HomeMy WebLinkAbout1997-10-07 CorrespondencePrepared by: Don Yucuis, Finance Director, 410 E. Washington St., Iowa City, IA 52240 (319) 356-5052
REVOCATION OF ELECTION OF THE $10,600,000
CITY OF IOWA CITY, IOWA SEWER REVENUE BONDS, SERIES 1997
The City of Iowa City, Iowa (the "Issuer") entered into a Tax Exemption Certificate dated as of
June 19, 1997 in connection with the issuance of the above-mentioned Bonds and elected
pursuant to Code Section 148(f)(4)(C)(vi)(IV) of the Treasury Regulations to exclude earnings on
the Reserve Fund from "available construction proceeds" and to comply with the rebate
requirements in the Code from the closing date.
The Issuer hereby revokes the foregoing election and instead shall comply with Code Section
148(f)(4)(C)(vi)(11) and shall expend the earnings on the Reserve Fund in accordance with the
schedule set forth in Section 3.3 of the Tax Exemption Certificate.
Passed and approved this 7th day of October
,1997.
CI'T"CGLERK
Approved by
City Attorney's Office
It was moved by Lehman
consent agenda item.
finadm/sewer97.doc
and seconded by
Vanderhoef
and approved as a
Prepared by: Don Yucuis, Finance Director, 410 E. Washington St., Iowa City, II
(319) 356-5052
REVOCATION OF ELECTION OF THE $10
CITY OF IOWA CITY, IOWA SEWER REVENUE BONDS
1997
The City of Iowa City, Iowa (the "Issuer") entered into a Tax
June 1997 in connection with the issuance of the
Code Section 148(f)(4)(C)(vi)(IV) of the
the Fund from "available construction procee<
req the Code from the closing date.
Certificate dated as of
Bonds and elected
ulations to exclude earnings on
and to comply with the rebate
The Issuer revokes the foregoing election and
148(f)(4)(C)(vi)(ll) shall expend the earnings on
schedule set forth in ~ction 3.3 of the Tax Exempti(
shall comply with Code Section
Reserve Fund in accordance with the
Passed and approved
day of
,1997.
MAYOR
ATTEST:
CITY CLERK
Approved by
City Atl~O~fi,~¢.~"~
It was moved by
adopted, and upon roll c;
AYES:
finadm/sewer97.d6c
there were:
NAYS:
and
~conded by
!NT:
Baker
Kubby
.ehman
orton
,vick
~rnberry
Va derhoer
the Resolution be
Date:
To:
From:
Re:
City of iowa City
October 1, 1997
City Clerk
Doug Ripley, JCCOG Traffic Engineering Planner ~v
Parking Prohibition on the East Side of Scott Boulevard
As directed by Title 9, Chapter 1, Section 3B of the City Code, this is to advise the City Council of
the following action. Unless directed otherwise by the City Council, this action will occur on or
shortly after October 14, 1997.
Action
Pursuant to Section 9-1-3A(10) of the City Code, signage will be installed prohibiting parking on
the east side of Scott Boulevard from Muscatine Avenue to Court Street.
Comment
This action is being taken consistent with the policy for the arterial street system. Scott Boulevard
is designed to move large volumes of traffic from point to point. The prohibition is intended to
maintain the free flow of traffic along Scott Boulevard. Parking was formerly allowed in this area
when soccer matches were played at Scott Park. This is no longer necessary since soccer
matches have been moved to the park south of town. The west side of Scott Boulevard already
has parking prohibited.
Im\mem\dr9-30.doc
September 18,1997
CITY OF I0 WA CITY
TO:
RE:
The Honorable Mayor and the City Council
Civil Service Entrance Examination - B~II~DIN~ INSPECTOR
We, the undersigned members of the Civil Service Commission of Iowa
City, Iowa, do hereby certify the following named person(s) as
eligible for the position of Building Inspector.
Joseph Brumm
IOWA CITY CIVIL
?
MiChael W.
Chair
ATTEST:
Marian Karr, City Clerk
Date: Fri, 3 Oct 1997 10:13:05 -0500 (CDT)
From: "E.W.N. Lam" <ewnlam@blue.weeg.uiowa.edu>
To: council@blue.weeg.uiowa.edu
Subject: New traffic signal on Melrose Avenue
Dear Sir/Madam:
I am glad that the renovations to Melrose Avenue south of University
Hospital are near completion, and I am most appreciative of the new
controlled cross-walk that the city has put in. Throughout the
construction I was dreading the thought of having to cross that road
without any sort of control light.
Since the light has become operational though, I have observed on my walks
to and from the University from my home, that a significant number of
drivers either do not know the new light exists and simply drive through
the intersection, or ignore the light, in spite of the fact that
pedestrians are crossing the road. This is not only entirely
unacceptable, but it poses a significant danger to pedestrians who are
crossing the road thinking that traffic will stop because of the new
light. Most recently, I have noted cars entering the intersection on a
red light with the pedestrian "Walk" signal active yesterday afternoon,
and this morning. Usually, when a new signal is put in at an
intersection, there is a sign with small red flags on either side of the
light warning drivers of a new stop light ahead. Perhaps such signs could
be put in place to advise drivers as they enter this intersection.
I appreciate your taking the time to deal with this issue.
Thank you.
