More information on Trout Fishing in Iowa from the Iowa DNR

Iowa State Geologist Final Report for 2011 (PDF)

The selected entities and respective watersheds include:

• Clayton County for the Turkey River.
• Dallas County for the Middle/South Raccoon River.
• Davis County for Soap Creek and Chequest Creek.
• Floyd County for the Upper Cedar River.

The selected watersheds will partner with the Iowa Flood Center and IIHR on a multi-year project to monitor, plan, and implement watershed projects aimed at reducing the adverse impacts of flooding in Iowa. Specific goals of the watershed projects include:

• Maximizing soil water holding capacity from precipitation.
• Minimizing severe soil erosion and sand deposition during floods.
• Managing water runoff in uplands under saturated soil moisture conditions.
• Reducing and mitigating structural and nonstructural flood damage.

In the initial phase of the project, researchers at the Iowa Flood Center and IIHR will work with local entities to complete a detailed hydrologic assessment of each watershed that will identify areas where the implementation of flood mitigation projects is most likely to reduce downstream flood damages. Funds will be available during the second phase of the project for the design and construction of watershed projects in identified areas of the watersheds.

Specific watershed mitigation projects for this study will be determined in the second phase. Potential projects may include water storage structures, flood plain restoration, buffer strip installation and enhancement, advanced tile drainage systems, and flood easement acquisition.

The constructed watershed improvement projects will be monitored by researchers throughout the study and evaluated at completion to demonstrate their impact and effectiveness. The results from the Iowa Watershed Projects will provide critical information to guide the implementation and design of additional watershed projects across the state of Iowa.

Funding for the Iowa Watershed Projects is provided through the federal Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) Disaster Relief allocation and is available only to the 85 counties (or cities within those counties) declared federal disaster areas during the 2008 flood.

For additional information, visit: www.iowafloodcenter.org.

Contact the Governor and your state Senator and Representative – remind them that funding river programs is good for Iowa’s economy and our communities! 

• Governor Terry Branstad:   515.281.5211 or http://www.governor.iowa.gov/contact/
• Iowa General Assembly (find a bill):  http://www.legis.iowa.gov/index.aspx
• Iowa Senators and Representatives:  Find your legislators (if you would like a spreadsheet of all the current legislators, please let me know)
• Iowa Senate:  515.281.3371
• Iowa House: 515.281.3221

Tell Senator McCoy thank you – we appreciate his continued leadership and support for this funding:  matt.mccoy@legis.iowa.gov

Urge Rep. Raecker (House leadership), to fund River Restoration programs:  scott.raecker@legis.state.ia.us

Show your support by sending a letter to the editor:  letters@dmreg.com

River Restoration –IRR has been advocating for a $1M appropriation for river restoration and dam mitigation programs for the last two legislative sessions. Your contacts to the Governor and your local legislators will help show support for river-related legislative priorities. The Iowa Senate has supported this funding priority, however, the Governor has provided no funding in his budget for river-related programs and priorities and the Iowa House has provided $0 for river programs in their budget proposal for 2013.

This funding can provide significant support to projects across the state – remind your legislators the benefits of investing in Iowa’s rivers:

-          Dam mitigation: $250,000: Aging dam infrastructure has left a legacy of problems for Iowa communities in terms of maintenance, safety, and river conditions. DNR technical assistance leads to sensible projects to retire or replace dams with safer, more river friendly structures such as rapids.)

-          Water Trails Project Development: $200,000: Projects that help improve access, enhance safety through warning signage, and provide services for exploding numbers of Iowans getting out on rivers on inner-tubes, canoes, and kayaks.

-          River Restoration: $40,000: Natural, lower cost, aesthetic approaches to bank stabilization that provide more habitat benefits in and along the river rather than standard riprap revetments.

-          Community Planning and Project Design: $200,000: Help regionalize and focus the planning process to expand the number of Iowa’s statewide water trails.  A new water trails statewide plan and development manual have vastly improved the stability, cost, and aesthetics of parking, launches, campsites, signage, portage trails, and will lead to improved marketing, maintenance, and programming for water trails.

