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  • Upper Wapsipinicon River Watershed

    The Upper Wapsipinicon River Watershed begins in Southeast Minnesota. This long, narrow watershed is located in the northeast corner of Iowa and encompasses 991,980 acres, touching portions of 11 Iowa counties.

    WebsiteFact Sheet
    Upper Wapsipinicon River Dam

Upper Wapsipinicon River Watershed

The Upper Wapsipinicon River Watershed (UWRW) begins in Southeast Minnesota. This long, narrow watershed is located in the northeast corner of Iowa and encompasses 991,980 acres, touching portions of 11 Iowa counties. The watershed lies in the Iowan Surface Region, characterized by broad, gently-rolling slopes and heavily wooded floodplains. The watershed is more than 85% row crop, pasture, or grass and is heavily used for recreation, including fishing, canoeing, hunting, and wildlife watching. According to a survey by ISU’s Center for Agriculture and Rural Development, visitors made approximately 226,801 trips to the Upper Wapsipinicon River in 2009 and spent $6M on outdoor recreation activities.

The Wapsipinicon River is a State of Iowa Protected Water Area (PWA) known for its public greenbelt corridor, which includes floodplain forests and wetlands, steep bluffs, and wildlife habitat, all with associated water-quality benefits. The Iowa DNR found the Wapsipinicon River to have the longest continuous stretch of natural and scenic river corridor in the Iowan Surface Region. Sixteen of the 27 communities in the watershed are located on, or adjacent to, a stream or river, providing recreational and economic opportunities that are impacted by flooding. There are currently 159 miles of impaired waters in the UWRW, inclduing 17 segments of impaired streams.

In September 2014, 13 communities, eight counties, and nine Soil and Water Conservation Districts united to form the Upper Wapsipinicon River Watershed Management Authority (UWRWMA). The UWRWMA is dedicated to reducing flooding, improving water quality, and reducing in-stream sedimentation.

Details

Grant Award: $4,396,969

Lead County: Howard

Project Coordinator

  • Tori Nimrod or Ross Evelsizer
  • tori@northeastiowarcd.org
  • ross@northeastiowarcd.org
  • (563)864-7112

Contact Tori Nimrod or Ross Evelsizer for any questions or comments you may have about the Upper Wapsipinicon River Watershed project.

Project Website

Planning Consultant

Northeast Iowa Resource Conservation & Development

Project Engineer

Shive-Hattery, Inc.

Upper Wapsipinicon River In the News

Youth visiting a raingarden
July 23, 2019

Rainscaping with Youth in the Upper Wapsipinicon Watershed

May 2, 2018

‘We have a problem’: Flooding has slammed every Iowa county since 1988, some as many as 17 times

July 3, 2017

Get to Know Angela Auel

Upper Wapsipinicon River Dam
April 28, 2017

Job Opening: Upper Wapsipinicon River WMA Project Coordinator

Upcoming Meetings

Resources

  • Upper Wapsipinicon River Watershed Hydrologic Assessment
  • Upper Wapsipinicon River Watershed Project Evaluation Report
  • Upper Wapsipinicon River Watershed Management Plan
  • Upper Wapsipinicon River Fact Sheet

Meeting Materials

NOV 14, 2019

  • Agenda
  • Presentations
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JULY 16, 2019

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MAY 28, 2019

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FEB 26, 2019

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OCTOBER 16, 2018

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JULY 17, 2018

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May 8, 2018

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JAN 9, 2018

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OCT 19, 2017

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AUG 22, 2017

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MAY 16, 2017

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FEB 21, 2017

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NOV 15, 2016

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AUG 30, 2016

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IWA In the News

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  • $97 million goes towards flood resilience across Iowa
  • $97 million statewide flood-reduction initiative

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