Ernie Lam
Ernest W.N. Lam, DMD, MSc, FRCD(C)
Radiation Research Laboratory,
Department of Radiology
The University of Iowa, ML B180
Iowa City, IA 52242-1101
319.335.8026
319.335.7351 (FAX)
ernest-lam@uiowa.edu
October 8, 1997
CITY OF I0 WA CITY
Sally Stutsman, Chair
Members of the Board of Supervisors
913 South Dubuque Street
Iowa City, IA 52240
Dear Sally and Members of the Board:
The City Council has received your request from S & G Materials for a conditional use permit to
allow a sand extraction operation on property south of Iowa City and west of the Iowa River. At
its September 18, 1997 meeting, the Planning and Zoning Commission, by a vote of 6-0,
recommended that a conditional use permit be approved, subject to a 100 foot buffer being
provided between the sand pit and properties with residential uses, and subject to the county
requiring the implementation of the reclamation plan developed by Lon Drake and MMS
Consultants, or an alternative plan approved by the county which addresses safety, habitat
improvement, slope stability, aesthetics, improving wetlands, and avoiding future river blowouts.
It is the Council's understanding that the applicant is agreeable to the proposed conditions, and
has agreed to furnish a $150,000 performance bond to the Johnson County Board of
Supervisors to ensure the restoration of the site is completed, as per the reclamation plan
submitted with the application. Council recommends approval of the conditional use permit
request, subject to the conditions outlined in the Planning and Zoning Commission
recommendation. The Council also recommends the County consider the following: 1) annual
monitoring of the sand extraction operation for compliance with the conditional use permit; 2)
the speed limit on Izaak Walton League Road be reduced to 35 mph; 3) a turnaround be
provided for the school bus to alleviate bus/truck conflicts; 4) the applicant place in writing their
commitment to creating an asphaltic dust free surface on their entry drive; and 5) conciliation be
pursued involving the County, the neighboring residents and the applicant.
Thank you for the opportunity to review this application.
Sincerely,
Naomi J. Novick
Mayor
jw/Itr/nn-s&g2.doc
410
EAST
WASHINGTON STREET · IOWA
CITY, IOWA
52240-1826 · (319) 356-5000 · FAX (319) 356-5009
October 2, 1997
CITY OF I0 WA CITY
Sally Stutsman, Chair
Members of the Board
913 South Dubuque Street
Iowa City, IA 52240
)ervisors
Dear Sally and Members Ioard:
The City Council has received
allow a sand extraction operation
its September 18, 1997 meeting,
recommended that a conditional us,
provided between the sand pit and
requiring the implementation of the
Consultants, or an alternative plan
improvement, slope stability,
request from S Materials for a conditional use permit to
property soul Iowa City and west of the Iowa River. At
ie Plannine Zoning Commission, by a vote of 6-0,
approved, subject to a 100 foot buffer being
with residential uses, and subject to the county
~ation plan developed by Lon Drake and MMS
by the county which addresses safety, habitat
wetlands, and avoiding future river blowouts.
It is the council's understanding th~
has agreed to furnish a $150
Supervisors to ensure the of
submitted with the applicatio~ Council re<
request, subject to the
recommendation.
)licant is agreeable to the proposed conditions, and
bond to the Johnson County Board of
site is completed, as per the reclamation plan
approval on the conditional use permit
in the Planning and Zoning Commission
Thank you for the oppo~
to review this appl
Sincerely,
Naomi J.
Mayor
jw/Itdnn-s&g.doc
410 EAST WASHINGTON STREET · IOWA CITY, IOWA 52240-1826 4~ (319) 356-5000 · FAX (319) 356-$009
City of Iowa City
IVIEMORANDU
Date: September 11, 1997
To: Planning & Zoning Commission
From: John Yapp, Associate Planner
Re: CU9706 S & G Materials Conditional Use Application
S & G Materials has applied to Johnson County for a conditional use permit to operate a sand
extraction operation on property south of Iowa City and west of the Iowa River. The property,
which is in the flood plain of the Iowa River, is owned by Tom Williams and ownership will be
retained by him. Lon Drake, a professor of geology, and MMS Consultants have prepared an
analysis of the site, the mining operation, and the local, state and federal regulations which
apply to the site. In addition, they have made recommendations on how to conduct the mining
operations and how to reclaim the site to a benign and useful condition. This property lies in
Fringe Area C of the Fringe Area Agreement between Johnson County and Iowa City. The
Fringe Area Agreement does not address mining and mineral extraction uses, though the
Johnson County zoning ordinance allows mining and mineral extraction as a conditional use in
the A-1 and A-3 districts. This property is zoned A-1.
The Johnson County Zoning Ordinance requires that cities be allowed to review Conditional
Use Permits within their extraterritorial jurisdiction. Conditional Use Permits in Johnson County
require a 4/5 majority vote of the Board of Supervisors to approve said permit if the use is
opposed by a vote of City Council whose extraterritorial jurisdiction includes the property
involved in the jurisdiction.
Physical features of the site: The Iowa River flood plain in this part of the city has a silt cap
overlying a package of river sands, which in turn overlay clayey glacial till and bedrock. Data
from soil borings on the Williams property indicate that the river sands exist to a depth of 21
feet. Ground water on this site typically flows from the higher ground to the west toward the
river to the east. During floods, however, the flow reverses, and water flows from the river into
the sand. This site is expected to flood every few years.
