110 Years of the Lincoln Highway

110 Years of the Lincoln Highway

From Its Beginnings to Where We Are Today

The Idea
The idea was simple yet big. Carl Fisher wanted to gravel 3,400 miles of road across the US.  He planned to use communities to provide the equipment and manpower and in exchange for the work, the communities would receive the material free of charge. To fund the estimated $10 million for materials, Fisher appealed to auto manufacturers and parts companies to donate one percent of their revenues and to sell membership certificates to the public at $5 a person. There was even a timetable for the road to be done by the 1915 Panama-Pacific Exposition so that the host town of San Francisco would be accessible by New York City. Frank Seiberling, founder of Goodyear Tire and Rubber Company, and Henry B. Joy, president of the Packard Motor Car Company, were on board. Joy suggested naming the road after President Abraham Lincoln to gain patriotic support.

The following year on July 1, 1913, the Lincoln Highway Association was officially established and the Coast-to-Coast Rock Highway was given the name: The Lincoln Highway. Joy was the president and Fisher the vice president so it did not appear that it was only one man driving the plan.

Carl Fisher
Henry Joy Navigating the Official Packard i "Gumbo" near LaMoille, Iowa

The route would be the fastest and most direct route across the country. The Lincoln Highway Association set up consuls in each state who played a role in defining the precise alignment. The preliminary route was announced on Sept. 14th and the first official “contributor’s ticket” (member card) was issued to President Woodrow Wilson on Sept. 19th. With the route being announced, communities were pulling for their towns not to be left out, so the route was adjusted quickly and often but on Oct. 31st, the official route was dedicated so that celebrations could be had to promote the highway.

Henry Ford would not give his support for the plan because he believed that the government should build the roads. Support was low without Ford, so Joy and the Association came up with another promotional plan to generate interest by hosting “Seedling Mile” demonstration projects. The Portland Cement Association was pulled in to donate materials for mile-long paved sections of roadway in hopes of getting work to finish the roads. They were strategically placed near enough for communities to access but far enough that the rough roads had to be traversed to reach them. It was also hoped that this scheme would produce government interest in paved roads with the Lincoln Highway as an example. The first seedling mile was paved by October of 1914 west of Malta, Illinois. Iowa’s official seedling mile located between Mt Vernon and Cedar Rapids wasn’t completed until June 1919.

Seedling Mile Under Construction in Linn County, Iowa

Publicity & Branding
Several celebrities were drawn in to take trips across the Lincoln to advertise the entertainment industry while promoting the highway. To follow the route, the Lincoln Highway’s signature marked the way on telephone poles with the red band on top and blue on the bottom with the letter L in the center. By the 1920’s the telephone poles sported several roadways’ painted colors. Interest was growing in road trips.

In 1919, to test roads and military mobility, a US Army Convoy of 72 vehicles and 297 men traveled across the Lincoln Highway (having joined up in Gettysburg). Among the men on the trip was a young Lt. Col. Dwight Eisenhower who was greatly affected by the arduous trip. This trip was very heavily publicized and after the comments by the men on board, the government had to take notice.

Lincoln Highway Association Telephone Pole Sign
1919 US Army Convoy along Lincoln Highway in Tama, Iowa.

In 1919, to test roads and military mobility, a US Army Convoy of 72 vehicles and 297 men traveled across the Lincoln Highway. Tama, Iowa shown here.

MVPA Following Convoy Route During 2019 Centennial

Military Vehicle Preservation Association 2019 100th Anniversary Transcontinental Motor Convoy on Lincoln Highway Heritage Byway in Iowa.

The Government Gets Involved
The 1920s brought the federal government’s interest in building roads and the creation of numbered U.S. routes. In March 1925, the American Association of State Highway Officials (AASHO) created a federal highway system identifying roadways with the official shield and number. They had now asserted control over the transcontinental route.

The Lincoln Highway Association was no longer needed and ceased operating on Dec 31, 1927 with 42 miles yet to be improved in politically charged Utah. As their last promotional stunt, they enlisted the Boy Scouts to install nearly 2,400 concrete markers along the Lincoln Highway and 4,000 metal signs in what is rumored to be a one-day installation in 1928.

