Watershed Project

Turkey River Watershed Project

A project bringing together local, state and federal partners in the Turkey River Watershed (TRW) of Iowa as the TRW Alliance to complete a comprehensive, systematic analysis of the watershed. The project is coordinating and implementing research, facilitating interagency partnerships that maximize the use of the research, and helping partners secure funding for implementation of sub-watershed projects that target technical assistance and funding to maximize water quality improvements. The project is modeled after the successful 640,000 acre Upper Iowa River Watershed (UIRW) Project, which was coordinated by Northeast Iowa RC&D, brought together dozens of partners and secured millions of dollars for private lands conservation in the UIRW.

Turkey River Watershed Management Authority

A formal, Chapter 28E agreement, created between political subdivisions in the Turkey River Watershed (cities, counties, Soil and Water Conservation Districts) to 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. (More info)

Turkey River Watershed Alliance

An informal partnership between local, state, and federal organizations, resource professionals, and volunteers who see the Turkey River Watershed as a valuable economic and natural resource and are working to improve water quality and reduce flood risk in the Turkey River Watershed. Please contact Brad Crawford, Project Coordinator at Northeast Iowa RC&D in Postville if you would like to receive updates and/or get involved with the project. Current partners include

• Northeast Iowa Resource Conservation & Development (RC&D)
• McKnight Foundation
• Clayton County Board of Supervisors
• Clayton County Soil and Water Conservation District (SWCD)
• Fayette County Conservation
• Fayette County Pheasants Forever
• Fayette County SWCD
• County Engineers
• Howard County SWCD
• Iowa Department of Agriculture and Land Stewardship
• Iowa Geologic Survey Bureau
• Iowa DNR Fisheries
• Iowa DNR Research Geologists
• IOWATER Volunteers
• Natural Resource Conservation Service (NRCS)
• State Hygienic Lab at the University of Iowa
• Turkey River Recreational Corridor
• Turkey River Watershed Landowners
• United States Department of Agriculture (USDA)
• Winneshiek County Soil & Water Conservation District
• Winneshiek County Conservation

No matter where you are, you’re in a watershed.

We all live in a watershed—the geographical area that drains to a common waterway, such as a river, stream, or lake. Watersheds come in all shapes and sizes: the Turkey River watershed is over 1 million acres in size, the Dibble Creek Watershed that empties into the Turkey near Clermont is about 12,000 acres, and the water that falls on your house and lawn becomes part of your watershed too.

Communities

Watersheds cross town, county, state, and national boundaries. The Turkey River watershed includes the communities of Arlington, Calmar, Castalia, Clayton Center, Clermont, Colesburg, Cresco, Douglass (Auburn), Edgewood, Eldorado, Elgin, Elkader, Elkport, Farmersburg, Fayette, Festina, Fort Atkinson, Garber, Garnavillo, Greeley, Gunder, Hawkeye, Jackson Junction, Lawler, Littleport, Luana, Luxemburg, Maynard, Millville, Monona, Motor, Osborn, Ossian, Osterdock, Postville, Protivin, Randalia, Ridgeway, Spillville, St. Lucas, St. Olaf, Strawberry Point, Volga, Wadena, Waucoma, and West Union.

As of the 2010 Census, approximately 32,100 people are living within the Turkey River Watershed.