The flat land on the Williams property is presently used for row crop agriculture. There are also
drainageways on the east and south portions of the property which are heavily timbered. The
Drake report states that the drainageways will not be mined because the trees are needed to
provide stability to the drainageways. The sand reserves on the site are expected to support
approximately four years of mining. The sand pit will be reclaimed to other uses as mining
progresses.
Local regulations: Conditions for mining or mineral extraction use in the A-1 and A-3 districts
include the following:
1. The applicant shall obtain approval for withdrawal of water if required by the Iowa Natural
Resource Council. The Environment Protection Division of Iowa DNR has advised that if all
the water were obtained from the sand unit is returned to the same sand unit without any
serious reduction in quality then no water withdrawal permit is needed.
2. The applicant shaft obtain approval for operation in a flood plain ff required by the Iowa
Natural Resource Council. The flood plain section of Iowa DNR has advised that no permit
is needed as long as the sand pit operation:
a) is setback greater than 100 feet from the river channel
b) there is no levy construction
c) there is no stockpiling of material along the riverbank
d) there is no removal of water directly from the river
e) there is no discharge of water directly into the river
f) items d and e recognize that there is an indirect connection to the river via ground
water flow.
The sand pit design and reclamation plan proposed can accommodate all of these
requirements so that no state flood plain permitting is required.
3. The applicant must obtain a license to operate from the Iowa Department of Soil
Conservation M Division of Mines and Minerals. The procedures to obtain a license to
operate a mine have been initiated.
4. The proposed site shaft be located no closer than 1,000 feet to any property zoned A-2, RS,
R1-A, R1-B, R2, or R3-A. This condition may be modified upon a showing of good cause by
the applicant but shall require a 4/5 vote of the Board of Supervisors for approval The
proposed gravel pit property is zoned A-l, and the site is not closer than 1,000 feet to any
property of the above zones. There is a cluster of residences north of this site on the west
side of the Iowa river that fall within 50 to 100 feet of the William's property. However, the
land these residences are on is zoned A-3 and does not require the 4/5 vote. There is only a
50 foot buffer planned between the property the residences are on and the sand pit. Staff
recommends that the buffer between the Williams property and the property the residences
are on be increased to 100 feet, identical with the buffer width along the Iowa River.
5. The applicant shaft agree to provide for buffer area which prohibits excavation within 50 feet
of any adjoining property under separate ownership and any and all public right-of-way
unless otherwise required by law or other special circumstances. The proposed design
takes into account this buffer.
6. The applicant and his or her successors shaft agree to take all precautions and provide such
maintenance as may be necessary to prevent fugitive dust contamination along the principle
access to the activity. The principle access will be defined as the route of least distance
between the furthest entrance to the property involved and a paved public highway
approved by the County Engineer. The sand itself is processed while wet and hauled damp
so dust contamination should be limited to the access road and Izaak Walton League Road.
The access road shall be located along the west side of the property as far as possible from
the homes beside the river, and the applicant has agreed to maintain Izaak Walton League
Road in a dust free condition so that third parties will not be subject to the dust caused by
trucks using the road.
State regulations: Beside the regulations noted in the County zoning ordinance above, the
state specifies top soil cannot be destroyed or buried in the process of mining. S & G Materials
considers the top soil to be an asset and expects to be able to sell it or reuse all of it.
Federal regulations: The Army Corps of Engineers is the agency which enforces federal
regulations regarding water bodies. A wetland delineation by the Natural Resource and
Conservation Service will be required. If any wetlands are deemed present and are rated as
"prior converted wetlands," no further action will be required. If any wetlands are determined to
be "farmed wetlands," then mitigation will be necessary, with replacement at a ratio of at least
1.5 to 1. The Corps also requires a permit if more than 10 cubic yards of bank sediment is
moved 100 feet of riverbank, but this is not planned. The Corps has no specific requirements on
how the sand pit is operated or maintained.
Description of operation: The mining will be conducted by hydraulic dredge, in which sand
and water is pumped out of the pit, and the water is returned to the pit for reuse, so there is no
net loss of water. small particles washed from the sand are returned to the pit, where they
settle. The net result is that shallow wells a short distance down gradient show no change in
water level or quality. There is no blasting or obtrusive odor associated with hydraulic sand
dredging. Drake notes that the property is presently in row crops and pesticides can readily
enter the shallow sands, and that pesticide use will cease with the conversion to a sand pit and
subsequent reclamation.
Reclamation: the applicant notes that "as this facility is abandoned, S & G Materials will pursue
the proper reclamation procedures to leave the area in a clean and neat condition." The Drake
report makes some specific recommendations regarding reclamation of the site, suggesting
that a reclamation design should be directed toward creating aquatic and wetland habitat
compatible with the flood plain functions, and usable by people and wildlife. Specifically these
recommendations include dividing the sand pit into several cells, establishing breeding islands
for wildlife species, maintaining the trees in and along the waterways, and incorporating
safeguards to help prevent a channel change of the Iowa River.