In 1938, by the 25th Anniversary of the Lincoln Highway, the paving of the roadway in Utah was finally underway. But was it still the Lincoln Highway? Or was it a US highway? Was the Lincoln Highway then ever really completed? Or was it an entirely different highway by then? There is a difference. I will let you enjoy the struggle with the argument.

Lincoln Highway Boy Scout Marker Installation Collegiate Presbyterian Church in Ames, Iowa

The Rebirth
A group of individuals from seven Lincoln Highway states met on Oct 31, 1992, in Ogden, Iowa, to discuss the need “to identify, preserve and improve access to the remaining portions of the LH and its associated history sites.”  They soon formed a revived National Lincoln Highway Association, which today maintains a road map with a 1913 route, 2nd and 3rd generation routes, and auxiliary and detour routes.

In 2006, the Iowa Chapter of the Lincoln Highway Association, along with community leaders, and the Iowa Department of Transportation (IDOT) designated the entire Iowa route as the Lincoln Highway Heritage Byway. This gave the Lincoln Highway visibility through the use of signage along the roadway and a managing entity (Prairie Rivers of Iowa) that would promote the intrinsic qualities of the historical, cultural, and natural resources of the Byway through education and economic improvements.

In 2021, then coordinator, Jan Gammon, with help from the Iowa Lincoln Highway Association, was able to obtain National Scenic Byway status!

Lincoln Highway National Heritage Byway in Iowa

In Summary
The popularity that the Lincoln Highway experienced in its beginning has not been matched since.  So how can we change the narrative and bring the Lincoln Highway back in people’s mindfulness when we talk about historical roads? At a time when the Lincoln Highway is losing its’ few remaining greatest assets, aging historical structures and bridges, the mindset to value, rehabilitate, and creative reuse is the route to a new narrative for the next 110 years.

So when you see an anniversary date, take a second look. Celebrate it, talk about it, and change the public mindset to value the historical idea. And don’t forget to take a road trip!

Sources
www.fhwa.dot.gov/highwayhistory/lincoln.cfm
www.lincolnhighwayassoc.org/history/
www.iowadot.gov/autotrails/lincolnhighway

Historical Note: Henry Joy wasn’t the first to suggest Lincoln as the name for America’s coast-to-coast highway. Read more here in Brain Butko’s Lincoln Highway News.

Lincoln Highway Map
Unexpected Friends: Bugs Are Not Invading Your Home

Unexpected Friends: Bugs Are Not Invading Your Home

This time of year we seem to notice more bugs* indoors. For some people this isn’t worrisome. For others, it may mean frantic googling to ensure you’re not seeing an unknown pest. In this article, we discuss 1) trustworthy sources of information about bugs in the home, 2) common bug misconceptions, and 3) which bugs you might see in your house this time of year.

 *The term “bug” in this article is being used to refer to any insect, spider, or other arthropod. Technically, the word “bug” refers to insects within the order Hemiptera, which is a specific group of insects. We are using this term generally to keep the text simple.

Let’s get right down to it: pest control company websites are not good sources of information. Many are hoping to sell you a service. Some companies may state on their website that certain bugs are harmless, but a nuisance. This is an accurate statement (although, is the bug actively annoying you, or are they just standing on your wall 10 feet away?). However, these companies continue on to exaggerate the venom in spider bites (more on this later), rare allergic reactions, and inflate the idea that bugs are trying to “invade” your home (most are not). Additionally, I’ve found pest control companies that call some insects beetles that are clearly not beetles, and make false statements about native bee nesting behavior. Pest control’s expertise is in extermination, specifically of truly harmful pests. When it comes to harmless bugs, which is what you are likely finding in your house, they simply do not have good information.

 The best place to learn about a bug in your house is through university and extension websites. These websites are created with a focus of educating the public, not selling services. If you look through these websites and can’t find information about your specific bug, Iowa State University offers free photo identification through their Plant and Insect Diagnostic Clinic, and their entomology department staff would probably be willing to receive bug photos through email as well.  I would also recommend Chris Helzer’s blog and the Xerces Society.  We do our best to provide accurate and interesting articles too! 

