Since 2021, the Applied Geomorphology Lab and partners across Iowa State University have been investigating Walnut Creek (located just south of Ames in Story County) to better understand how interactions between the creek and its bed and banks affect water quality at different scales in the watershed. This project has built on prior work by many researchers within ISU and beyond.
Project Approach
Following preliminary work that began around 2021, AGL research in Walnut Creek has been divided into two phases.
Phase 1: A watershed-wide channel survey to characterize "river styles" and identify hot-spots for both streambank erosion and sediment deposition/storage.
Phase 2: Intensive erosion monitoring and deposition assessment of carefully-selected sites distributed throughout the watershed.
Phase 2 is starting right now in summer 2025. Intensive monitoring sites will include ~25 banks with a gridded network of erosion pins. We've used erosion pins in several other places in Iowa in the past, and their use is described in this video.
Check back for more details soon!