Camp Courageous officials are actively looking for stormwater management facilities that best showcase functionality and value to the public. The upper reach of the watershed is primarily farmland, which produces nutrient and suspended solid contaminants. The mid and lower watershed is forested land and experiences high stormwater velocities. The objectives are to reduce both contaminant volume and stormwater velocity throughout the watershed by designing innovative stormwater management structures.

An effective path toward cleaner water and flood management in Iowa includes a strong emphasis on a watershed approach, which considers the entire area of land that drains into a body of water, such as river or lake. A watershed approach incorporates both technical data and robust stakeholder participation, so that policies and actions are realistic and data-driven.

Watersheds are not confined to traditional jurisdictional boundaries, and to accomplish local watershed-based planning, many cities, counties, and soil & water conservation districts have formed Watershed Management Authorities (WMAs) through voluntary, intergovernmental agreements. The first WMA in Iowa formed in 2012, and today, there are more than 20 WMAs recognized by the state of Iowa (Iowa Water Center).

The Maquoketa River in Eastern Iowa has a watershed that spans seven counties, including large portions of Delaware, Dubuque, Jones, and Jackson Counties, and smaller portions of Fayette, Clayton, and Buchanan Counties. While efforts to improve water quality and promote best management practices in this watershed have been happening for quite some time, the Maquoketa River WMA is a relatively new regional and intergovernmental organization. With 35 jurisdictions having joined the agreement, the Maquoketa River WMA exists to reduce flood risks and improve water quality. One way that theyâ€ve had success in educating the public about the importance of the watershed is through recreational water uses, such as the new whitewater park in Manchester.

The WMA has a strong foundation in place, including an active technical committee, support from state organizations (such as the Iowa Department of Agriculture and Land Stewardship), broad stakeholder support, outreach to residents and local governments, and an active volunteer base for completing monitoring water quality and other activities.

The graduate planning team sought to create a regional community-driven plan with the goal to identify, prioritize, and address water-related issues such as water quality and flood mitigation. The plan serves as a guidebook and vision for the future for the member cities, counties, and Soil & Water Conservation Districts, offering a long-range perspective and ways to improve water quality and mitigate flooding throughout the watershed. The topics that the plan addresses include but are not limited to agricultural practices, water quality, present & future flooding, improved recreation, protection of the river ecosystem, and conservation practices. A significant portion of their planning process focused on public outreach to learn about existing attitudes, behaviors, and practices related to watershed issues in order to develop goals, objectives, and strategies.

Camp Courageous is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization that provides year-round recreational and respite care opportunities for individuals with special needs.
Camp Courageous offers a variety of services including week long camp sessions, respite care weekends, winter camper care, family camp sessions, outdoor education sessions, and Courageous Travels. The camp operates primarily on donations without government assistance, formal sponsorship, or paid fundraisers. On an annual basis, Camp Courageous serves thousands of individuals with special needs ranging in age from 1 to 105.

Camp Courageous officials are actively looking at alternative methods for protecting their drinking water wells. They are seeking to identify contaminant sources and to reduce future risk to the drinking water source (both water quality and quantity) through pro-active technical assessments, planning, and suggested project implementation. Some objectives will be to evaluate the potential of reducing contaminants in stormwater, acknowledging and addressing contaminants in groundwater, investigating alternative drinking water treatment processes, and developing a wellhead protection management plan for the camp.

Background

An effective path toward cleaner water and flood management in Iowa includes a strong emphasis on a watershed approach, which considers the entire area of land that drains into a body of water, such as river or lake. A watershed approach incorporates both technical data and robust stakeholder participation, so that policies and actions are realistic and data-driven.

Watersheds are not confined to traditional jurisdictional boundaries, and to accomplish local watershed-based planning, many cities, counties, and soil & water conservation districts have formed Watershed Management Authorities (WMAs) through voluntary, intergovernmental agreements. The first WMA in Iowa formed in 2012, and today, there are more than 20 WMAs recognized by the state of Iowa (Iowa Water Center).

The Maquoketa River in Eastern Iowa has a watershed that spans seven counties, including large portions of Delaware, Dubuque, Jones, and Jackson Counties, and smaller portions of Fayette, Clayton, and Buchanan Counties. While efforts to improve water quality and promote best management practices in this watershed have been happening for quite some time, the Maquoketa River Watershed Management Authority (MRWMA) is a relatively new regional and intergovernmental organization. With 35 jurisdictions having joined the agreement, the Maquoketa River WMA exists to reduce flood risks and improve water quality. One way that theyâ€ve had success in educating the public about the importance of the watershed is through recreational water uses, such as the new whitewater park in Manchester.

The WMA contracted the services of Limestone Bluffs Resource Conservation and Development (RC&D), a non-profit organization, to carry out the functions of the coalition.

Limestone Bluffs and representatives of the MRWMA seek assistance to complete the plan. The WMA has a strong foundation in place, including an active technical committee, support from state organizations (such as the Iowa Department of Agriculture and Land Stewardship), broad stakeholder support, outreach to residents and local governments, and an active volunteer base for completing monitoring water quality and other activities.

Planning – Phase 2

Following the development of other WMAs over the past ten years, the next phase of activity after forming a board and completing the first plan is filled with marketing, outreach, events, training, certification, technical analyses for decision support, site-specific scoping and pilot project implementation. The planning team will assist MRWMA as they operationalize the plan, particularly through watershed-wide site-specific cost-benefit analyses to scope out the locations and acres of green infrastructure needed to reach the intermediate and long-term outcomes of interest for water quality and flooding in each sub-watershed.

In conjunction with the technical analyses, the planning team will continue to engage stakeholders, with a focus on understanding how needs and opportunities differ among the three subwatersheds as well as separate jurisdictions. The first planning team conducted a survey to understand perceptions and interest in watershed activities. More in-depth analysis of the data can help inform actions and strategies moving forward.

As part of the continued and ongoing education and outreach efforts, MRWMA seeks assistance with creating an accessible online resource for stakeholders.

The planning team will consider opportunities to expand and promote best management practices, particularly for agricultural land uses.

The full scope of work for the second phase of the MRWMA plan will be developed in conjunction with the MRWMA board members and committees.

Camp Courageous’ grounds offer many opportunities for viewing natural forest habitats that are currently inaccessible to campers. The objective of this project is to identify points of interest within the grounds, connecting chosen locations with ADA-compliant nature trails. Students will work within provided design parameters including budget constraints, general maintenance requirements, as well as aiming to preserve the area’s natural habitat and aesthetics.

Camp Courageous officials are requesting a cultural education center with an observation deck for use by all campers. Desired elements for the overlook include an enclosed building usable year-round, bathroom facilities, electrical service, along with an observation deck to view the surrounding natural habitat and river. In compliance with ADA-design requirements, students will evaluate potential sites for the overlook and create a site and facility plan.