Unfortunately, when you google “house bugs in winter”, pest control companies have paid to be the links that appear at the top of the return list. You’ll have to scroll down to get better sources to answer your question or add terms like “university” or “extension” to your search. 

Glowing Jack-O-Lantern

Bugs add beauty to our world!

Common bug misconceptions

No, most bugs are not actively trying to enter your house. Bugs are adapted to thrive outside, and mostly wander in by accident or are brought in by you through clothing or wood for your fireplace. No offense, but most bugs think your home is a subpar habitat. Compared to the outdoors, your house is probably too dry (many bugs are prone to drying out, which is lethal to them). Secondly, your house has very little food in terms of dead leaves, other bugs, and plants. You may have indoor plants, but they are probably not what most bugs are adapted to eat. Lastly, many bugs in Iowa overwinter outside, near or in the ground, as larvae, eggs or pupae. The adult bugs you see are likely on their final days because most adult bugs in Iowa are not adapted to surviving winter. If they do overwinter as adults, they are likely slow, don’t eat much (if at all), and don’t reproduce. The best way to keep bugs out of your home is to caulk holes and cracks, check screens for holes, and fix any drafts in doors and windows. Many pest control companies boast about their pesticide treatments that “create a border/defense” around your house to keep all bugs out. This kind of broad treatment will also harm non-pest insects, such as next year’s fireflies (their juveniles overwinter in soil), ground-nesting bees, and other beneficial insects.

Bugs you may see around your house this winter

Spiders: Some spiders have the ability to bite, but most will not unless they are handled roughly. They are not “invading” your home. They may have been in your house for a while, but are now more active because it’s mating season. Another reason you may see them more is because your doors and windows were open thanks to the lovely fall weather, and they wandered inside. Serious reactions to spider bites are very rare. Even the brown recluse spider avoids people, and only 10% of people develop a reaction to their bite. Truly: 90% of people who are bit by brown recluses are completely fine, with no complications or problems. A quick iNaturalist search will show you how rare brown recluses and black widows are in Iowa. If a spider (or really any bug) bothers you, catch them and release them outside, or vacuum them up and empty your vacuum (minus the household waste) outside.

Reversed Haploa Moth

A pretty emerald jumping spider.

Multicolored Asian lady beetles (Harmonia axyridis): These beetles are not native to Iowa, though they look similar to many of our native species. They helped you in the garden all summer by eating aphids and other pests. Yes, they can nip if handled, but it feels like a small prick and leaves no resulting bump or itchiness. Like most bugs, they do not reproduce in homes. Lastly, don’t you think this is the cutest bug you could hope to find in your house? I’m always happy to find one inside when it’s cold out; it’s like a small piece of summer reappeared.

Common Buckeye

The cute multicolored Asian lady beetle.

Brown marmorated stink bugs (Halyomorpha halys): These bugs are not native to Iowa, and may nibble on some indoor plants. Yes, they do seek warmth, but they want to stay outside, where they receive direct sunlight. If found indoors, know that they didn’t mean to find a gap in your window and wander in. I only get them when I don’t check outdoor plants before bringing them inside. These bugs only stink if you smash them, so be sure to catch and release them or vacuum them up. They will not reproduce/lay eggs during winter. I’ve never been bit or smelled anything foul by just removing them with my hands and tossing them out the door into some bushes.

Common Buckeye

The friendly stink bug!

Boxelder bugs (Boisea trivittata): Yes, they gather on the sunny sides of buildings for warmth, but that’s where they want to stay. Maybe when you opened your door two of them were swished inside. These bugs are great because they don’t bite, don’t harm plants, don’t eat human food, and do not reproduce during the winter. They don’t even harm the plants they’re famous for feeding on (boxelder and maple trees)! They have cool red lines and little red eyes, making them look like little superheroes or race cars, which I find quite endearing!

