Conservation director reports completed stream and wetland restorations, outlines stormwater basin work

Barbara Rigg, Winneshiek County conservation director, told the board the county has finished multiple habitat and water-quality projects on county-owned land, including a trout-stream restoration identified in the meeting as “Casey Scribe.” She said the restoration covered the entire stream section on county property and was developed with the Iowa Department of Natural Resources and local anglers who contributed match funds.

Rigg reported a monarch pollinator seeding completed under a US Fish and Wildlife grant and described a new wetland on the Ryren Greenbelt that will capture runoff, trap sediments and help protect the city of Decorah and the Upper Iowa River downstream. She said the wetland has a design that slows and circulates flow so pollutants deposit before water continues downstream and that prairie seed for the project was provided by US Fish and Wildlife.

The conservation board accepted a bid from Skyline Construction for five stormwater-control structures in the Dry Run/Red (or Red) Greenbelt. Rigg said two structures will sit below an area identified as Wicks, two below a John Deere site, and one on the Nessteep Valley Recreation Area; the structures were designed by Shai Padre and grants are being administered by RC&D. She said most of the basins will resemble small detention dams intended to hold runoff for about a day and slowly release it to reduce flash flooding and protect trail infrastructure; some larger basins will require more substantial embankments and trail routing will be adjusted so the future bike trail crosses or passes below larger structures.

Rigg said one of the planned structures is expected to control runoff from roughly 400 acres of watershed and that construction work will begin as soon as contracts are signed. She noted tree removal must occur before bats return (the April 1 bat‑season window was cited) and that construction is expected to be complete by December of next year. Rigg also said staff is submitting a fish‑habitat grant to dredge Walden Pond, replace a rusted outlet and extend the pond’s useful life; she stressed the county would dredge before repairing the outlet because repairs could prevent future dredging.

Taken together, Rigg emphasized the projects aim to reduce flash flooding, improve fish and pollinator habitat, and prepare trail corridors for future connections. She credited partnerships — including US Fish and Wildlife, RC&D and local anglers — for grant support and seed or matching funds. The conservation board’s bid acceptance and the pending Walden Pond grant are the most immediate next steps noted.

The board asked clarifying questions about what the basins will look like, how many acres are in the watershed served, and the construction schedule; Rigg answered with the timelines and constraints above.