Des Moines Improves Water Quality with Fourmile Creek Wetland

Within the Des Moines metro area, a new stormwater wetland was constructed to improve water quality and meet the goals of the Fourmile Creek Watershed management plan.

Fourmile Creek Watershed Management Authority, Polk Soil and Water Conservation District, and the City of Des Moines partnered with the Iowa Department of Agriculture and Land Stewardship on this $150,000 Water Quality Initiative (WQI) sponsored project.

With the goals of improving water quality, reducing flooding in a way that was aesthetically pleasing and increasing community awareness, the Watershed Management Authority constructed this wetland on land owned by the City of Des Moines. The Fourmile Creek wetland will treat stormwater from a 46-acre residential area that previously experienced flooding issues.

The wetland will serve the people living within the Fourmile Creek watershed but will also benefit those living downstream. With the capacity to remove phosphorus, nitrogen and other pollutants, this wetland helps achieve the goals in the Nutrient Reduction Strategy.

Kieth Hubbard, Civil Engineer for the City of Des Moines, spoke to the city’s philosophy on stormwater management. Hubbard mentioned the City of Des Moines has done smaller projects like bioreactors, biocells and permeable pavers but this is the first big wetland to be constructed in town.

“When constructing the wetland, you have to work with the grades and elevations and make sure the water can drain into the site,” Hubbard said. “The technical expertise provided by Jennifer Welch, Urban Conservationist, was very valuable.”

The project was completed in the fall of 2019 and serves as an example for other suburban communities in Iowa.