Swallowtail Caterpillar

The boxelder bug with racing stripes.

As the days get colder, try to be curious and more understanding when you find a bug unexpectedly in your house. They are not invading vermin; oftentimes they are friendly wanderers that found a crack near your window. Take some time to take pictures and learn about the bug before releasing it outside. You might learn something new, and it would be a nice reminder of summer during some of the drearier days of the year.

Support bugs this season by leaving your leaves, keeping your outdoor lights wildlife-friendly, and staying curious!

Other great sources to learn more about bugs are the University of Wisconsin’s Bug of the Week and the Missouri Department of Conservation.

Further reading: An article explaining a study by the California Academy of Sciences on the ecology of bugs found in homes (homes are likely a passive travel area for bugs, and not an attraction).

Pritchard Companies Traverse the Lincoln Highway Celebrating 110 Years

Pritchard Companies Traverse the Lincoln Highway Celebrating 110 Years

Pritchard Companies Traverse the Lincoln Highway for their Historic Innovation Relay to Celebrate 110 Years

Nineteen hundred and thriteen was the year that Walter Pritchard opened Garner Auto Sales in Garner, Iowa. 110 years later the company is still run by the Pritchard family only on a much larger scale having 350 employees and seven divisions. Now known as the Pritchard Companies, the founding family wanted to make a big gesture to highlight the innovation of the auto industry after such a long history of a single-family business. When the Pritchards found out that the Lincoln Highway was not only the first improved transcontinental roadway across the United States but that the Lincoln Highway Association was also celebrating an 110th anniversary, the idea was set.

 

Electric Vehicle During Pritchard Companies/Iowa Lincoln Highway 100th Anniversary Relay

Two short months later, on Oct 31st, on a very cold Tuesday morning at sunrise over the Mississippi River, Pritchard family member Angela Pritchard (5th generation), headed west out of Clinton, Iowa driving a Ford Mustang Mach-E (electric vehicle) on her way across the Lincoln Highway. Before she took to the road, the city of Clinton presented her with a flag to the city.  In the days leading up to the drive, Bill Pritchard (3rd generation) had previously handed off the baton for the relay in a dramatic gesture captured here from his antique Model-T Ford (the original dealership car of 1913).

Clinton Iowa Sunrise During 110th Anniversary Relay
EV Vehicle Charging During 110th Anniversary Relay

A few hours later Angela arrived in Cedar Rapids to a news crew and was interviewed by KGAN, a CBS affiliate. Angela handed the baton to CEO Joe Pritchard (4th generation), and along with Pam they took off on the second leg of the relay in a Ford F-150 Lightning (Ford’s electric truck). Ames was the lunch stop where the Pritchards handed the baton to an “extended family member,” employee Brock Thompson. Brock drove a Chevy Bolt EUV to Jefferson where the caravan greeted the statue of Abraham Lincoln before heading on to Carroll. As most central Iowans know, the figure is a long-standing homage to the Lincoln Highway’s namesake.  In Carroll, the baton was given to the newest Pritchard family employee Matt Bradley. Matt brought the Lincoln Highway idea to the Pritchards.

He was honored with driving the Chrysler Pacifica Hybrid on the final journey through western Iowa where the EV infrastructure is just getting started. Shortly after sunset, twelve hours after the relay started, , the Missouri River was reached by taking the 3rd generation Lincoln Highway route from the town of Missouri Valley.

As the Lincoln Highway Heritage Byway coordinator here at Prairie Rivers of Iowa, I would like to express our gratitude for the inclusion of the Lincoln Highway in such an iconic drive. We are thankful for your choice to use the Iowa Lincoln Highway route for your 110th Anniversary Innovation Relay and for the attention you brought to the 110th anniversary of the Lincoln Highway Association’s official dedication date for the Lincoln Highway route.

The Pritchard CompaniesHistoric Innovation Relay drive was a success and a milestone. We can’t wait for the next celebratory drive.