-          Palisades-Kepler State Park Low-head Dam to Rapids Conversion $250,000: In a scenic limestone gorge at one of Iowa’s most popular state parks, concrete and steel remains of a low-head dam create a hazard and eyesore. The removal, along with naturalistic structures necessary for corresponding river restoration on the Cedar River, will improve recreation and river health at this state facility frequented by Iowans in the Cedar Rapids-Iowa City corridor

-          River Clean-Up Technical Support and Water Trails / River Restoration Education: $35,000:  River clean-ups are a positive way to improve the physical condition of rivers in Iowa, and leverage thousands of hours of volunteer support annually.

Twenty-four miles from West Union is the largest coldwater spring in Iowa. The Big Spring Watershed is one of the most well-known and studied sites in the nation in a limestone-dominated landscape.

Flows from the spring usually range from 20,000-30,000 gallons per minute but can exceed 150,000 GPM after a heavy rainfall.

Scientists marvel at this geology in northeast Iowa, but sportsmen from all over the state have only one thing in mind when they come here – trout!

The Big Spring Trout Hatchery in 2012 will stock 113,000 rainbow and 12,500 brook trout into 15 area coldwater streams, including Bear, Brush Creek, Glovers, Grannis, Mink, and Otter in Fayette County.

In addition, larger trout (brood) are put in streams and are considered trophy fish for anglers seeking them.

It is the responsibility of three fishery biologists, Gary Siegwarth, Aaron Schwartzhoff, and Wayne Wingert, to raise the trout at Big Spring and to greet visitors to the hatchery who either just want to see what’s there or to give trout fishing a try.

Visitors will see 20 raceways where trout are fed 500 pounds of food twice daily. There are 10,000 trout per raceway that grow to 10 to 12 inches before being stocked.

It takes approximately 15 months to grow a trout to catchable size in the raceways, to which gravity provides a constant flow of water. There are no pumping stations at Big Spring.

All trout reared at Big Spring are obtained from the Manchester Hatchery, where brood trout are stripped of their eggs and sperm. They arrive at Big Spring when they are three inches in size.

A large earthen dike separates the hatchery from the Turkey River, where trout are stocked three times a week. In addition, an angler may possibly catch a walleye or a smallmouth bass from the banks.

Fishermen are welcome to wet a line in two small ponds at the hatchery’s entrance, where trout are also put for the taking.

At the other end of the hatchery there is a new shelter house next to two kids’ fishing ponds, where only children may fish.

The two kids’ ponds are the only such ones in Iowa where there are trout. There are even fishing poles for children to use free of charge.

Among the many improvements made to Big Spring has been an angler access trail along the Turkey to make for easier fishing.

There is also a primitive campground leading into the hatchery that is open to the public at no charge and is within walking distance of where the trout are reared.

Sometime this summer a new visitors’ center will open for the first time. It is the result of the record flood in 2008, when water crept up hatchery building walls eight feet. The new building was built two feet higher than that flood level.

The floodwater also flowed over the 200,000 trout in all the raceways. Miraculously 70 percent of those trout were later recovered when many of them hung around the cold-water flow outlets.

The hatchery grounds and the Turkey River are open to the public seven days a week year-round. Anglers are reminded that anyone 16 or older needs to have a fishing license and a trout stamp.

Anglers younger than 16 can fish for trout free if they are with a licensed adult. They also have the choice of obtaining licenses, with which they can possess their own daily limit of five trout.

From West Union, the best way to get to Big Spring is to go to Clermont and take the Gunder Road. After going through Gunder, motorists will take a right at Depot Road and then take another right on Big Spring/Derby Road.

Both roads are gravel until the park entrance is reached; there, a hard-surface road leads to the hatchery.

Want to know when trout are going to be stocked in your favorite stream? For current trout stream stocking, call 563-927-5736

Turkey River (below Clermont)
No report

Volga Lake

Bluegill – Fair: Anglers are beginning to see a few bluegills in their catch.  Largemouth Bass – Fair: Anglers have been finding nice sized fish in shallow water.  Crappie – Good: Crappies fishing along the rocks has been good using jigs with twistertails, wax worms or angleworms.