While the Johnson County Zoning Ordinance does not require that a sand mining and
extraction service go through a reclamation process, staff feels it is important for the site to be
reclamated as it is abandoned. Drake notes six specific design goals of his reclamation plan,
including safety, habitat improvement, slope stability, good aesthetics, improving wetlands, and
avoiding river blowouts. While this site is outside of Iowa City's growth area, it is close enough
to the city limits that its use may affect properties which are within the City, and it may be
annexed into the City far in the future. Staff recommends that Johnson County require
reclamation of the site that takes into account Drake's six specific design goals. Requiring the
implementation of a reclamation plan for this site will help improve the long-term value of the
property and surrounding properties. This may be done through bonding or some other financial
requirement.
Traffic Impact: The applicant has indicated the sand operation will generate 50 trucks per day
on average. A 1994 traffic count on Izaak Walton League (IWL) Road shows 220 vehicles per
day. Given that IWL Road is a gravel road, the existing traffic plus the additional truck traffic
may be pushing the envelope of what a gravel road can handle. The applicant has noted that
they will maintain the road in a dust-free condition. Given that the road is entirely under
Johnson County jurisdiction, staff defers to the County Engineer on whether the road may need
additional upgrading.
STAFF RECOMMENDATION:
Staff recommends that the City Council forward a letter to the Johnson County Board of
Supervisors recommending that a Conditional Use Permit be approved, subject to a 100 foot
buffer being provided between the sand pit and properties with residential uses, and to the
County requiring the implementation of the reclamation plan developed by Lon Drake and MMS
Consultants, or an alternative plan approved by the County which addresses safety, habitat
improvement, slope stability, aesthetics, improving wetlands, and avoiding future river blowouts.
ATTACHMENTS:
1. Location Map
2. Site Plan
Approved by:
Robert Miklo, Senior Planner
Department of Planning and
Community Development
ppdadmin~mem\williams.doc
CI?Y
0£ IO~A CI?Y
LOCATION MAP' S & G Materials
CU9706
tZAAK WALTON LEAGUE ROAD
OL0 SAND PtT$
~v[MS CONSULTANTS, INC.
1917 South Gilbert Street
Iowa City, Iowo 522~-0
319-351-8282
t<OW CROP
FIELDS
SIT
GUAGE
= PROP[RTYUNES
= POOR RIPRAP
= wOOO£Z AREA
~)#10 = BORIN3 LOCA~ON
SCALE
0 200'
L
100' 300'
&,~ LAGO0
ROW CROP
Ft~-LDS
07/2~/97
PRESENT CONDITIONS
REFERENCE BASE - ~092 AERIAL PHOTOGR
400'
S & G Materials
4213 Sand Road SE
Iowa City, Iowa 52240
(319) 354-1667
September 16,1997
To all neighbors and the neighborhood in the location of the proposed Williams Sand pit
S & G Materials agrees to the following conditions being made part of their application
for a conditional use permit currently before the Johnson County Board of Supervisors
on the William's property.
1) To furnish a performance bond~n the amount of $150,000.00
to complete the restoration as per the reclamation plan
on the submittal.
2) To rip rap the interior slope of the river bend area'~nd cover
with earth ( within the 100' set-back) in addition to the rip rap
in the submittal. '
3)
Place reclaimed asphalt on the Izaak Walton League road and
seal coat, with the approval of the County Engineer.
4)
To increase the set- back from 50' to 100' from the east property
line.b(Kay Hull p,r0perty ~ others)
All trucks required to stop at stop signs as a condition of hauling
S & G Materials.
6)
There will be no asphalt or ready-mix plants erected on the
property being considered ( Williams Property).
7)
To exert pressure to have all trucks travel north on old 218
upon exit.
Robed G. Barker
I
RECLAMATION OPPORTUNITIES
AT THE FUTURE
WILLIAMS SAND PIT
RECLAMATION OPPORTUNITIES
AT THE FUTURE
WILLIAMS SAND PIT
RESEARCH & RECOMMENDATIONS
Report to:
S & G Materials
By:
Lon Drake & MMS Consultants, Inc.
June, 1997
FILED
AU6
%0. ~ffABLE
PURPOSE
Figure I Location Map
P~T I PRESENT CONDITION OF SITE
GEOMORPHIC SE~ING
Figure 2
Table 1
GROUNDWATER
OF CONTENTS
Present Features of Site
Boring Summary
VEGETATION & SOILS
Figure 3 1875 Map of Johnson County
PART II THE REGULATORY FRAMEWORK
FEDERAL PERMITS
STATE PERMITS
COUNTY PERMITS
IOWA CITY ORDINANCES
PART III RECLAMATION DESIGN
Figure 4
Figure 5
Reclamation Design
Typical Buffer Cross-Section
ASSETS
DESIGN
WATER LEVEL FLUCTUATION
Figure 6 Synthetic Stream Gauge Data
Typical Cross-Section of Breeding Island
CELLS
BREEDING ISLANDS
Figure 7
ORIGINAL
Page
3
4
5
5
6
7
5
5
8
9
9
9
11
12
14
14
15
16
14
17
18
17
19
20
POTENTIAL FOR RIVER CHANNEL CHANGE
Figure 8
REVEGETATION
Table II
Figure 9
Table III
Car bodies in Riprap
Recommended Wetland and Aquatic
Species
Planting Willow Whips
Upper Slope Seeding List
STOCKING
PART IV
OTHER ENVIRONMENTAL ISSUES
APPENDIX A
JOHNSON COUNTY ZONING MAP
19
22
21
24
25
26
23
27
28
2
PURPOSE
S & G Materials have leased a parcel of floodplain land beside the Iowa River, south of Iowa
City, for the purpose of developing a sand extraction operation. For location details see Figure 1.
