Iowa Watershed Approach
  • Home
  • About
    • Lead Contacts
  • Programs
    • Flood Mitigation Projects
    • Flood Resilience Program
  • Watersheds
    • Clear Creek
    • Dubuque/Bee Branch Creek
    • East Nishnabotna River
    • English River
    • Middle Cedar River
    • North Raccoon River
    • Upper Iowa River
    • Upper Wapsipinicon River
    • West Nishnabotna River
  • Resources
    • IWA Program Evaluation
    • GHOST
    • FAQs
  • Gallery
  • News
    • In The News
    • Spotlight
  • Calendar
  • Contact Us
  • Search
  • Menu Menu
  • Facebook
  • Twitter
  • Instagram
  • Youtube
  • Middle Cedar River Watershed

    The Middle Cedar River Watershed is a 1.5M-acre watershed that spans parts of 10 counties in Eastern Iowa.

    WebsiteFact Sheet
    Canoeing in the Middle Cedar River

Middle Cedar River

The Middle Cedar River Watershed (MCWMA) is a 1.5M-acre watershed that spans parts of 10 counties in Eastern Iowa. It encompasses primarily the Iowan Surface landform, characterized by long, gently rolling hills and well-developed stream networks. The MCRW is part of the Cedar River Basin that stretches from Minnesota to Southeast Iowa, where it meets the Iowa River. The MCRW includes some of the richest farmland in the nation. Seventy-three percent of the land is dedicated to row crop agriculture and seed corn production. The MCRW also supports a substantial portion of Iowa’s urban areas, including Cedar Rapids, Waterloo, and Cedar Falls.

In 2013, the MCRW was identified as a priority watershed under the Iowa Nutrient Reduction Strategy. The statewide Water Quality Initiative (WQI) selected five HUC 12s in the Middle Cedar for initial implementation of projects aimed at improving water quality. The City of Cedar Rapids helped secure $2M through the USDA-NRCS as part of the Regional Conservation Partnership Program (RCPP) for a program called the Middle Cedar Partnership Project (MCPP). The MCPP leveraged $2.3M in partner contributions. The WQI, MCPP, and IWA projects in the Middle Cedar complement one another and will work together to reduce downstream flooding and improve water quality.

A Middle Cedar Watershed Management Authority (WMA) was formed in 2016 to bring partners together to address watershed concerns.

Details

Grant Award: $11,205,450

Lead County: Benton

Project Coordinator

  • Jennifer Fencl
  • jennifer.fencl@ecicog.org
  • (319) 365-9941

Contact Jennifer Fencl at East Central Iowa Council of Governments for any questions or comments you may have about the Middle Cedar Watershed project.

Project Website

Planning Consultant

Emmons & Olivier Resources, Inc.

Project Engineer

WHKS & Co.

Project Construction

https://iowawatershedapproach.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/02/DJI_0052.mp4

Video: Construction of a 20 acre wetland in the Middle Cedar watershed.

Middle Cedar In the News

Phillip Kerr, geologist with the Iowa Geological Survey
October 12, 2018

New Maps Aid in Flood Management

May 3, 2018

Working to improve water quality

November 21, 2017

Middle Cedar meeting planned

Canoeing in the Middle Cedar River
May 9, 2017

Request for Proposals: Middle Cedar River Watershed Management Plan

Upcoming Meetings

Resources

  • Middle Cedar Watershed Management Plan
  • Middle Cedar River Watershed Hydrologic Assessment
  • Middle Cedar Watershed Conservation Impacts Magazine
  • Middle Cedar Watershed Potential Practices (ACPF) StoryMap
  • Middle Cedar River Fact Sheet

Meeting Materials

DECEMBER 17, 2020

  • Agenda
  • Presentaions
  • Minutes

OCTOBER 22, 2020

  • Agenda
  • Presentations
  • Minutes

JULY 23, 2020

  • Agenda
  • Presentations
  • Minutes

JANUARY 16, 2020

  • Agenda
  • Presentations
  • Minutes

NOVEMBER 21, 2019

  • Agenda
  • Presentations
  • Minutes

AUGUST 15, 2019

  • Agenda
  • Presentations
  • Minutes

MAY 9, 2019

  • Agenda
  • Presentations
  • Minutes

FEB 28, 2019

  • Agenda
  • Presentations
  • Minutes

NOV 8, 2018

  • Agenda
  • Presentations
  • Minutes

JULY 19, 2018

  • Agenda
  • Presentations
  • Minutes

show more

APR 5, 2018

  • Agenda
  • Presentations (none)
  • Minutes

FEB 1, 2018

  • Agenda
  • Presentations
  • Minutes

OCT 19, 2017

  • Agenda
  • Presentations
  • Minutes

JUL 25, 2017

  • Agenda
  • Presentations
  • Minutes

MAR 28, 2017

  • Agenda
  • Presentations
  • Minutes

JAN 12, 2017

  • Agenda
  • Presentations
  • Minutes

OCT 27, 2016

  • Agenda
  • Presentations
  • Minutes

show less

IWA In the News

  • IWA’s Legacy from Project Lead, Larry Weber
  • Predicting Iowa’s Next Big Storm
  • Iowa’s Watershed Approach provides a model for tackling big challenges on the Mississippi River.
  • $97 million goes towards flood resilience across Iowa
  • $97 million statewide flood-reduction initiative

IWA News Categories

  • Clear Creek
  • Dubuque/Bee Branch
  • East Nishnabotna
  • English River
  • In The News
  • Middle Cedar
  • North Raccoon
  • Spotlight
  • Uncategorized
  • Upper Iowa
  • Upper Wapsipinicon
  • West Nishnabotna
Copyright © 2017 - Iowa Watershed Approach
  • Facebook
  • Twitter
  • Instagram
  • Youtube
  • Home
  • About
  • GHOST
  • Programs
  • Resources
  • News
  • Events
  • Contact Us
Scroll to top