A $17 million project to repair stream erosion is nearing completion in Polk County.
Why it matters: The investment could serve as a blueprint for the rest of the state’s waterways if researchers can demonstrate measurable water quality improvements.
Catch up quick: Polk County launched the initiative in 2024, with the first restoration projects starting in 2025.
- It covers 11 stream restoration projects spanning nearly 10 miles in Ankeny, Altoona, Mitchellville, Des Moines and Pleasant Hill.
Context: The work comes amid years of water quality concerns, including high nitrate levels that prompted the metro’s first mandatory lawn-watering ban in 2025…