The parcel belongs to T. Williams and ownership will be retained by him. L. Drake and MMS
have researched the site and in this report ofl~r recommendations how to conduct the mining
operations and how to reclaim the site to a benign and useful condition. Specific design goals
include:
safety, especially for children
habitat improvement
slope stability
good aesthetics
improve wetlands
avoid river blowouts
The sand layel' to be mined is relatively shallow and maximum mining depth will be about 21 feet.
Mining will be conducted by hydraulic dredge, in which a sand and water slurry is pumped out of
the pit and the water is returned to the pit for reuse. Mining will be limited to the agricultural
portion of the property, avoiding the wooded drainageways. The sand reserves are expected to
' support approximately 4 years of mining. The sand pit will be reclaimed to other uses as mining
progresses. This report in organized into four parts:
Pm't I addresses some relevant aspects of the present condition of the site.
Part II outlines the regulatory framework pertinent to developing a sand extraction
operation at the site.
Pm't III offers our design for reclamation of the site.
Part IV evaluates other environmental issues associated wit!~ operating.
HILLS QUADRANGLE 4
IOWA
F I GU RE 1 ,,o
~ .~_./~ CEOAR R,4~=10$ 28 A~. , ,, --- 9 ! o 30'
IOWA CITY ~CHI 2.8 MI. ~ 32 30 622 2 540000 FEET
'.
-~--':~':~; .L) ....'i~I , sane ~,ts ~/ ~, "~ . ',~' -.~_,_t ....
"~ '~-?-- ;~'. -t ~."." / I ~,~ : . ' '
~PROPOSED SAND PIT .% [', ~ ~¢"-~, Z~'~' _./ 'm
..... ~. x ~, , ~ I,~0, ........ /44 .. .,
' "/ I ' ~ · ~ ' , " ".'
~ x,, ,, (~"'~':~ii~,, ~, f~ ~ ' _ ~ 1000 DISTANCE ¢ / / , ,.
' t ~' .o. ....X .......:~
~ · n ' :.,.
~, '. ~:: ~ 'l /' ~,./..~ ' .-
'~ i : :':
,, ' ' '., ',,it. ~ ..... ,' .¢o] .... ..,.,
'%~ ~.~ .~
~ ~'~-:--~'~-'~--'~t~- ~oooo
' .// i "
'%~L ~' ...,~,, f ~ ~.~, ,.
'.....
x '['~;11': .... ' -- 35'
I '(~ I ~ 0
1000 0 1000 2000 3000 4000 5000 6000 7000 FEET
! 5 0
CONTOUR INTERVAL 10 FEET
"~03
PART I
PRESENT CONDITION OF SITE
5
GEOMORPHIC SETTING
The Iowa River floodplain on the south side of the city usually has a silt cap overlying a package
of river sands. These in turn usually overlay clayey glacial till or occasionally rest directly on
bedrock. Data fi'om borings on the Williams property are listed on Table I (locations on Figure 2)
and demonstrate that the typical geologic sequence is present. The shallow sands, to a maximum
depth of 21 feet, will be excavated.
GROUNDWATER
Most of the year the top of the local shallow water table will be within the sand package and the
bulk of flow will be within the sands. The flow direction is usually from the higher ground on the
west toward the river. However, during floods, when the river channel is nearly full or
overflowing, the surface water is higher than the sand layer and the groundwater flow temporarily
reverses, moving fi'om the river into the sand. The site can be expected to flood once every few
years.
VEGETATION AND SOILS
Originally, the floodplain of tile Iowa River was largely timbered. For example the 1875 map of
Johnson County (Figure 3) shows most of the larger thnber to be along the river and creek banks
plus their adjacent bluffs. The 1923 Soil Survey of Johnson County mentions the vegetation on
these types of floodplah~ soils (Soil Survey Report #23, p.62) and comments that "the areas along
the Iowa River in the northwestern part of the county are thinly wooded with elm, ash, soft
maple, oak, hickory, wahmt, sycamore and cottonwood. South of Iowa City the type is more
heavily wooded."
Tile more modern (1977) Soil Survey of Johnson County shows 5 different soil types in the area
of the future sand pit. These are all silt loams and loamy f'me sands, reflecting soil types
developed from the upper part of the floodplain's silt cap. Development of the sand pit will be
limited largely to flat land presently in row crop agriculture. The adjacent intermittent
drainageways to the east and south are heavily timbered and will not be mined because the trees
are needed to provide stability to these drainageways (see Figure 2).