Pritchard Companies Historic 110th Anniversary Innovation Relay
Here Stands the Ruth Anne Dodge Memorial Known as the Black Angel

Here Stands the Ruth Anne Dodge Memorial Known as the Black Angel

High atop a ridge overlooking the Missouri Valley is Council Bluffs’ Fairview Cemetery, where stands the Ruth Anne Dodge Memorial, also known as the Black Angel. Legend has it the spot is haunted and visitors sometimes report unusual occurrences. Nevertheless, the site is worth a visit as the beautiful bronze sculpture, listed on the National Register of Historic Places, is the work of Daniel Chester French, who created Washington D.C.’s Lincoln Memorial and the minuteman in Concord, Massachusetts.

Ruth Anne Dodge was the wife of railroad baron General Grenville Dodge, an honored figure in the history of Council Bluffs and the westward expansion of the railroad. 

The Ruth Anne Dodge Memorial Known as the Black Angel

Born in 1833 in Peru, Illinois, into a family that could provide a ladies’ education, she was a multi-talented woman. Ruth Anne could not only play piano and write poetry, she could ride a horse and shoot a gun with the best of them, a talent that held her in good stead during the years she joined her husband on the prairies of Nebraska.

Ruth Anne and General Greenville Dodge House in Council Bluffs, Iowa

The Dodges built a grand residence in Council Bluffs, where General Dodge influenced the development of the Union Pacific Railroad. He died in January 1916, and September of that year found Ruth Anne also on her deathbed.

After her death, Ruth Anne’s daughters, Anne Dodge and Eleanor Dodge Pusey, had the sculpture made to depict the series of three nighttime visions experienced by their mother before she died. Ruth Anne had told them of the recurrent visions where she found herself on a rocky shore when through the mist she saw a small boat approach, carrying a beautiful angel holding a small bowl with water flowing forth. 

Each night the angel encouraged Ruth Anne to drink the water. “Drink, I bring you both a promise and a blessing,” the angel said. Twice Ruth Anne refused to drink, but the third night she did drink the water, and after partaking she said she felt “transformed into a new and glorious being,” telling her daughters she had drunk the “water of life” and now had immortality. She died a short time later.

Who haunts the site today is unclear. Is it Ruth Anne Dodge? Or perhaps it is the beautiful but tormented young woman who served as the model for the sculptor. According to Tom Emmett, executive director of the Historic General Dodge House in Council Bluffs, Audrey Munson was the most oft-sculpted woman of her time.

Ruth Anne Dodge Memorial

But apparently, fame did not bring her happiness, for a decade after modeling for the artist she tried to commit suicide and was subsequently committed to an insane asylum, where she lived another 65 years without visitors, dying at the age of 104.

Emmett says some people believe that those who touch the sculpture may be cursed. Others say the angel flies off her pedestal at night, and still others say the angel’s eyes follow a person as they walk past. One way to find out is to go and visit. The sculpture is considered likely the most valuable artwork in Council Bluffs, and it is just steps from a spectacular view of the Missouri River Valley and the expanse of Nebraska beyond.

“The Black Angel of Council Bluffs: The Ruth Anne Dodge Memorial.” Spiritual Travels: Practical Advice for Soulful Journeys. Accessed Oct. 15, 2023.

“Ruth Anne Dodge Memorial – The Black Angel.” History Online, The Historical Society of Pottawattamie County. Accessed Oct. 5, 2023.

Williamson, Zach. “The History, and Haunting, of Council Bluffs’ Black Angel.” KMTV 3 News Now, Local News, Oct. 15, 2022.

Ten Things I Didn’t Know About Rolle Bolle

Ten Things I Didn’t Know About Rolle Bolle

Recently, I had the opportunity to hang out with the group of Rolle Bolle enthusiasts who play this game every weekend of the summer rotating between courts in the Iowa Valley, Minnesota, and Illinois. They are such a welcoming group who made me feel at home. If only I hadn’t been fighting a cold at the time, I would have accepted the beverage of Rolle Bolle choice and then been able to call myself family. This truly felt like a family sport, not only because there was a mom, dad, and daughter playing, and many of them were related, but because they encouraged each other, gave tips, and maybe had a little bit of rivalry.

