USGS Science⌕ Search

Geology topics

Research about Iowa

Source-linked reports with geographic coverage including Iowa.

At least 451 records · Page 25Linked to original sources
USGS1968

Flood of June 7, 1967, in the Wapsinonoc Creek Basin, Iowa

An outstanding flood occurred in the Wapsinonoc Creek basin in east-central Iowa on June 7, 1967. The flood was the result of rainfall totaling from 4 to 13 inches in about 14 hours on the night of June 6 and the morning of June 7. The storm was nearly centered over the 180·square mile basin. The resulting peak discharges ranged from about 1.9 to about 4.3 times the 50-year recurrence interval flood. A peak discharge of 27,400 cubic feet per second was measured from 161 square miles of the basin. This and other peak discharges for drainage areas larger than 40 square miles were among the greatest recorded in the last 50 years in eastern Iowa. Flood damage was light because the basin is used primarily for agriculture and the crops were in their early growth stage. 'There was no loss of human life attributed to the flood.

Iowa↗
USGS1967

Availability of ground water in Decatur County, Iowa

Decatur County and several other counties in south-central Iowa comprise an area that has been chronically short of good-quality water. Municipalities, industries and rural water users alike have been affected by the water shortage. Municipalities have experienced serious problems in obtaining potable supplies adequate to keep pace with their growth and development: industrial expansion has been hindered and continues to be hindered by the shortage of good-quality water; and rural supplies for domestic and livestock use are difficult to obtain at many places. The increased use of water for all purposes and periodic drought conditions have greatly magnified an already serious problem of water shortage.

Iowa↗
USGS1966

Summer base-flow recession curves for Iowa streams

Base-flow recession. curves for the summer months (June through September) were developed in this study for gaging stations on interior Iowa streams having five or more years of record. The tabulated data enables the user, starting with a known base flow at a gage, to estimate base flows for up to 20 days in the future. Rainfall during the period o£ the forecast will require that a new estimate be made after the stream again reaches base flow.

Iowa↗
USGS1966

Water-surface profiles of Raccoon River at Des Moines, Iowa

This investigation was undertaken as a part of the cooperative program with the Iowa Institute of Hydraulic Research, the City of Des Moines, and the U.S. Geological Survey. The purpose of this report is twofold: 1. To present water-surface profiles and rating curves for existing channel conditions in the 4-mile reach of Raccoon River upstream from the mouth, and 2. To show the effect upon water-surface profiles of raising the Fleur Drive roadway to eliminate road overflow. The Raccoon River., having a drainage area of 3,630 square miles, borders the south edge of the Des Moines downtown business district before flowing into the Des Moines River at mile 201.6. A large residential area and the city airport are separated from downtown Des Moines by the Raccoon River (fig. 1). Five highway bridges and one railroad bridge span the river between the mouth and mile 205.75, the limits of this report (fig. 1). The river is confined to a narrow channel from the mouth to the Chicago, Burlington, and Quincy Railroad bridge (mile 202.6); upstream of this bridge the river is not confined and during high water spreads over a wide flood plain. Fleur Drive, a principal traffic artery to the downtown area, is the only roadway of the five that crosses this wide flood plain. It has been flooded 15 times during the period 1903, 1918-1965.

Iowa↗
USGS1966

Magnitude and frequency of Iowa floods, Part two

Flood records for regular and partial-record gaging stations are contained in the following pages. Each listing contains the station number and name, descriptive paragraphs pertaining to the station, and a listing of the flood peaks available through the 1965 water year. Peaks above a base as well as annual peaks are listed. These provide the data for a partial-duration flood-frequency curve. Most of the material is self-explanatory and needs no discussion. However, a few items may be made clearer by the brief explanation which follows.

Iowa↗
USGS1966

Magnitude and frequency of Iowa floods, part one

Iowa stream-gaging station records at 147 regular gaging stations and partial-record sites were analyzed to produce flood magnitude and frequency relations. An index flood which is the mean annual flood and two composite frequency curves are used to predict the flood-frequency curve for interior streams of the State. The index flood was determined by a multiple correlation. The independent variables found to be significant are size of drainage basin, stream slope, and the normal annual precipitation for the 1931–60 period. The regression equations for two areas were determined—a large central area and a combination of areas in the northeastern and southwestern parts of the State. All three independent variables were used in the central area. Only area and slope were found necessary in the remainder of the State. The ratio to the index flood at selected recurrence intervals was determined from each of the gaging-station flood-frequency curves. The median of the ratios for the long term period (1916–65) is used to define the two composite curves. Maximum flood discharges at gaging stations and miscellaneous sites are tabulated and related to their frequency of occurrence. Together with the analysis previously described they form part one of a two part report. Basic data in the form of flood peak stages and discharges for each year of record at each gaging station are published in part two of the report.

Iowa↗
USGS1965

The water story in Central Iowa

"The general welfare of the people of the state of Iowa requires that the water resources of the state be put to beneficial use to the fullest extent of which they are capable." This can be achieved only by a knowledge and understanding of the water resources - their use, their source, their quality, their availability, and the demands place upon them. To provide such knowledge and understanding, the United States Geological Survey in cooperation with the Iowa Geological Survey produced this report on the utilization and availability of water in central Iowa. This report contains information on the past, present, and future statues of central Iowa;s water; information that can be used by the regional developer, the resource planner and manager, and other informed persons whose opinions and sound judgements are required in making decisions toward efficient development, management, use, and conservation of water. It gives an over-all view of the area's water resources and is aimed at guiding the people of central Iowa to the best available sources of water.

Iowa↗
USGS1964

Water resources of the English River, Old Mans Creek, and Clear Creek basins in Iowa

The surface and ground water resources of a 991 square mile area comprising the drainage basins of English River, Old Mans Creek and Clear Creek are presented. These basins lie to the west and southwest of Iowa City, Iowa, and all three streams are tributary to the Iowa River. The area is comprised of rolling uplands with relatively broad valleys and is devoted mainly to agriculture and livestock farming. In general, the surface water use is adversely affected by the high variability of flows and particularly by the critically small minimum flows. Augmentation of the minimum flows by means of storage reservoirs is possible but may be uneconomical in the broad valleys which require a high area to volume ratio. The surface water supply is presented in the form of tables and graphs which show information on maximum and minimum flows, mean flow, duration of flow, frequency of low flow and flood flow and storage requirements. Low-flow discharge. profiles for the English River and South Fork English River derived from measurements at partial record and supplementary sites are also shown. Ground water is available from shallow wells in nearly all of the area; however, the wells vary widely in productivity and reliability during a drouth. Potentially excellent aquifers may be found in the alluvium which underlies the valleys since similar areas along the lower Iowa River basin have produced yield up to 100 gallons per minute. However, the best and most reliable source of good ground water is the Jordan Sandstone. This aquifer varies from 1,375 feet below ground level in the eastern part of the area to 2,200 feet below ground level at the western end of the area. It is capable of supplying as much as 1,000 gallons per minute to individual wells. Its location is shown in the report by means of map contours referenced to mean sea level.

Iowa↗