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    NONPOINT SOURCE SUCCESS STORY
    IOWA

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    Abstract

    Content

    Jennifer Kurth (jennifer.kurth@dnr.iowa.gov)
    Natural Resources Biologist
    Iowa Department of Natural Resources

    Water Quality

    Content

    Waterbody Information
    LAKE MEYER (IA 01-TRK-158)
    Nutrients, Sedimentation-Siltation
    Agriculture
    Aesthetic Value
    1998 / 2020
    Yes (2005)

    Highlights

    Content

    Project BMPs/Activities


    Best Management Practices
    BMP
    		Number InstalledUnitsComments
    Catch Basin   
    Constructed Wetland5INDIVIDUAL UNITS 
    Dredging   
    Filter Strip   
    Grade Stabilization Structure1INDIVIDUAL UNITS 
    Grassed Waterway   
    Terrace   
    Vegetated Swales   
    Waste Storage Facility1SYSTEM(s) 
    Waste Storage Pond1INDIVIDUAL UNITS 
    Wastewater and Feedlot Runoff Control   
    Water & Sediment Control Basin   
    * Record from previous version.

    Results

    Partners &
    Funding

    Content

    Partner Details

    Partner Details
    Partner TypeAgency/ProgramNotes
    OtherLANDOWNERS, CITY OF CALMAR, STATE REVOLVING FUND
    StateIowa Department of Agriculture and Land Stewardship, Division of Soil Conservation, Iowa Watershed Improvement Review Board
    FederalNatural Resources Conservation Service
    StateIowa Department of Natural Resources (Nonpoint Source, Fisheries, Forestry, Parks and TMDL programs)
    CountyWINNESHIEK COUNTY CONSERVATION BOARD
    Conservation DistrictWINNESHIEK SOIL AND WATER CONSERVATION DISTRICT

    Partners and Funding


    Funding Summary
    Funding TypeFunding
    Federal (Natural Resources Conservation Service)$4,000
    State$130,771
    Other$570,979
    * Record from previous version.
    Publication Date: 03/14/2024

    Attachments

    Figure 1. Map of Lake Meyer watershed.

    Figure 2. Partners include (left to right) DNR Fisheries Biologist Mike Siepker, Winneshiek County Conservation Director Barb Schroeder, and project coordinator Corey Meyer.

    Figure 3. Rock chute wetland constructed as part of project looking toward the lake.

    Figure 4. Map with location of rock chute wetland and grade stabilization BMPs constructed as part of project.

    Figure 5. Lake Meyer in all its fall glory.

    Figure 6. The record-setting northern pike caught by Josh Stello at the 2023 Lake Meyer Ice Fishing Derby.

    AttachmentsD

    Success Story

    Addressing Sediment and Nutrient Sources Restores Lake Meyer
    https://ordspub.epa.gov/ords/grts/f?p=109:1225::::1225:P1225_SS_SEQ:2156
    View Link
    Expected format: MM/DD/YYYY
    Finalized
    1. Partially/fully restored water (WQ-10 eligible)
    [ ]
    Delisting confirmed

    Waterbody Information

     Waterbody NameWaterbody IDID SourceSizeUnitsTypeDesignated Use
    LAKE MEYERIA 01-TRK-158ATTAINS37ACRESLake/Reservoir/PondAesthetic Value; Fish, Shellfish, and Wildlife Protection and Propagation

    Alert

    Waterbody Listings

    • 1 - 2
    Water Body Name: LAKE MEYER, Waterbody ID: IA 01-TRK-158
    EditPollutantsSource of ImpairmentYear of ListingYear DelistedListing StatusDesignated UseTMDL?TMDL YearNotes
    NutrientsAgriculture19982020ConfirmedFish, Shellfish, and Wildlife Protection and PropagationYes2005-
    Sedimentation-SiltationAgriculture19982020ConfirmedAesthetic ValueYes2005-
    * Record from previous version.

