2023| Boone River Watershed

FY23 | Restoring Habitat, Protecting Topeka Shiners 

Location: Boone River Watershed, Wright County, Iowa 
Partners: The Nature Conservancy, Iowa Department of Agriculture and Land Stewardship (IDALS), Fishers & Farmers Partnership, Iowa Soybean Association, USFWS 
Project Lead: Karen Wilke, The Nature Conservancy 

Oxbow Restoration Project 

This project focuses on restoring six tile-fed oxbows along Otter Creek in Wright County, known as the Nelson Oxbows, scheduled for restoration in December 2024. These oxbows were previously degraded, holding little to no water and offering minimal aquatic habitat. The restoration will: 

• Create 2.87 acres of aquatic wetland habitat 
• Filter runoff from 400 acres of farmland 
• Include eight distinct pools for fish habitat and water storage 
• Stabilize streambanks and seed the area with native mesic prairie 
• Return nutrient-rich excavated soil to nearby fields 

The design follows USFWS protocols for Topeka Shiner habitat, ensuring deep pools remain under 0.5 acres and are connected to the creek for fish access during high-water events.  

Project Outcomes 

Although restoration is scheduled for late 2024, the project has already achieved key milestones: 

• Lined up 6 oxbows for restoration, exceeding the original goal of 4 
• Designed and permitted the Nelson Oxbows project 
• Secured $62,000 in match funding from IDALS 
• Prepared for fish surveys in spring 2025 to assess post-restoration biodiversity 
• Expanded the total to 43 oxbows restored or ready for restoration in the Boone River Watershed 

These efforts support the Mississippi River Basin Initiative, Iowa’s Nutrient Reduction Strategy, and the recovery of the federally endangered Topeka Shiner. 

Outreach & Engagement 

• Presented at an Iowa Learning Farms Virtual Field Day (132 attendees) 
• Published articles in Cool Green Science and Frontiers in Environmental Science 
• Hosted a volunteer prairie seeding event in Kossuth County 
• Maintained the Boone River Watershed website and social media 
• Collaborated with the Boone River Watershed Management Authority to align with the new watershed plan 

Monitoring & Research 

• Water quality monitoring by Iowa Soybean Association, USGS, IIHR, and Iowa DNR continues across the watershed 
• Fish surveys will be conducted in 2025 to evaluate restoration success 
• Research by Iowa State University and Iowa Geological Survey informs site selection and restoration design, emphasizing nitrate reduction and habitat suitability for Topeka Shiners