ENGLISH RIVER WATERSHED IMPROVEMENT & RESILIENCY PLAN
The Resiliency and Improvement Plan is the culmination of over 1 1/2 years of research, public planning, and analysis. The plan puts forth various recommendations for both urban and rural areas to reach the goals stated in the voluntary Iowa Nutrient Reduction Strategy.
In recent decades, communities and property owners in the watershed have been impacted by an increasing number of flood events. The severity of these events have also been on the rise. Each event has caused millions of dollars in damage to homes, farms, and infrastructure. Additionally, heavy rain events wash phosphorus-rich topsoil and nutrients downstream, impacting water quality and habitat locally, and as far away as the Gulf of Mexico.
In 2015, a comprehensive watershed assessment and improvement planning project was completed in the English River watershed. The first phase of the project involved an assessment of the watershed’s strengths and weaknesses. The second phase included development of recommendations (based on the assessment) to guide future improvement efforts. The Executive Summary is the short version of key findings and recommendations from the report. The full report and appendices are here.
Components of the Plan
The Main Goal: Engage stakeholders and promote water quality improvements in a cooperative manner that encourages voluntary action and collaboration. Click each link to read the whole section.
Brief outline of the plan, including key findings and watershed goals.
Learn more about where the watershed is situated within Iowa.
Discover what defines the watershed.
4. Water Quality & Quantity Conditions
Read up about the state of one our most important natural resources, water.
5. Watershed Improvement Goals
Learn more about the goals and recommendations for the English River watershed.
A summary of the report and the next steps.
Appendices
Appendix A – English River Watershed Water Quality Snapshots 2014 – Iowa Soybean Association
Appendix B1 – Hydrologic Modeling of the English River Watershed – Iowa Flood Center & IIHR
Appendix C – English River Watershed Landowner Survey 2014 – Bailey & Fixmer-Oraiz
Appendix D – Guide to Urban Stormwater Management – Bailey & Fixmer-Oraiz
Appendix E – Historic English River Water Quality Summary – IOWATER
Appendix F – Iowa Strategy to Reduce Nutrient Loss – Nitrogen and Phosphorus Practices
Appendix G – IDALS_IDNR Watershed Improvement Funding Resources List Revised 2.3.15
Appendix H – Sample Subwatershed Project Workplan
Appendix I – The Straightening of the English River – Dave Jackson – English Valleys History Center