Lake Meyer

Water clarity is excellent and temperature is 64 degrees.  Action continues to be hit or miss for crappies and largemouth.  Northern Pike – No Report:   Bluegill – Slow: Small bluegill are being caught.  Largemouth Bass – Fair: Try angling with a rubber skirted jig for bass on beds.  Crappie – Good: Crappies are hitting minnows this week.  Anglers should try fishing around rocky or woody structure.

Upper Iowa River (above Decorah)

The Upper Iowa River is coming down but is still really muddy after rains earlier in the week.   Walleye – Slow:

Upper Iowa River (below Decorah)

The Upper Iowa River is coming down but is still really muddy after rains earlier in the week.  A variety of fish including sauger, perch and rock bass are showing up in the creel this week.  Walleye – Slow: Anglers are using jigs tipped with worms, natural colored twistertails or ringworms.

Decorah District Streams

There have been March Brown hatches on northeast Iowa streams during the past week (sometimes early in the afternoon) with spinners falling at dusk.  A #12 or #14 Adams or other large mayfly pattern works well for surface rises or for bringing trout to the surface.  Riffle stretches are good March Brown water.  Blue Wing Olive, caddis and midge hatches remain heavy at times.

Rivers and streams are in good condition this week.  Trout fishing is excellent with large numbers of insect hatches occurring.   Please contact the Decorah Fish Hatchery at 563-382-8324 for more information.

The Iowa Department of Natural Resources issues a weekly fishing report on Thursdays in an effort to provide the latest information heading into the weekend. The weekly fishing report is compiled from information gathered from local bait shops, angler creel surveys, and county and state parks staff. For current information, contact the district fisheries office at the phone number listed at the end of each district report.

http://www.iowadnr.gov/Fishing/FishingReports.aspx

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Under Iowa law, a Watershed Management Authority is a formal Chapter 28E agreement, or partnership, created by two or more political subdivisions (e.g., cities, counties, Soil and Water Conservation Districts) to accomplish the following:

• Assess and reduce flood risk;
• Assess and improve water quality;
• Monitor federal flood risk planning and activities;
• Educate residents of the watershed regarding flood risks and water quality; and Allocate moneys made available to the Authority for purposes of water quality and flood mitigation.

Why participate in a Watershed Management Authority?

• Water management problems are greater than one community or city can handle.
• Local citizens, county boards or cities request them.
• They allow for uniform, effective actions or controls, to correct and prevent problems.
• State & federal money available for work in WMAs.
• Iowa Legislature passed legislation to encourage the formation of WMAs.
• Iowa Economic Development Authority selected 6 watersheds, including the Turkey River Watershed as pilots for Iowa WMA development.

How we can set up a Watershed Management Authority:

• All cities, counties, and Soil and Water Conservation Districts (SWCDs) within a watershed must be invited.
• A WMA must be created pursuant to a chapter 28e agreement between a minimum of two political subdivisions from the same watershed.
• The WMA must be governed by a board of directors, made up of appointed representatives of the participating political subdivisions. The board shall adopt bylaws, elect a chairperson, vice chairperson and appoint a secretary.

What may a Watershed Management Authority do?

The Turkey River Watershed Management Authority

• Initiated by Clayton County Board of Supervisors on behalf of the Turkey River Watershed.
• The TRWMA complements ongoing efforts of the Turkey River Watershed Alliance (an informal collaborative of nearly 20 public and private organizations).
• No upfront cost to join the TRWMA.
• Once TRWMA is formed it can apply to the Iowa Economic Development Authority for funding to develop a TRWMA Plan.
• Once the TRWMA has a plan, they can apply to the Iowa Economic Development Authority for funding to implement that plan.
• Future costs will be determined by the TRWMA Board.
• TIMELINE
• March 29: Initial Meeting of Cities, Counties, and Soil and Water Conservation Districts
• Boards/Councils Discuss TRWMA and Appoint Representative
• April 26: Draft 28E Agreement Presented/Discussed (held at Upper Iowa University in Fayette - Details & Agenda)
• Boards/Councils Review Draft 28E Agreement
• May 31: Meeting in Postville to Finalize 28E Agreement, take back to boards and councils for signature at May meeting
• June: Boards/Councils Approve Final 28E Agreement and 28E Agreement is filed with the Iowa Secretary of State
• Meetings held the last Thursday of each month  from 1:00 to 3:00 p.m.
• Contact Northeast Iowa RC&D for more information. (563) 864-7112  or brad@northeastiowarcd.org

