Modifications Since Project Initiation None. Both creeks have been channelized in part. Both are characterized by silty bottoms and high, often vertical, banks. Deposition of up to 4 feet of post-settlement alluvium is not uncommon. The total project area is located in the Southern Iowa Drift Plain, an area characterized by steeply rolling hills and well-developed drainage.
Dominant soils are silty clay loams, silt loams, or clay loams formed in loess and till.
Average annual rainfall for the project area is approximately 32 inches. Both creeks have been extensively channelized and are incised into their valleys. Two to six feet of post-settlement alluvium is present in both valleys. Stream gradients in the main stem vary from 0.01 to 0.002. An analysis of sediment delivery and extensive characterization of beds and banks began in the summery of 1997.