KCCI: Polk County expands wetlands effort to tackle water quality concerns

Most people think of Polk County as being the bustling Des Moines metro with downtown and the surrounding suburbs.

But some areas are agricultural and open, allowing for the county’s Wetland Waves program to develop.

Water Resources Supervisor John Swanson sees the difference the program has made. At the Crestview wetland in Ankeny, he saw the impact himself after a rainfall. “We saw was water that looked like chocolate milk,” he said, “and it was pouring into this wetland before going through the multiple pools of different zones of the wetland.”

“The water going out was actually clear water,” he said.

There are 16 wetlands in the program. There are another 29 in progress.

“We are the only county in the state that invests in this kind of water quality programming,” said Supervisor Matt McCoy.

The cost can be significant. The Crestview wetland by Ankeny took $1 million to design and build.

The Iowa Department of Agriculture and Land Stewardship covers 80 percent of costs with the engineering and construction, says a department spokesman. McCoy said another key partner is the Great Outdoors Foundation.

To read more and watch the news segment, visit KCCI.