Project Background

The project area consists of approximately 41,328 acres from Staff and Beaver Creeks and the Upper Iowa River corridor. The featured public use area in the watershed is Hayden Prairie. Hayden Prairie was acquired by the state in 1945 and is a world-renowned 120 acre remnant of Iowa’s historic tall grass prairie. Hayden Prairie has numerous threatened and endangered species and is often toured by local high school and elementary students.
Water quality monitoring of the UIR tributaries has been ongoing since 1999. Water quality data indicates that Staff and Beaver Creeks are contributing excessive amounts of nutrients specifically nitrates to the UIR. Excessive sediment delivery is also a concern in the watersheds. 89% of the acres in the watershed are intensively row cropped in a corn / soybean rotation.

A variety of factors are likely to be contributing to the water quality problems on Staff and Beaver Creeks including:

- Loss of wetlands over time? Historically wetlands absorbed nutrients and surface water in these watersheds. 25% of the soils are hydria in the project area.
- Extensive pattern tiling? Timing of nutrient applications and recent heavy rains. Nutrients leached from the soil are efficiently delivered by tile systems.
- An increase in swine facilities / livestock production.
- Excessive tillage.
- Livestock access to stream corridors.

In summary: There are many factors that are contributing to the problem.