IZAAK WALTON LEAGUE ROAO
OLD SAND PITS
6
PROPERTY UNE$
'~ = POOR RIPRAP 0 200' 400'
I I I
100' 300'
= BORING LOCA~ON
~.~. ----' ~ ~ ~ S~EA~
_ FIGURE 2
~ ~s co,s~ ~.c ~,~ ~o~ ~. o~/2~/~ PRESENT CONDITIONS
G:~0100~0112019~01120196 7-2~-97 9:28:59 ~m EST
BI
BI
#1
#3
#5
#7
#9
#11
0.5' Topsoil
7.5' Fill Sand
10' Concrete Sand
18'
0.5' Topsoil
7.5' Fill Sand
13.0' Concrete Sand
21'
0.5' Topsoil
14.0' Fill Sand
13.0' Concrete Sand
20.5'
2.0' Topsoil
2.0' Clay (silt)
4.0' Fill Sand
9.0' Concrete Sand
17.0' (Fine Sand Bottom)
1.5' Topsoil
10.5' Fill Sand
.7.0' Concrete Sand
19' (Fine Sand Bottom)
0.5 Topsoil
7.0' Clay (silt)
6.5' Concrete Sand
14'
TABLE I
BORING SUMMARY
#2
#4
#6
#8
#10
1.0' Topsoil
7.0' Clay (silt)
8.0' V.C. Concrete Sand
16'
2.0' Topsoil
4.5' Clay
!0.5' Concrete Sand
17'
1.0' Topsoil
4.5' Clay
10.5' Concrete Sand
22'0"
0.5' Topsoil.
12.5' Fill Sand
4.0' Concrete Sand
17.0'
2.0' Topsoil
8.5' Fill Sand
!0.5' Concrete Sand
21'
7
1875
FIGURE .3
MAP OF JOHNSON COUN~(
o
(7
PART II
THE REGULATORY FRAMEWORK
The network of local, state and t~deral regulations constrain the development and reclamation of
the proposed sand mining operation. These regulations m'e outlined below in the context of
permits required.
FEDERAL PERMITS
Gene Walsh, fi'om the Rock Island District of the US Army Corps of Engineers office (309/794-
5674) provided the followhag recommendations regm'ding the federal regulatory role:
Wetland delh~eations by the NRCS under the national "404" permitting process
will be requked. If any wetlands are deemed present and are rated as "prior
converted", no further action shall be requked. However, if these wetlands are
rated as "farmed wetlands" then mitigation will be necessary, with replacement at a
ratio of at least 1.5/1. The mitigation permit will need to be accompanied by a
Phase I archeological survey verifying that no significant archeological site will go
unmitigated.
The Corps regulations about setback distances fi'om the river will not apply as long
as no dkect access to the river is constructed. None is planned.
The Corps would view removal of the car bodies presently incorporated in the
riprap along the Iowa River as an improvement. Replacement of the cm' bodies
with concrete riprap can be done without permit. A Nationwide Permit Number
18 would be needed it' more than 10 cubic yards of bank sediment were moved per
100 feet of riverbank, but this is not planned. The usual riprap requirements apply,
including clean concrete with no protruding rebm' and no asphalt. New riprap shah
not extend above the level of the natural levee.
The Corps has no specific requirements on how the sand pit is operated or
reclahned.
Sending Mr. Walsh a copy of this report will constitute adequate "notification" of
intended activities in the vicinity of the river.
STATE PERMITS
The Floodplain Section of the Iowa DNR regulates uses of floodplains, including development of
sand pits. Jack Riessen (515/281-5029) of that Section has advised that no state level permit is
needed as long as the sand pit operation:
Is set back greater than 100 lrbet fi'om the river channel.
10
There is no levee construction (meaning elevating the land surface vertically near
the river by any means).
There is no temporary stockpiling of material along the river bank.
There is no removal of water directly from the river.
There is no dischm'ge of water directly into the river.
o
Items 4 & 5 recognize that there is an indirect connection to the river via
groundwater flow.
The sand pit design and reclamation plan proposed herein accommodate all these requirements so
that no state floodplah~ permitting is requh'ed.
Groundwater withdrawal from floodplains is regulated by the Environmental Protection Division
of the IDNR. Jim Neely of the that Division (515/281-6681) advised that if hydraulic dredging
were used to mine the sand, that if all the water were obtained from the mined sand unit and that
if all the water were returned to the same sand unit without serious reduction in quality, then no
water withdrawal permit would be needed. The proposed operation conforms to the no-permit
specifications.
Licensing to operate a sand mining operation is regulated by the Division of Mines and Minerals
of the Depm'tment of Agriculture and Land Stewardship. Joel Pille of this Division advises that
the procedure has tlu'ee components:
1. Licensiug
2. Registration
3. Bonding
These procedures will be initiated.
In general, while mining,an operator is responsible for keeping soil erosion and topsoil losses to a
minimum. Iowa Code section 208.17 (3) specifies that topsoil cannot be destroyed or buried in
the process of mining. S & G considers the topsoil to be a valuable asset and expects to be able
to sell it all for reuse.
11
COUNTY PERMITS
At the county level, the Conditional Use Permit of the Johnson County Code of Ordinances
specifically deals with Mining and Mineral Extraction (page 83 of 2/5/97 edition):
Item H2a advises that "the applicant shall obtain approval for withdrawal of water
it' requked by the Iowa Natural Resources Council." This role is now assumed by
the Environmental Protection Division of the IDNR and as noted under the state
permitting process, no permit is needed as long as the groundwater is returned
hmnediately to the flood plain aquit~r in good condition.
Item H2b. "The applicant shall obtain approval for operating in a floodplain as
required by the Iowa Natural Resources Council." This function is now assumed
by the Floodplain Section of the IDNR, and as discussed in the preceding section
of this report the proposed sand extraction operation will not need this permit.
