Urban growth and development can threaten the delicate topography of western Iowa's Loess Hills. The silty soil that makes the Loess Hills unique is highly erodible. Stormwater runoff and loss of native vegetation exacerbate the issue. In an effort to abate the problem, Golden Hills RC&D partnered with the Loess Hills National Scenic Byway Council, Soil and Water Conservation Districts, Farm Bureau, NRCS, IA Department of Agriculture & Stewardship, Pottawattamie County, and hired consultants from HDR and Schemmer & Associates to develop model Low Impact Development (LID) Ordinances and a Loess Hills Storm Water Best Management Practices Guidance Manual.
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Two Low Impact Development seminars and one full-day conference were held in 2007 to provide initial education on the concepts and to bring a variety of groups concerned with development in the Loess Hills together to hear a common approach concerning growth issues in the region. Developers, realtors and county and city officials were invited to participate in the workshops to learn more about storm water management in the Loess Hills region. The objective was to have each Loess Hills county adopt the LID ordinances into their county comprehensive plan, and many did.
Best management practices include programs such as:
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Best management practices include programs such as:
- Pervious Paving
- Bioretention Basins
- Rain Garden
- Vegetated Filter Strips
- Compost Seeding
- Grassed Swales and
- Infiltration Basins
Click the images above to download the full documents.