Recently, I had the opportunity to hang out with the group of Rolle Bolle enthusiasts who play this game every weekend of the summer rotating between courts in the Iowa Valley, Minnesota, and Illinois. They are such a welcoming group who made me feel at home. If only I hadn’t been fighting a cold at the time, I would have accepted the beverage of Rolle Bolle choice and then been able to call myself family. This truly felt like a family sport, not only because there was a mom, dad, and daughter playing, and many of them were related, but because they encouraged each other, gave tips, and maybe had a little bit of rivalry.

Those of you who have grown up in the Iowa Valley have most likely heard of Rolle Bolle and know how the game is played. For this central Iowan, I had never heard of the game and was quite surprised by many details I hadn’t noticed just by viewing the game in photos.

In simplistic terms, the game is played by teams of three or four people rolling bolles down an alley aiming to land their bolles closest to a pole. The object is to have the most bolles* the closest distance to the pole than the other team by the end of everyone’s turn.

*One of the defining characteristics of Rolle Bolle is the beveled wheel-like shape of the ball or bolle. Bolles are manufactured in a way so that they do not roll straight but in a curved, elliptical path.

Bolle

The 10 Things I Learned 

1: Although the bolle looks like a greatly enlarged hockey puck to me, it is not the same diameter on each side. I even rolled the bolle down our hallway here at Prairie Rivers and did not notice that there is a smaller side and a larger side. So why the beveled shape? The origin of the shape is not known; a fun theory is that the first bolle was a wheel of Gouda cheese, although this is probably not true. Whatever the origin, the shape is what makes the game unique to horseshoes, bocce, bowling, or curling.

2: There is not a one-size-fits-all regulation size for the bolle. Although they can weigh no less than five and no more than 9.5 pounds and measure no larger than 8” in diameter, they can be different for each player. Doesn’t this give someone with a larger bolle an advantage of being closer to the pole? “Not really,” I am told. A smaller bolle may be able to creep between thrown bolles better, a larger one may be lighter and more easily bumped out of position. What it boils down to is the boller knowing their bolle’s weight and turn and their aim, strategy, skill, and luck. 

3: Bolles are not all made of the same material. Nineteenth-century bolles were made from ironwood, a hard dense type of wood. Fiberglass has also been used. Belgian bolles today are mostly made of phenolic resin which produces a lighter and chip-resistant bolle. Most bolles in the United States are made from rubber and there are only two makers in the United States. One of those makers, De Pauw, makes bolles that are rubber in the center and phenolic material on the outside; he calls it the “Wonder Bolle.”

4: Just as there isn’t one regulation size or material for the bolles, there isn’t a regulation for the material or slope of the courts. The court must be 42’ long with two stakes placed 6’ from the backstop (30’ between stakes). Most of the outdoor alleys are crushed limestone material that may get rolled before a tournament in an attempt to smooth it out. Alleys can also be made from clay, dirt, sand, grass, or even carpet (usually on an indoor court). And the slope can range from court to court, which as you can imagine will change the way you roll the bolle. Remember that beveled shape?

5: The backstops must be 6’ from the pole but a barrier behind the backstop can be any distance. Think of a pit with railroad ties surrounding it. The distance from the backstop line (which your foot can cross but not go over while throwing) and the railroad tie can be different and depending on the length of your legs, this can give you space to take a “running” start or hinder your pace and form when aiming the bolle. One particular boller who has long legs was starting his run cross-legged. When I asked why, he explained that he has to start his approach this way because if the backcourt is shorter, he can’t get a comfortable approach. So by starting cross-legged, he can step out giving him more space to then take his next steps. 

6: You can roll the bolle or you can shoot it! Shooting the bolle is exciting. Perhaps I see it that way because everyone kept telling me to “step back” and “heads up.” Or because the young man shooting kept breaking the poles. Or just maybe, because when I tried to roll the bolle, it went way too far (I have too much power behind my bolle roll). “Just roll it,” I was told while I was thinking, “I am.”

