Annual Status Report:
Mitchell County Water Quality Sampling

Value to Mitchell County Taxpayers

The Mitchell County Water Quality Sampling Program provides a direct return on investment by ensuring that local decisions are informed by measured, locally collected data rather than assumptions or outside estimates.

This program allows the Mitchell County to:

  • Document baseline water quality conditions in Mitchell County streams and rivers, protecting the county from unfounded claims and providing factual evidence when questions arise.
  • Track long-term trends to determine whether conservation efforts and public investments are producing measurable results.
  • Demonstrate accountability for local, state, and federal conservation dollars by verifying outcomes on the ground.
  • Leverage local tax dollars by making the data available for university research and grant opportunities at no additional cost to the county.
  • Prioritize future spending by identifying watersheds where additional attention is—or is not—warranted.

Mitchell County Water Quality Sampling Program

Beginning in 2006, Mitchell County initiated a water quality sampling program to document baseline conditions on the Cedar River and its primary tributaries. Since that time, sampling and data collection have expanded to include nearly every major stream within the county. The program was originally a partnership between the Iowa Department of Natural Resources (IDNR), the Mitchell County Conservation Board, and the Mitchell Soil and Water Conservation District (SWCD). However, in 2017, due to budget cuts, the IDNR was forced to withdraw as a partner. The Mitchell County Board of Supervisors (BOS) joined in 2018 and provided funding, allowing the program to continue. At that time, responsibility for data storage, management, and interpretation transitioned from IDNR to the Mitchell SWCD.

Over the past year, awareness of the data set has increased. University contacts have expressed interest in utilizing the data for research purposes, and the project has been uploaded to an academic data portal where graduate students may evaluate it for research projects.

Proposed 2026 Sampling Sites

  • Rock Creek at Cameo
  • Rock Creek at Foothill
  • Rock Creek at Highway 9
  • Rock Creek at Kirkwood
  • Cedar River at Stateline
  • Cedar River at Orchard
  • Fish Creek at Shadow
  • Poor Creek at Echo
  • Slough Creek at 319th
  • Little Cedar at Stillwater
  • Burr Oak Creek at 395th
  • Wapsi at County Line
  • Unnamed Wapsi Tributary at Quail & 430th
  • Goose Creek at Echo
  • Beaver Creek at 400th

By maintaining county-owned data, Mitchell County retains control over how information is interpreted and used, ensuring that decisions affecting land use, conservation practices, and future funding requests are based on local conditions and priorities.

Program Operations

Long-term trend analysis indicates that water quality measurements on major streams and tributaries have remained relatively stable over time. Based on these findings, the group agreed to shift future monitoring efforts toward locations with less historical data to develop baseline conditions within those watersheds.