Tuscany Pond Renovation Project 1-24-2025

Tuscany Pond drains into Mud Creek in eastern Polk County, which is a tributary of the Des Moines River. Mud Creek is a priority watershed for the Mud Camp Spring Watershed Management Authority and is on the impaired waters list.

Tuscany Pond was constructed in the 1970’s to provide stormwater management for the City of Altoona. As the city began to grow, additional residential neighborhoods and impervious surfaces drained into the pond. The City of Altoona began looking for ways to rejuvenate older ponds to provide improved stormwater management and larger watershed benefits. Tuscany Pond was a viable option.

The pond was retrofitted to manage the 245 acres that drain to the pond. The project started with the excavation of nearly 185,000,000 lbs of sediment. A multi-staged outlet structure was installed to provide water quality benefits during small rain events and also to provide channel protection to prevent erosion on Mud Creek. Two forebays were constructed to capture sediment and improve the lifespan of the pond. Native landscaping was planted around the pond to reduce bank erosion and to uptake nutrients. Features were included to improve fish habitat and to provide a recreational amenity to the neighborhood.     

July 2024

Sept 2024