2 Planning Area Profile and Capabilities
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2 PLANNING AREA PROFILE AND CAPABILITIES 2 Planning Area Profile and Capabilities .............................................................................................................. 21 2.1 Poweshiek County Planning Area Profile .......................................................................................................... 2.1 2.1.1 History ....................................................................................................................................................... 2.3 2.1.2 Geography and Topography ..................................................................................................................... 2.3 2.1.3 Climate ...................................................................................................................................................... 2.5 2.1.4 Population / Demographics ...................................................................................................................... 2.6 2.1.5 Land Use .................................................................................................................................................... 2.9 2.1.6 Housing Characteristics ........................................................................................................................... 2.12 2.1.7 Transportation ....................................................................................................................................... .2.12 2.1.8 Employment / Economy / Occupations .................................................................................................. 2.14 2.1.9 Agriculture .............................................................................................................................................. 2.16 2.1.10 Educational Opportunities .................................................................................................................... 2.16 2.2 City/County Capabilities and Jurisdictional Profiles ....................................................................................... 2.17 2.2.1 Unincorporated Poweshiek County ........................................................................................................ 2.17 2.2.2 City of Brooklyn ....................................................................................................................................... 2.21 2.2.3 City of Deep River ................................................................................................................................... 2.24 2.2.4 City of Grinnell ........................................................................................................................................ 2.27 2.2.5 City of Hartwick ....................................................................................................................................... 2.30 2.2.6 City of Malcom ........................................................................................................................................ 2.32 2.2.7 City of Montezuma ................................................................................................................................. 2.34 2.2.8 City of Searsboro ..................................................................................................................................... 2.36 2.3 Public School District Profiles and Mitigation Capabilities ............................................................................. 2.45 2.3.1 Brooklyn-Guernsey-Malcom Community School District ....................................................................... 2.49 2.3.2 Grinnell-Newburg Community School District ........................................................................................ 2.50 2.3.3 Montezuma Community School District ................................................................................................. 2.51 This chapter provides a general profile of Poweshiek County followed by individual sections for each participating jurisdiction. Much of the general profile information comes directly from the 2011 Poweshiek County Hazard Mitigation Plan, with updates to census and other details, where applicable. The sections for each jurisdiction provide an overview profile as well as details on existing capabilities, plans, and programs that enhance the ability to implement mitigation strategies. Much of the information in the individual jurisdiction sections comes from the Data Collection Guide completed by each jurisdiction as part of the plan update effort. 2.1 Poweshiek County Planning Area Profile Figure 2.1 provides a map of the Poweshiek County planning area. The planning area boundaries include the unincorporated areas of Poweshiek County as well as the following incorporated cities: City of Brooklyn, City of Deep River, City of Grinnell, City of Hartwick, City of Malcom, City of Montezuma, and City of Searsboro. The planning area also includes the Poweshiek County portions only of Barnes City and the City of Wilton. Barnes City is an official city of Mahaska County to the south, and the City of Victor is an official city of Iowa County to Poweshiek County, Iowa 2.1 Multi-jurisdictional Hazard Mitigation Plan Effective February 2016 the east. The City of Guernsey was invited to participate in the plan update. However, City officials did not respond to meeting invitations or requests for data and draft reviews. As a result, the City of Guernsey is not an officially participating jurisdiction in this plan. However, to provide a comprehensive analysis, discussion of the general planning area, includes the City of Guernsey. However, there is not a separate profile or capabilities summary for this city. Figure 2.1. Poweshiek County Planning Area Poweshiek County, Iowa 2.2 Multi-jurisdictional Hazard Mitigation Plan Effective February 2016 2.1.1 History Settlement of Poweshiek County began as early as 1843. There continued to be new arrivals until the official organization of the county in 1848. The county is named for the Indian chief of the Fox tribe who signed the treaty ending the Black hawk War and the County seat is located in Montezuma. The Poweshiek County courthouse was completed in 1859 and is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. 2.1.2 Geography and Topography Poweshiek County is a fifth tier county located in east central Iowa. The county is bordered on its north side by Tama County, Iowa County on the east, Mahaska and Keokuk Counties on the south and Jasper County on the west side (see Figure 2.2). Poweshiek County has 585 square miles of land area and 1.1 square miles of water area for a total area of 586 square miles. Figure 2.2. Location of Poweshiek County in the State of Iowa Source: 2011 Poweshiek County Hazard Mitigation Plan Natural drainage of the county is provided by the North Skunk River and its immediate tributaries, according to the 1981 Poweshiek County Soil Survey. The English River, a tributary for the Iowa River, originates in the west-central portion of the county, crosses the middle and runs in a southeasterly direction through the southeast corner of the county while another branch of the same river originates in the very south central part of the county. A segment of the North Skunk River, one of the main rivers in Iowa, crosses through the south west corner of the county. Poweshiek County, Iowa 2.3 Multi-jurisdictional Hazard Mitigation Plan Effective February 2016 The highest surface elevation in the county is 1,030 feet above sea level in the north quadrant of the county at the site of the Calvary Baptist Church. The lowest elevation is about 758 feet above sea level at the site of a Deep River stream in the southeast portion of the county. Poweshiek County is relatively diverse in elevation compared to some of the flatter north central counties in Iowa. The map in Figure 2.3 shows the topography and waterways of Iowa. Poweshiek County is identified with the bold black outline. Figure 2.3. Topography and Waterways of Iowa Source: 2011 Poweshiek County Hazard Mitigation Plan, Map by Allyson Lutz, 10/11/2010, Shapefile Source: Iowa DNR An excerpt from the 1981 Poweshiek County Soil Survey describes relief and drainage in the county: The highest part of the county is in the northwest. The main ridge extends from the west-central edge of the county and extends southeast past Montezuma. Poorly drained soils are located on the flats and in depressions on this high ridge. Poweshiek County is part of an extensive plain of glacial drift that is covered with loess. The drainage valleys are generally 150 to 200 feet lower than the top of the divides between the North Skunk River, and their major tributaries. Poweshiek County, Iowa 2.4 Multi-jurisdictional Hazard Mitigation Plan Effective February 2016 The relief ranges from nearly level to very steep. The most nearly level slope is the broadest and most stable part of upland divides and the floor of larger drainage ways. The steepest slope is the edges of the valleys of the major drainage ways. The valley floors range in elevation generally from 850 feet to 790 feet, and the stable upland divides range elevation from 1,010 feet to 970 feet. Poweshiek County has eight soil associations, seven of which are on uplands and one on bottom land. The one soil that takes up the most (35%) of the county is “gently and moderately sloping, well drained and moderately well drained soils that formed in loess, on uplands” (Poweshiek County Soil Survey, 1981). This soil