    Story Sections (Written Narrative)

    Submission Edit Instructions:
    • Enter all text directly onto GRTS and add images under “Attachments.”
    • All edits to and versions of the success story should be uploaded as a Word doc to the “Attachments” section. Do not make any edits to the text directly on GRTS beyond the initial text entry.
    • The text on GRTS will only be revised after the story is finalized and published on the web.

    <p class="MsoNormal"><a name="_Hlk49461675"></a>Lake Meyer in Winneshiek County was placed on Iowa’s impaired waters list in 1998 due to declines in water quality and the fish community. Using chlorophyll a and Secchi depth trophic state indices (TSI), increased nutrients and sediment delivery were identified as pollutants of concern in the watershed. Through the Lake Meyer Watershed Project, farmers, partners, and landowners installed conservation practices that reduced nutrients and sediment reaching the lake and improved the water quality and habitat for aquatic life. Recent monitoring showed Lake Meyer meets the impairment delisting criteria for chlorophyll a and Secchi depth TSIs; therefore, the Iowa Department of Natural Resources (DNR) removed it from the impaired waters list during the 2020 cycle.</p>Please limit Abstract to less than 1000 characters
    <p>Lake Meyer was constructed in 1968 on an unnamed tributary of the Turkey River in Winneshiek County in northeast Iowa (Figure 1). The Lake Meyer watershed has an area of approximately 1,590 acres that includes agricultural land, much of the town of Calmar (pop. 1,125), and county parkland. Nearly 60% of the watershed is moderately to very steeply sloped, and 73% of the acreage is used for row crops—increasing the risk of soil erosion. Additionally, one of the tributary streams to Lake Meyer is the receiving stream for stormwater runoff from Calmar.&nbsp;</p>
    <p>Lake Meyer County Park covers 160 acres with 60 acres of woodland, marsh, streambank, and prairie bordering the nature center. Users of the lake and of Lake Meyer County Park enjoy fishing, picnicking, camping, and hiking. Although the lake is designated a primary contact recreation water, no beach or swimming facilities are provided. Northeast Iowa contains very few lakes, so Lake Meyer was a popular destination for those seeking lake recreation and was known for excellent crappie fishing.</p>
    <p>Before the Lake Meyer dam was constructed in 1968, the Soil Conservation Service (now the Natural Resources Conservation Service) calculated an upland sediment delivery ratio for the watershed of 34% and an estimated sediment delivery rate to the lake of 4,100 tons per year. At that rate, the lake was predicted to have a lifespan of 176 years but recreational purposes such as boating and fishing would be impacted within 80–85 years. Unfortunately, that estimate proved to be overly optimistic. In just 40 years, the lake area decreased from 37 to 32 acres, and the volume decreased by 50%. The lake was added to Iowa’s impaired waters list in 1998 for excessive phosphorus and sediment loading. These were affecting both the aesthetic conditions in the lake as well as impacting the fisheries through decreased visibility due to algae blooms and turbidity. A total maximum daily load water quality improvement plan was developed for Lake Meyer in 2005.</p>
    <p style="margin-bottom: 0in; line-height: normal;" class="MsoNormal">The Winneshiek County Soil and Water Conservation District began the three-year Lake Meyer watershed project in 2013. Project coordinator Corey Meyer led the work with the Winneshiek County Conservation Board and Iowa DNR Fisheries as active partners (Figure 2). The project had two main goals: (1) reducing the delivery of sediment and nutrients to Lake Meyer by targeted placement of best management practices (BMPs) and (2) increasing the culture of conservation among all landowners, producers, urban residents, and visitors to the Lake Meyer watershed. Before 2013, watershed partners built terraces in row crop fields and added a series of catch basins on strategic points that capture urban runoff and detain sediment and nutrients. These structures allow sediment and attached nutrients to settle out of flowing water, acting as effective traps during stormwater runoff events.</p>
