To the editor:
The Walnut Creek Watershed Management Authority (WMA) is working to protect the 53,000-acre watershed but without the support of the Dallas County Supervisors. In 2014 the Supervisors did not join the Walnut Creek WMA.
The Walnut Creek headwaters begin in rural Dallas County then flow through the developing suburban areas before the creek dumps into the Raccoon River. Besides agricultural land runoffs, many layers of dirt wash off construction sites near open drains.
The Walnut Creek WMA has a voluntary master plan that outlines good conservation practices, such as water and sediment control. The Dallas County cities within the watershed — Clive, Dallas Center, Grimes, Urbandale, Waukee and West Des Moines — are left to deal with these issues without leadership from the supervisors.
WMAs are eligible for federal funding. The supervisors could provide assistance in writing the grants needed for funding for any studies and coordinators and then educating the public.
Working together, the supervisors and the city councils need to assess the options for reducing flood risk. At the very least, regular attendance at WMA meetings would keep the board informed. It would also signal to the community that the supervisors take flood control seriously.
Julie Stewart
Waukee
