Soil Health & Watershed Groups
Dry Run Creek Watershed Improvement Project
Northeast Iowa
Contact
Contact: Josh Balk - Watershed and Source Water Coordinator with the Iowa Department of Natural Resources
Email: joshua.balk@ia.nacdnet.net
Phone: (319) 325-8593
Mission
Vision Statement: Connecting urban and rural communities for the improvement and preservation of the Dry Run Creek Watershed.
Project Goals:
1. The Dry Run Creek Watershed Improvement Project seeks to address two Sate-designated water quality impairments, including stream biology and bacteria, by engaging landowners in both our urban and rural areas to implement beneficial conservation practices and sustainable land-use management.
2. A robust water monitoring program has been implemented to help document and track progress within the watershed towards our water quality improvement goals.
3. Educating the diverse group of citizens and stakeholders within the watershed and empowering them to take an active role in the water quality improvement efforts.
About Us
Growing a Group:
- Active group 5+ years
- Book sharing
- Farmer-led group
- Formed a new group
- Fundraising
- Grant writing
- Member-led project planning
- Neighbor to neighbor mentoring
- Personal invitations to neighbors to grow the group
- Other
Collaboration:
- Actively participated in local watershed planning process
- Collaboration with agriculture or conservation organizations
- Collaboration with local ag retailers and/or crop advisors
- Collaboration with local civic groups
- Collaboration with local college or university
- Other
Outreach:
- Engage local schools
- Media interviews
- Presentation to groups
- Promotion to media outlets
- Social media cultivation
- Video Development
- Website Development
- Other
Land & Water:
- Bioreactors
- Cover crops
- Crop diversification
- Floodplain restoration
- Grass waterways
- Grazing
- Nutrient management & retention
- Perennial crops
- Prairie strips
- Saturated buffers
- Stream buffers
- Stream restoration
- Water retention basins
- Wetlands
- Other - Urban conservation practices including rain gardens, rain water harvesting, native prairie landscaping, bioretention cells, bioswales, permeable pavement, soil quality restoration, and more
Assessment & Data:
- Agronomic data collection
- Field edge data collection
- Field walkovers
- Stream monitoring
- Other
Events:
- Fishing event
- Farm field days
- Paddle event
- Upstream or downstream connections/visits
- Booth at local event
- Other
Fishers & Famers Partnership Program Participation:
- Workshop
- Neighbor to Neighbor Radio Podcast
- Boots on the Ground Online Conversation
- Group Presentation
- Project Tour
- Featured in a Story
- Featured in a Video
- Meetings
- None
Additional Photos
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