    <p style="margin-bottom: 0in; line-height: normal;" class="MsoNormal">The Lake Meyer watershed project added to the treatment train already in place with the construction of a rock chute wetland at the inlet of Lake Meyer (Figures 3 and 4). The 5-acre wetland was designed to trap 80% of sediment from stormflow events and to filter runoff from over 75% of the watershed (1,200 acres of cropland and urban areas). The pool of the wetland is managed to retain sediment, nutrients, and stormwater to improve water quality and prolong the longevity of the adjacent lake to ensure a vibrant aquatic ecosystem. Partners constructed an additional grade stabilization structure in a forested gully upslope of the wetland to manage runoff from adjacent cropland areas that had been dumping an estimated 111 tons of sediment per year into the lake.</p>
    <p style="margin-bottom: 0in; line-height: normal;" class="MsoNormal">Project partners also renovated two livestock manure-holding structures on land adjacent to the lake. An open earthen lot was replaced by a stacking pad/settling basin, and an undersized earthen manure lagoon was replaced by a cement storage tank with a storage capacity of more than 1 million gallons of manure. These practices will provide better manure management and reduce the likelihood of manure reaching the lake.</p>
    <p style="margin-bottom: 0in; line-height: normal;" class="MsoNormal">Finally, while the lake was drawn down during the wetland construction, partners excavated the exposed lake bottom, removing over 700 dump truck loads of accumulated sediment. Additionally, DNR Fisheries staff installed fish habitat structures, such as gravel spawning beds, fish cribs, and tree/brush piles, at various depths and locations in the lake. Habitat structures placed in deeper water offer shelter during summer months, and structures placed in the deepest areas can provide excellent cover for winter panfish.</p>
    <p style="margin-bottom: 0in; line-height: normal;" class="MsoNormal">Overall, the BMPs installed as part of the Lake Meyer watershed project and by landowners have prevented 3,362 tons of sediment per year and 4,333 pounds of phosphorus per year from entering Lake Meyer. This does not include the 66 acres of filter strips, over 35,000 feet of terraces, seven grade stabilization structures, five sediment and water control structures, more than 4,000 feet of grassed waterways, three bioswales, and three wetlands constructed by landowners and partners prior to the project.&nbsp;</p>
    <p style="margin-bottom: 0in; line-height: normal;" class="MsoNormal">The watershed work paid off for the lake (Figure 5). The concept of “trophic state” has long been used by limnologists to classify lakes and is based on the chemistry and biology of lakes. For Iowa lakes, median TSI values for both chlorophyll <em>a</em> and Secchi depth must be 63 or less for two consecutive reporting cycles before a lake can be removed from the state’s Clean Water Act section 303(d) list of impaired waters. A TSI value of 63 indicates a chlorophyll a concentration of approximately 27 micrograms per liter (µg/L) and a Secchi depth of approximately 0.8 meters. Secchi depth is used to determine water clarity and visibility. The Secchi depth is the point at which a Secchi disk is no longer visible when lowered into the water. For Lake Meyer, the median chlorophyll <em>a</em> TSI was 60 and the median Secchi depth TSI was 58, both better than the requirement for delisting. The requirement to have two consecutive cycles where a previously impaired lake’s TSI values are 63 or less is designed to ensure that a long-term and relatively stable improvement in lake water quality has occurred before delisting the impairment. As a result of the improvement, the DNR removed Lake Meyer from the impaired waters list during the 2020 cycle.</p>
    <p style="margin-bottom: 0in; line-height: normal;" class="MsoNormal">Additionally, the Iowa Lakes Valuation Project conducted by Iowa State University’s Center for Agricultural and Rural Development (CARD) estimated the “Total Household Single-day Trips by Iowa Residents” for Lake Meyer increased from 18,765 in 2014 to 62,684 by 2019. When ranked according to the intensity of household visitation to 136 Iowa lakes, Lake Meyer increased from #108 in 2014 (the bottom 25%) to #35 in 2019 (the top 25%). The total direct spending of Iowa residents visiting and recreating at Lake Meyer contributes just over $5 million annually to the Winneshiek County economy.</p>
    <p style="margin-bottom: 0in; line-height: normal;" class="MsoNormal">The fishery has also improved. The 2023 Lake Meyer Ice Fishing Derby attracted a record number of anglers—over 80 children and 120 adults from nine Iowa counties, Minnesota, and Wisconsin. The catch of a 16-pound, 40-inch northern pike set a new record for Lake Meyer (Figure 6).</p>

