Iowa Chapter Report March 27, 2018 Greg Gelwicks Iowa DNR Fisheries Research Dam Mitigation and Rivers Program Contact: Nate Hoogeveen, (515) 281-3134,
[email protected] Links: http://www.iowadnr.gov/Things-to-Do/Canoeing-Kayaking/Dam-Mitigation-Projects Willow Creek The third of three dams on Willow at East Park in Mason City was improved for fish passage in January 2018. The third dam was a removal. Two other dams near where this tributary's mouth at the Winnebago River were modified in January of 2017. One was removed and replaced with a low-cross vane structure. The other was converted to a rock arch rapids. Quaker Mill Dam, Maquoketa River The Quaker Mill Dam north of Manchester on the Maquoketa River was removed in the fall of 2017 as a phase 1 project. A starter channel was meandered through the former lakebed and seeded down for one year of growth prior to reconnecting it to flowing water. 2018 Dam Mitigation Projects * Phase 2 of the Quaker Mill Dam project * Ames River Valley Park Dam conversion to whitewater facility/fish passage channel * A mitigation bank is being reviewed for USACE approval based on the removal of two dams in Fort Dodge on the Des Moines River, which may be either the first stream mitigation bank in Iowa. Setting up mitigation banks in Iowa is now possible due to work Iowa DNR led to develop a method of evaluating credits to measure adverse and beneficial effects of different project type to allow credit trading. This would open fish passage to the entire East Fork Des Moines River, and the West Fork Des Moines River upstream to the Reasoner Dam in Humboldt.