Item H2c & d, requires a license to operate from the Division of Mines &
Minerals. Joel Pille (515/242-5003) advises that this has three components:
1. Licensing
2. Registration
3. Bonding
These procedures will be initiated.
Item H2e specifies that "the proposed site shall be no closer than 1000 feet to any
property zoned A2, RS[RS3, RS5, RSI0] R1A, RIB, R2 and R3A. This
condition may be modified upon a showing of good cause by the applicant but
shall require a 4/5 vote by the Board of Supervisors for approval." Rick Dvorak,
Johnson County Planning & Zoning Administrator (356-6083) has advised that the
proposed gravel pit property is zoned A1. The 1000 foot distance around the
property is shown with a dashed line on Figure I and clusters of residences fall
within this regulated zone. Dvorak advises that the cluster of residences north of
the property on the west side of the Iowa River (the Zahner Subdivision) is zoned
A3 and does not require the 4/5 vote. The "original" County Zoning shows that
the residences northeast of the property on the east side of the Iowa River
(Fountain and inholdings) are also on land zoned A1. (Some of the later derivitive
maps are not properly coded and should be ignored.) A copy of the Johnson
County Zoning Map is attached - Appendix A.
Item H2f prohibits excavation within 50 feet of any adjacent property under
separate ownership. The proposed design respects this distance.
Ill
12
Item H2g requires that fugitive dust be controlled. The sand itself is processed
while wet and hauled damp so dust should be limited mainly to the access road,
which shall be located along the west side of the property as far as possible from
the homes beside the river.
Most of the 8:1.29 FloodPlain Management portion of the Johnson County Code of Ordinances
deals with habitable structures and their accouterments, which is not relevant to the sand mining
operation. However item 2B6 (page 64 of the 2/5/97 editiou) would indicate that if liquid fuel is
to be stored onsite it should be in containers which can be removed in the event of serious
flooding.
IOWA CITY ORDINANCES
The site is located within the "fi'inge area"between the county and the city, so the proposal must
also be reviewed for approval by the city. Amongst the City Ordinances, the Sensitive Areas
Ordinance is generally the most restrictive. Potential sensitive areas are considered below:
Woodland areas greater than 2 acres are to be protected. This project avoids all
densely wooded areas and only a l~w scattered trees will be removed.
Floodways shah not be blocked. All portions of the rehabilitated landscape will be
at or below the level of the present natural floodplain and will not restrict flood
flow.
* Drainageways, both large and small will be avoided by this project.
Any agricultural wetlands delineated by the NRCS survey will be mitigated with
reconstructed and revegetated wetlands.
* Any archeological sites discovered will be evaluated for mitigation.
* No large m'eas offitlly hydric soils are present.
No steep slopes are present within the area to be mined (approximately 3 feet of
relief in 66 acres).
No prairie rentnants are present.
In general, the impact of sand mining will be limited to a flat area presently in row
crops, which otters little in the way of habitat value or other environmental
amenities worth preserving. The proposed post-mining reclamation will offer
considerably greater habitat diversity and support more species. Details are
presented in the next section of this report.
13
The City Ordinance also requires adequate buftkring for wetlands. Portions of the
wooded areas around the south and east sides of the future sand pit qualify as
wooded wetlands. Around most of the south and east perimeter of the proposed
sand pit, the buflkr distance to wooded wetlands is considerably greater than 100
lket (see Figm'e 4) and the averaged buftkr width is greater than 100 feet.
All native species are recommended for the wetland restoration.
Stormwater does not enter the site fi'om nearby properties, present drainage is
around the east and south edees and will remah~ there. Large floods on the Iowa
Rivet' will completely covet' the site, as they do today.
Reclamation will be an annual ongoing process as mining proceeds, which will
span about 5 years.
Cat'bodies along the riverbank will be removed and replaced with more durable and
more acceptable concrete riprap.
A 100 foot unmined blJft~r will be retained along the Iowa River and planted to a
willow fi'inge for improved stability, habitat and aesthetics, which exceeds the
Iowa City 50 foot width requirelnent.
At present the land is privately owned with the intention of remaining so in the
foreseeable future. However, Iowa City is expanding and at some time in the
future may wish to annex and possibly purchase this parcel fi'om Mr. Williams or
his lieks. The reclamation plan is designed so that a trail could be built along the
natural levee beside the river and with other small modifications could become
suitable for public use.
14
PART III
RECLAMATION DESIGN
ASSETS
The assets of the site, useful and constraining for a reclamation design, include:
Pm approximately 66 acre sand pit to be excavated below the water table on a
floodplain.
S & G Materials esthnates that approximately 100,000 cubic yards of
unmm'ketable silt are ohsitc above the sand and available for reclamation.
The regulatory constraints outlined in Pm't II.
The floodplain site is not well suited fox' future human habitation.
The site is nero' the edge of a growing city and will someday become part of the
city.
S & G Materials has access to large quantities of clean fill which could be
incorporated into the reclamation.
Collectively these assets and constraints suggest that the most useful and feasible reclamation
design should be directed towm'd creating aquatic and wetland habitat, compatible with the
floodplain functions, and useable by people and wildlife. A map of our design plan to accomplish
this is illustrated on Figure 4 and details follow.
