MUSCATINE, Iowa — Concerns about water runoff into Mad Creek have prompted local conservationists to step up efforts for testing and protecting the creek’s watershed.

A grant awarded by the Iowa Department of Agriculture and Land Stewardship to the Muscatine Soil and Water Conservation District will help the process along. The District will work with farmers, residents and other landowners on finding possible solutions to pollution issues.

“We are trying to get a core group together to work on it and people will have the opportunity to join the committee and assist the city with the process,” said Ashley Newbrough, Mad Creek Watershed Coordinator.

Secretary of Agriculture Bill Northey will present the $17,475 watershed development grant during a ceremony at 2 p.m. Tuesday, Sept. 8, at the Environmental Learning Center, 3300 Cedar St.

The Mad Creek watershed includes surrounding land that drains into the creek, which in turn drains into the Mississippi River.  It incorporates 10,921 acres (about 17 square miles) of rural and urban land.

An assessment of the stream’s conditions will be done to determine whether the creek is safe for future recreational use and also will help determine how improvements along the creek could be made.

Newbrough said some of the improvements to be considered include constructing ponds or erosion-controlling buffer strips in rural areas. Inside city limits, options include installing rain gardens or hydrophilic plants to soak up water. Other solutions could include installing structures on banks where erosion is occurring and placing permeable pavement around drainages to slow and filter water.

“We are not at the development stage. We will be doing the assessment to find out what areas need improvements,” Newbrough said. “Farmers and residents can give input on the decisions if they’re done on private property. If someone’s yard is washing away in the creek, they can let us know so we can look into that.”

Mad Creek is tested about twice a year but the plan is to use some of the money for regular monitoring to test for E. coli, nitrates from fertilizers, phosphates and dissolved oxygen levels.

To learn more about the opportunities to improve soil and water quality in the Mad Creek Watershed,  attend the meeting or call Newbrough at 563-263-7944.