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Middle Iowa River Watershed authority forming this month
North Liberty among cities joining the group focusing on the middle Iowa River
Izabela Zaluska
Jun. 20, 2023 11:23 am, Updated: Jun. 20, 2023 4:36 pm
NORTH LIBERTY — One of Iowa’s newest watershed management authorities will unite efforts to address pollution in the Iowa River watershed. Supporters hope it could also help reduce the flow of sediment, which threatens the future of recreation at Coralville Lake.
The Middle Iowa River Watershed Management Authority, which is expected to be formally established by the end of the month, spans from Marshall County to Johnson County, for a total of 10 counties, 33 cities and 10 soil and water conservation districts.
Other watershed management authorities in the area include Clear Creek, Indian Creek, Middle Cedar and Lower Cedar.
The Iowa Legislature first enabled the establishment of watershed management authorities in 2010, following the 2008 flood. They are agreements between cities, counties and soil and water conservation districts that coordinate water quality improvement and flood mitigation efforts with landowners in watersheds — or areas where water drains into a common water body.
Iowa’s 27 existing watershed management authorities cover 40 percent of the state. Across the board, they have received a patchwork of funding from all levels of government, along with community support.
The nonprofit group Friends of Coralville Lake has been advocating for a watershed management authority as one of the potential solutions to help address the increased sedimentation in the lake. The lake’s volume has decreased from 492,000 acre-feet when it was built in 1958, to 421,000 acre-feet in 2000.
If nothing is done, the Army Corps of Engineers has said the lake could become unusable for boating and other types of recreation within 20 to 30 years.
The group has been working on its action plan to raise awareness and explore solutions. It received $25,000 from Johnson County last year to develop a preliminary action plan.
The Johnson County Board of Supervisors has allocated a total of $125,000 for the Iowa River watershed plan. The project’s description is to “develop Iowa River Watershed plan to address nonpoint sources of pollution.”
Jennifer Fencl, environmental services director for the East Central Iowa Council of Governments, said there have been organizational meetings for the watershed management authority and agreements have been sent out to the eligible entities to find out if they are interested in joining.
The North Liberty City Council last week unanimously approved a 28E agreement to join the watershed authority.
“It’s super important for us to do this as a part of our MS4, our stormwater management program,” Assistant City Administrator Tracey Mulcahey told the council last week. “This shows that we’re doing the right thing for our watersheds.”
Mulcahey said it’s likely North Liberty will be asked to be part of other watershed management authorities as they form along the Iowa River.
While the Friends of Coralville Lake can’t formally join the WMA, Fencl said it will be important for the group and other relevant stakeholders to get involved.
“I think it's going to be a really good partnership,” Fencl said. “I think there's potential for some good projects out there, so, hopefully, we'll be able to attract money and get some of that done.”
Paperwork will be filed at the end of the month to establish the watershed management authority and begin next steps, Fencl said. Eligible entities will still be able to join the watershed after paperwork is filed.
One of the next steps, Fencl said, is to apply for the watershed management plan grant from the Iowa Department of Natural Resources.
“From there, it's just a matter of prioritizing what the issues are in the watershed and how we can help address those and seek money for projects,” Fencl said.
Brittney J. Miller of The Gazette contributed to this report.
Comments: (319) 339-3155; izabela.zaluska@thegazette.com