South Skunk River Basin Watershed Project - Ames

2015

Project Partners

• The City of Ames Public Works Department

• The City of Ames Water and Pollution Control Laboratory

• Prairie Rivers RC & D

• Squaw Creek Watershed Management Authority

• Iowa Storm Water Education Program

• Ames High School Environmental Science students

About

Grant award
$100,000 

Total project
$1,191,060 

Description
This project involves the unique application of green infrastructure best management practices to improve water quality in the Ames community. Project organizers plan to use native turf and landscape, bioretention cells, and permeable pavement systems to restore and retain lost soil due to erosion.

The project is located within the Ioway Creek Watershed in an ultra-urban area of downtown Ames. Site drainage is to an outfall that discharges to Ioway Creek prior to the confluence with the South Skunk River. This portion of the creek and river are heavily influenced by urban stormwater discharges. Located in an older, highly impervious portion of the City, there are no stormwater controls to address water quality. The proposed stormwater controls will cool and clean stormwater from the site prior to discharge into Ioway Creek.

Conservation Practices

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