Attachments:

• Powerpoint Slides from the Introductory WMA Meeting
• (High Resolution PDF: 9.7MB)
• (Low Resolution PDF: 1.1MB)
• 2010 Watershed Legislation Guide (Part 3 describes Watershed Management Authorities)
• Draft Turkey River Watershed 28E Agreement (Current as of May 9th)

POSTVILLE – A meeting regarding the Turkey River Watershed Management Authority (TRWMA) project was held in Postville, Iowa, on Thursday, March 29. The watershed was one of six in the State of Iowa selected to establish a management authority, which entails a formal partnership between various governing entities in the seven-county watershed area. These entities are setting out to work together to solve and prevent water-related problems. The watershed boundaries extend through portions of Howard, Chickasaw, Clayton, Delaware, Dubuque, Fayette and Winneshiek counties in Iowa.

Brad Crawford, Turkey River Watershed Project Coordinator, stated, “This is a great honor and a useful tool; it also draws statewide attention to our watershed… Its formation will enable us to do many things, including secure funding for watershed planning and project implementation to improve water quality and reduce flooding in the Turkey River Watershed.”

He further stated, “We have made great progress in the past year and we want to continue to move forward. Together we can ensure that local jurisdictions continue to qualify for future watershed project funding.”

Chad Gilles, member of the Howard Soil and Water Conservation District, attended the March 29 meeting, noting several highlights. First, the Watershed Management Authority was formed by inviting all political subdivisions such as cities, county entities, as well as soil and water conservation districts within the watershed agreement.

“Being a part of the 28E agreement is optional and there only needs to be two subdivisions in order to create a Watershed Management Authority,” explained Gilles.

“The next step in the process,” he added, “is for all interested entities to vote during their meetings in April whether or not to join the Turkey River Watershed Management Authority and to select one representative to be on the Board.”

He further stated, “The TRWMA will then review the drafted 28E agreement in May

and the assembled Board will vote to approve the agreement. Once an agreement is signed, another proposal will be due in August 2012 in which three Watershed Management Authorities will be chosen to receive funding to develop a Watershed Management Plan that will address both flooding and water quality issues in their watersheds.”

The next meeting regarding the watershed management authority will be held in Postville on Thursday, April 26 from 1-3 p.m. All persons interested in attending are encouraged to RSVP with the Northeast Iowa RC&D: 563-864-7112.

Attachments:

• Powerpoint Slides from the Introductory WMA Meeting
• (High Resolution PDF: 9.7MB)
• (Low Resolution PDF: 1.1MB)
• 2010 Watershed Legislation Guide (Part 3 describes Watershed Management Authorities)

IFC researchers are creating physics-based computer models to predict how a flood wave travels through urban floodplains. These high-resolution models can illustrate the extent of flooding under different conditions allowing Iowans to see how predicted flood levels could affect their property, and in turn helping them make informed decisions.

Flood Inundation Map for Elkader: http://ifis.iowafloodcenter.org/ifis/main/?m=Elkader

Further Information: http://iowafloodcenter.org/projects/flood-inundation-maps/

The ISU study showed overall economic impact from river recreation along 73 Iowa river and stream segments supported more than 6,350 jobs with $824 million in sales and $130 million of personal income.

“In addition to recreational benefits, the results show that there are sizable local economic benefits from spending by visitors,” said Dan Otto, professor of economics and an ISU Extension and Outreach economist.

Researchers in ISU’s Department of Economics and Center for Agricultural and Rural Development conducted the study with funding from the Iowa Department of Natural Resources and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency.

Full results of the study available at http://www.card.iastate.edu/environment/nonmarket_valuation/iowa_rivers/

Economic Impacts of River Trail Recreation in Iowa (PDF)