Iowa
Wetlands and
Riparian
Areas
Conservation
Plan
(IWRACP)
Restoring flood-prone land creates
scenic by-way
(Iowa River Corridor, Eastern Iowa)
From Tama to the Amanas, travelers will soon be able to enjoy a scenic drive through riparian woodlands, wetlands, and prairies, thanks to a project along the Iowa River Corridor. Sights will include Iowa native wildlife, along with museums, and original Lincoln Highway bridge, a restored theater, and more. The project also provides additional recreational areas for hiking, hunting, fishing, and river access for swimming and boating. The Iowa legislature recently declared a scenic by-way along the river corridor in response to the cultural, historical, and scenic attributes of the area.
The project includes 50,000 acres along the Iowa river between Tama and the Coralville Reservoir and was created by a cooperative effort between the Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS), the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS), and the Iowa Department of Natural Resources (DNR). The project broadens the land use choices available to rural landowners and farmers to four options: federal wetland reserve program enrollment, buy-out of flood-prone land, technical assistance to restore wetlands, and continuation of row crop production. Through the first two options, the more than 11,600 acres of wetland easements have been enrolled by NRCS, and the FWS has purchased 7,500 acres for Iowa's newest national wildlife refuge.
Due to chronic flooding, some of the floodplain would only produce a crop two or three years out of every five, even before the 1993 flooding. According to U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) gauges, the Iowa River at Marengo crested above floodstage 28 times since 1963. During the flood of 1993, the river crested more than six feet above floodstage and swamped the surrounding floodplain. Over a 10-year period, some farmers received more money in federal crop damage payments than the land's assessed value. By providing alternatives to reconstructing levees and reclaiming damaged farmland, the project benefits taxpayers and landowners.
Urban dwellers may also reap the benefits in the form of improved water quality through reduced sediment loads and non-point source pollutants, such as pesticides and excessive nutrients. Reducing sediment loads to local waterways will improve fish habitat and fishing opportunities, and increase the life span of the Coralville Lake downstream. The USGS and University Hygienic Laboratories are studying the changes in water quality as one third of the Iowa River Corridor project area changes form cropland to wetland. Wetlands are sometimes referred to as the kidneys of the planet and are known to reduce the amount of nutrients, sediments, and contaminants in the surface and groundwater. A USGS study of groundwater around the Iowa River found that nitrate levels in 13 percent of the wells tested were above U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's Maximum Contaminant Levels for drinking water. In Iowa City, the University Hygienic Lab has found levels of nitrate and atrazine in the tap water considered high, but safe. Past research indicates that non-point source pollutants like these should decrease in both the groundwater and the river as more wetlands are restored along the Iowa River.
- Contact: Steven J. Johnston, NRCS District Conservationist Williamsburg Field Office
- Phone: (319) 668-2359
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