There are typically three types of players with different roles. The “lead person,” the middle person (no official name), and the “shooter.” The lead gets to make the team’s strategic decisions. The lead and the middle person typically roll the bolle to get it close to the pole. The shooter gets to shoot at an opponent’s bolle to knock it out of the area closest to the pole, or at a teammate’s bolle to knock it closer. More power is used when shooting. And a “step back” is shouted to the crowd.

7: There are Rolle Bolle courts in Belle Plaine, Marengo, Victor, Ladora, Blairstown, and Marion. And several have closed in just the last three years.

8: Bollers have a love-hate relationship with the game. One boller I visited with kept saying, “I hate this game.” Then he would tell me that he tries to play the game seven days a week. He was the only player from Illinois this weekend. After explaining that you can’t master this game because of all the variables, all of the bollers expressed how they love it. A love-hate for sure!

 9: This “thing” about Rolle Bolle is something that I know, and you may not know. Did you know that with a library card, you can check out a set of Rolle Bolle bolles at the Marengo Public Library? Yep.

10: This is not the last time that I will be writing about Rolle Bolle. smile

Boller Starting His Run Cross-Legged
Not One Size Fits All
Rolling the Bolle

Thank you to all of the Rolle Bolle bollers who were at the Marengo Court on September 16th. We will continue to educate and encourage a new generation of bollers to carry on your legacy.  — Jeanie

Five Stages of Watershed Awareness

Five Stages of Watershed Awareness

October is Watershed Awareness Month, by proclamation of Story County Conservation Board and city councils in Ames, Nevada, and Gilbert. Okay, so what exactly do we want people to be aware of? I would suggest the following progression…

Stage 1 of watershed awareness

Stage 1: What’s a watershed?  Who cares?

A watershed is the land area that drains to a common outlet. Imagine a river valley between two mountain ridges. Now replace that mental image with gentle hills–we’re in Iowa. But more important than knowing the definition is understanding why it’s important: because water flows downhill, actions on land can have consequences for downstream water bodies.

Perhaps the best illustration of this principle is an incident from 2020. Following a power outage, some Hy-Vee employees in Ankeny poured 800 gallons of spoiled milk down a storm sewer, turning the nearby creek white, killing 2,000 fish, and costing their employer almost $25,000 in fines and restitution. The silver lining of this boneheaded decision was that it made the news and reminded many Iowans that yes, storm sewers drain to rivers (usually without any treatment) and so we should think twice about what we pour or let wash in. The same principle applies to ditches, gullies, and drainage tiles.

Want a more positive framing? Watch this one-minute video we created with the City of Ames about the South Skunk River, and how cities and farms in the watershed can make a difference.

Stage 2 of watershed awareness.

 Stage 2: What’s my watershed(s)?

It’s one thing to know that my actions could (in principle) help or harm some downstream water body. It’s another thing to know that what goes down my neighborhood storm drain ends up in Ioway Creek at Brookside Park, a place where I’ve taken my kids to play. In 2018, we partnered with Story County Conservation to put up watershed and creek signs, in hopes that more people make those kinds of connections.

Creeks flow to rivers and rivers flow to the sea (except in endorheic basins) so we live in multiple, nested watersheds.  A convenient way to represent this is with the US Geologic Survey’s Watershed Boundary Dataset, which has mapped American watersheds at six levels and assigned them each a unique hydrologic unit code (HUC).  You can look up your “watershed address” with our interactive map.  For example, that grocery store in Ankeny is in the lower Fourmile Creek watershed, within the watershed of Red Rock Lake, within the watershed of the Des Moines River, and within the upper part of the giant Mississippi River basin.

Watershed awareness, stage 3

Stage 3: Who are the other people in my watershed?

One reason to learn which watershed you live in is to connect with other people who are concerned with flooding, water quality, fisheries, and recreation.

Twenty-eight watersheds in Iowa have a Watershed Management Authority with representatives from local governments in the watershed (cities, counties, and soil and water conservation districts) who might collaborate on water quality or flood control projects.  Fourmile Creek WMA is one of the more active WMAs; its member jurisdictions pooled money to hire a watershed coordinator who can work with farmers and landowners.  In some watersheds, farmers and landowners have access to additional cost-share programs or receive higher priority when they apply.