    Point(s) of Contact

     NameAgencyEmailPhone
    Jennifer KurthIowa Department of Natural Resourcesjennifer.kurth@dnr.iowa.gov515-639-8464

    Watershed Plans

    No waterbody planning is associated with this success story.
    * Record from previous version.

    Project BMPs/Activities

    BMP
    		Number InstalledUnitsComments
    Catch Basin   
    Constructed Wetland5INDIVIDUAL UNITS 
    Dredging   
    Filter Strip   
    Grade Stabilization Structure1INDIVIDUAL UNITS 
    Grassed Waterway   
    Terrace   
    Vegetated Swales   
    Waste Storage Facility1SYSTEM(s) 
    Waste Storage Pond1INDIVIDUAL UNITS 
    Wastewater and Feedlot Runoff Control   
    Water & Sediment Control Basin   
    * Record from previous version.

    Partners and Funding

     Partner TypeAgency/ProgramFunding ProvidedNotes
    OtherLANDOWNERS, CITY OF CALMAR, STATE REVOLVING FUND$512,406.00 
    StateIowa Department of Agriculture and Land Stewardship, Division of Soil Conservation, Iowa Watershed Improvement Review Board$53,519.00 
    FederalNatural Resources Conservation Service$4,000.00 
    StateIowa Department of Natural Resources (Nonpoint Source, Fisheries, Forestry, Parks and TMDL programs)$77,252.00 
    CountyWINNESHIEK COUNTY CONSERVATION BOARD$55,063.00 
    Conservation DistrictWINNESHIEK SOIL AND WATER CONSERVATION DISTRICT$3,510.00 
    Total   $705,750.00 
    * Record from previous version.

    Counties

    County
    WINNESHIEK

    Attachments

    Edit        File / URLSizeDescription/CaptionPreferred
    Highlight Image    		Uploaded ByDate UploadedFile Url Link
    Lake_Meyer_Success_Story_2023_map.jpg 1,013.9KBFigure 1. Map of Lake Meyer watershed.JKURTH10/16/2023GRTSADM.download_my_file?p_file=11812&p_page=SS
    cory mike barb.jpg 874.8KBFigure 2. Partners include (left to right) DNR Fisheries Biologist Mike Siepker, Winneshiek County Conservation Director Barb Schroeder, and project coordinator Corey Meyer.JKURTH10/16/2023GRTSADM.download_my_file?p_file=11813&p_page=SS
    Rock Chute Wetland photo.JPG 7,801.6KBFigure 3. Rock chute wetland constructed as part of project looking toward the lake.JKURTH10/16/2023GRTSADM.download_my_file?p_file=11814&p_page=SS
    Lake Meyer BMPs.jpg 212.8KBFigure 4. Map with location of rock chute wetland and grade stabilization BMPs constructed as part of project.JKURTH10/16/2023GRTSADM.download_my_file?p_file=11816&p_page=SS
    fall color at Lake Meyer Park IA 653A8244 (2).JPG 8,889.8KBFigure 5. Lake Meyer in all its fall glory.JKURTH10/16/2023GRTSADM.download_my_file?p_file=11817&p_page=SS
    Lake Meyer Fishing Derby 2023 854A2370[2300].jpg 86.5KBFigure 6. The record-setting northern pike caught by Josh Stello at the 2023 Lake Meyer Ice Fishing Derby.JKURTH10/16/2023GRTSADM.download_my_file?p_file=11818&p_page=SS
    Lake Meyer success story DRAFT 3 (002).docx 909.8KBFor final review/layout - EFLAHERT02/07/2024GRTSADM.download_my_file?p_file=12652&p_page=SS
    IA_Lake Meyer_2156_AllChanges.docx 930.7KBTracked changes Word file showing edits made to reduce word count below 1400 words. - KPHILLIP02/14/2024GRTSADM.download_my_file?p_file=12732&p_page=SS

