What's the problem with the creeks in Lyon County?
The Lyon County Clean Water Demonstration Project began in May 2007 with hopes of improving water quality for those who rely on water. The project is targeting specific creeks in Lyon County including, Mudd Creek, Dry Creek and No Name Creek, which are faced with is excess sediment.

When rain falls in the Lyon County, it erodes valuable topsoil and washes it into the creeks. Excess sediment can reduce water clarity, damage habitat of aquatic life, fill in streambeds, clog drainageways and deliver phosphorous to the creeks.

As a result of excess sediment being washed into the creeks in Lyon County, the water sources are also hampered by high bacteria levels from fecal contamination. Without improving the water quality in Lyon Creek, these high bacteria levels will continue to be a concern for people and wildlife that come in contact with the creeks.
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What's being done to help the creeks?
The Lyon County Clean Water Demonstration Project has a number of conservation practices for country and farm living.

Steve Anderson, project coordinator, can work with you to evaluate your property and identify practices that can help both the creek and your property. Anderson can also help find financial assistance to install those practices. Landowners participating in the watershed project can generally get improved financial assistance opportunities.

Conservation practices in the Lyon County watersheds working to improve water quality include livestock management, terraces, grassed waterways, grade stabilization structures. The project is also finding alternative ways to manage animal waste.

Livestock management is a conservation practice that is working in the Lyon County watersheds. This practice limits livestock access to the stream, resulting in reduced pollutants reaching the streams. Rotational grazing and fencing to keep livestock out of the streams, which allows streambanks to heal and reduces streambank erosion.

Terraces are efficient in reducing soil erosion and sediment in the Lyon County watersheds. Terraces are built around a hillside and either slow runoff and guide it to the bottom of the hill or collect runoff and store it until the runoff can be absorbed by the ground. Terraces must be properly designed and maintained to combat erosion.

Grassed waterways are an effective practice in reducing soil erosion. These natural or constructed channels move surface water across the land without causing soil erosion. The vegetation in the waterway slows the water, protecting the land from rill and gully erosion.

Grade stabilization structures reduce water flow and slow erosion by being built across a grass waterway or other gullies.

Another type of conservation practice used in the Lyon County watersheds is animal waste management. This conservation practice controls the runoff from numerous Lyon County feedlots.
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What can I do to help?
Landowners in the Lyon County watersheds can improve the creek by partnering with the Lyon County Clean Water Demonstration Project.

Steve Anderson, project coordinator, can work with you to evaluate your property and identify practices that can help both the creek and your property. Anderson can also help find financial assistance to install those practices. Landowners participating in the watershed project can generally get improved financial assistance opportunities.

Residents in Lyon County can volunteer as part of IOWATER. Monitors collect information on the levels of nitrates, nitrites, dissolved oxygen, pH, chloride and phosphate in the creeks.

Monitors can also report on the water's temperature and color, and on biological life in the monitoring area, which is often an indicator of water quality.

Monitors report their data to the IOWATER online database, where the public can view water monitoring results from across the state at IOWATER.
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What is the future of the creeks in Lyon County?
The future looks bright for people and wildlife in Lyon County. The Lyon County Clean Water Demonstration Project is working to improve water quality in the watershed through many conservation practices. The project hopes to implement nutrient management in the near future. Nutrient management helps keep excess nutrients out of surface and groundwater. The result of this management is reduced costs for landowners because they only use the necessary amounts and types of fertilizers. Using nutrient management is also create better water quality and is fairly easy to implement.
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Meet the project coordinator
Steve Anderson grew up in Rock Rapids, Iowa and attended the University of Sioux Falls in South Dakota. He graduated in 1971.

"I like organizing and planning this project," said Anderson. "Meeting people and working with producers is also very enjoyable."

For other ways you can get involved with the Lyon County Clean Water Demonstration Project, contact Steve Anderson, project coordinator, at (712) 472-3774 or Steven.j.Anderson@ia.usda.gov