In some watersheds, a volunteer group, land trust, or other non-profit organization organizes projects to protect the water or raise public awareness.  For example, the lake at Ada Hayden Heritage Park in Ames has a friends group, while the Raccoon River has a volunteer Watershed Association in addition to three WMAs.

Caveat

Unfortunately, I’m not aware of any central clearing house where one can find out what groups and projects are active in your watershed. I’m also not aware of any plans by state leaders to provide WMAs with stable funding or to delegate to them any powers that would help them accomplish their tasks. Watershed projects tend to be grant-funded (and thus short-lived) and watershed coordinator jobs often have high turnover.

Stage 4 of watershed awareness

Stage 4: What are the issues in my watershed?

Some watersheds have management plans (like this one for Fourmile Creek) that identify creek- or lake-specific problems and solutions. However, in many cases, the data needed to evaluate a problem and track progress toward solutions is missing until volunteers, universities or local government step up to do monitoring.

Knowing which issues go with which watershed can help us prioritize and find solutions.

  • Not every stream has the right conditions to support a trout fishery (like Bloody Run in Clayton County).
  • Not every stream has a history of destructive floods (like Fourmile Creek in Polk County).
  • Not every lake or reservoir has suffered from toxic algae blooms (like Brushy Creek Lake in Webster County).
  • Not every river is deep enough and has access for canoeing (like the South Skunk River in Story County).
  • Not every river affects the supply and safety of drinking water for thousands of people (like the Raccoon and Cedar rivers).
Stage 5 of watershed awareness

Stage 5: How big are the problems and solutions in my watershed?

The most difficult thing to understand about a watershed is the scale.  It helps to have some familiar reference points.  Here are some of mine.  (I’ve used an app that makes it easy to delineate a watershed for any point of interest.  The area is rounded to the nearest 100 acres.)

  • 1,000 acres: Creek at Tedeco Environmental Learning Corridor, Ames.
  • 5,900 acres: Peas Creek at the Ledges State Park.

At the HUC12 scale, most creeks are too wide to jump across, but shallow enough to wade.  Watersheds are small enough to fit in one county.

  • 14,100 acres: Walnut Creek at Neil Smith National Wildlife Refuge
  • 24,000 acres: Bloody Run at Marquette.
  • 56,800 acres: Fourmile Creek at Sargent Park in Des Moines.

At the HUC10 scale, it might be called a creek, but it often has enough water to float a canoe, and watersheds usually cross a few county and city lines.

  • 132,700 acres: Ioway Creek at Brookside Park in Ames.
  • 173,500 acres: Maquoketa River at Manchester.
  • 209,300 acres: South Skunk River at River Valley Park in Ames.
  • 356,100 acres: Rathbun Lake

At the HUC8 scale and beyond, the rivers are big and the watershed meetings can involve many jurisdictions and long drives.

  • 586,400 acres: Floyd River at Sioux City
  • 1,285,200 acres: North Raccoon River at Squirrel Hollow Park in Jefferson
  • 2,306,200 acres: Racoon River at Waterworks Park, Des Moines
  • 3,733,300 acres: Des Moines River at Saylorville Reservoir
  • 97,191,700 acres: Mississippi River at Dubuque

For each of these watersheds, you’d need to plant about a third of the cropland to cover crops to reduce nitrogen and phosphorus in the stream by 10%.  Most watershed plans will include more ambitious long-term goals and more complicated scenarios to achieve them, but this is a handy benchmark for thinking about the scale of change needed.  Reaching the 1/3 mark for cover crops in a watershed would be good progress toward our 45% nutrient reduction goals and could produce a big enough improvement in water quality in the stream that we could conceivably measure it, though maybe not with test strips (i.e. from 10 to 9 mg/L of nitrate, from 0.40 to 0.36 mg/L of total phosphorus).

I don’t mean to discourage anyone, but I’m not aware of any watershed project in Iowa that has achieved success on this scale.