) are working with developers and others to protect the marsh from the pressures of urbanization.
(Click on picture to see larger image)One example of these efforts is the project underway with one of Carney Marsh's new neighbors, the Iowa Association of Municipal Utilities (IAMU). IAMU is building a new headquarters and training facility just up the hill. The setting, with the wetland and the woods, was one of the area's attractions. To keep the location's character intact, IAMU has been working closely with the SWCD and the county conservation board to design and implement plans for a development that can blend into the natural setting, and protect the marsh and its water quality. To accomplish this, IAMU invited the conservation agencies to be involved from the beginning, so that every opportunity could be explored to control erosion and protect the wetland. Conservation staff have met regularly with landscape architects, engineers, and contractors to design a facility that will fit into the site and demonstrate practical methods to achieve environmental protection and sustainability.
Some of the techniques they are using include conventional best management practices for erosion control, such as silt fences, mulches, and temporary cover seedings. However, some of IAMU's most noteworthy decisions affecting erosion and sediment control are less than obvious. For example, not requiring the land to be rearranged to fit the development has resulted in much less land disturbance and reduced potential for erosion. This has had the added benefit of saving money that would have been spent for grading and for additional erosion prevention. Paving has been reduced to prevent runoff. Sediment basins and constructed wetlands help filter the runoff that will occur. Deeply rooted, soil-holding prairie plants are being planted over almost 10 acres to beautify, but also to buffer the marsh and reduce the need for potentially polluting lawn care chemicals. Because the area has a high groundwater table that limits options for dealing with septic wastes, IAMU decided to build a wetland as a water treatment facility. The sanitary wetland, while looking and functioning differently than a natural marsh, still provides some features that fit into the local marsh habitat.
The project is being used as a demonstration for the SWCD's Des Moines Metro Area Urban Water Quality Project and an example of the way advance planning can lead to a project that is practical and functional. It also shows how a developer can be an environmental good neighbor.
Contact:
- Patti Cale
Iowa Association of Municipal Utilities - 515-289-1999
- Randy
Cooney
Polk County Soil and Water Conservation District - 515-964-1883
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