    Review Status

    Status
    Status Date
    		Submitted BySent ToCommentsSubmitted Story
    Finalized05/16/2024 01:14PMcurtis.cynthia@epa.govmoss.matt@epa.gov,pub date added
    Finalized03/14/2024 02:45PMflaherty.ellie@epa.govmoss.matt@epa.gov, curtis.cynthia@epa.gov, flaherty.ellie@epa.gov, porteous.alex@epa.gov, nusz.emily@epa.gov, sieve.travis@epa.gov, jennifer.kurth@dnr.iowa.gov, kathryn.phillips@tetratech.comCongrats! This story is up on the web.
    Approved02/27/2024 01:20PMsieve.travis@epa.govmoss.matt@epa.gov, curtis.cynthia@epa.gov, flaherty.ellie@epa.gov, porteous.alex@epa.gov, nusz.emily@epa.gov, sieve.travis@epa.gov, jennifer.kurth@dnr.iowa.gov, kathryn.phillips@tetratech.com 
    Approved02/27/2024 12:31PMjennifer.kurth@dnr.iowa.govmoss.matt@epa.gov, curtis.cynthia@epa.gov, flaherty.ellie@epa.gov, porteous.alex@epa.gov, nusz.emily@epa.gov, sieve.travis@epa.gov, jennifer.kurth@dnr.iowa.gov, kathryn.phillips@tetratech.comLooks good to me. I wasn't aware that there was a word limit for the new format. Will keep that in mind for future stories.
    Open for Review02/27/2024 10:55AMflaherty.ellie@epa.govmoss.matt@epa.gov, curtis.cynthia@epa.gov, flaherty.ellie@epa.gov, porteous.alex@epa.gov, nusz.emily@epa.gov, sieve.travis@epa.gov, jennifer.kurth@dnr.iowa.gov, kathryn.phillips@tetratech.comHi all – The draft story layout is ready for EPA Region 7 and state review. Please click “Show Preview” at the top of the screen to view the draft story layout. For your reference, a word document with track changes is available in the Attachment section. If the draft shown in “Show Preview” looks okay, please click Approve. Please note we trimmed some text to fit Success Story character limits. Minor edits can be made in the comment box. Please reach out to me directly with any questions or more significant changes. Thanks!
    Accepted by EPA HQ02/07/2024 12:14PMflaherty.ellie@epa.govmoss.matt@epa.gov, curtis.cynthia@epa.gov, flaherty.ellie@epa.gov, porteous.alex@epa.gov, nusz.emily@epa.gov, sieve.travis@epa.gov, jennifer.kurth@dnr.iowa.gov, kathryn.phillips@tetratech.comHi Kary - This story is ready for your final review with the document I added to the attachment section. This story will be finalized in the new layout. Please provide your usual content/editorial review and include any edits/comments you have as track changes. Thanks!
    Submitted to EPA HQ10/31/2023 08:48AMsieve.travis@epa.govmoss.matt@epa.gov, curtis.cynthia@epa.gov, flaherty.ellie@epa.gov, porteous.alex@epa.gov 
    Submitted to EPA Region10/16/2023 06:40PMjennifer.kurth@dnr.iowa.govnusz.emily@epa.gov, sieve.travis@epa.gov