DESIGN
In the pre-regulatory era, abandoned floodplain sand pits usually had steep side slopes. These
were unstable and would slowly um'avel and over decades would gradually become less steep,
f'maily allowing vegetation to become established. Where these slopes extended steeply into deep
water they created a safety risk for children because the banks could collapse, with nothing to
grab except loose sand. Large floods would occasionally undermine these steep slopes, leading to
large scale collapse. The reclamation plan proposes overcoming these problems by buttressing
the lower slopes with clean £dl, tbrming a wide ledge to be capped with silt and planted to wetland
vegetation. The upper slopes would be excavated back to 4:1 (run:rise), in order to be initially
stable and allow more rapid vegetation. This configuration is illustrated in cross section on Figure
5 and is labeled on the map on Figure 4.
t
~i~S Co~stzT~rm, I~c.
1917 South Gilbert Street
Iowo City, Iowo 52240
319-351-5282
IZAAK WALTON LEAGUE ROAD
OLD SAND PETS
OPeN WATER
,
50' BUFFER
SEWAG;¢
LAGOONS
50'
S~TE
GtJAGE
CELL #2
OPEN WATER
= W'ETLAND FRINGE
= CONSTRucTeD BERId
= SRE='DING ISLAND
= FULL-FACT RIPRAP
= W~LLOW PLANTING
FIGURE 4
RECLAMATION DESIGN
REFERENCE BASE -
1992 AERIAL PHOTOGRAPHY
BUFFER
CELL #3
OPEN WATER
50' BUFFER
WOODED
0 200' 400'
100' 300'
16
GUAGE
100' 30'
UN~INED BUFFER SITE
UPLAND GUAGE
?~ ~:,'.'~ ....~ :.~ ,'..~ ~ ':,. :.~
FIGURE 5
TYPICAL BUFFER CROSS-SECTION
SCALE 1/4-" = 4-'
M~S CONSULTAnts, INC.
1917 South Gilbe~ Street
Iow~ City, Iowo 52240
, ~,~ 319-351-8282
o~ ~. 07/2¥/E7
G:~0100~0112019~01120192 7-2~-97 9:16:41 om EST
17
Sand pits are initially quite barren of vegetation because the sand is a poor medium for plant
growth and alternates between being occasionally underwater during floods to being very dry for
most of the growing season. The I~od chain is very sparse and the major users m'e ducks and
geese which use the open water as a resting place, although little food or nesting cover is
available. Over decades, flood silts gradually accumulate and natural reclamation gradually gets
underway. The proposed reclamation plan provides the necessary silts in a coufiguration that
encourages extensive plant growth within a JEw years.
WATER LEVEL FLUCTUATION
The elevation of tile proposed wetlands is important because tile water table in the reclaimed sand
pit will fluctuate over a wide range, responding both to local storms and runoff from distant
storms coming down the river. The U.S. Geological Survey maintains a gauging station 4 1/4
river miles upstream from the site on the Iowa River, located just south of the Burlington Street
dam in Iowa City. Synthetic stream gage data fi'om 1978 to 1996 for the site is illustrated on
Figure 6.
In order to obtain a match between the USGS stream gage measurements and water table
fluctuations at the site, reference elevation mm'kers were established along the riverbank on-site.
So fro', the match between these has only been made for a few weeks over the midrange of river
fluctuation, so the water level elevations shown on Figure 6 are still somewhat tentative and will
need correction as longer term measurements become available. Drake returns to the site
periodically to obtain more measurements and will continue to do so until a complete empirical
correlation between elevations is obtained.
The natural flows of tile river are altered by operation of the Coralville Dam. In general, the dam
gates are operated so that when major storms pass through the Iowa and Cedar watersheds, the
Cedar River floods are allowed to pass tlu'ough unchecked while the Iowa River floods are
retained in the Coralville Reservoh' and then released more gradually weeks later, after the Cedar
floodwaters have passed down the lowel' Iowa River. This continued operation in the future will
tend to leave prolonged high water later into the growing season and can on occassion be
deleterious to wetland plant growth.
CELLS
The sand pit will be long and narrow. There are advantages to dividing it into several separate
cells. These include:
Reclamation can be completed in each cell sequentially and lessons learned from
the first can be applied to the others.
M S U
) S
T ~
E S
ml
I , I
I r' I I I
18
ICUAGE
JUNE, 1997
.I T I ~ t
198d- 1986 19~8 1990
FIGURE 6
SYNTHETIC STREAM GUAGE DATA
(GUAGE HEIGHTS IN FE-ZT)
I
1992
I
19
During storms with high wind velocities, the total fetch distance will be reduced
and reduce shoreline erosion potential.
The westernmost cell will be flooded by the river most often and have the most
carp and the widest water quality fluctuations. The easternmost cell will flood less
regularly and be supplied mainly by groundwater, maintaining better quality for
longer periods of time.
Because the two sources of water for the ceils, the river on the west and
groundwater on the east, come from opposite dh'ections, the cells will have
somewhat dift~rent hydroperiod fluctuations, providing some habitat diversity
between cells. The berms dividing the sand pit into cells can be composed of
umnined sand or can be built fi'om clean fill. In either case, the top of the berm
shall be the same height as the present floodplain land surface. The lower slopes
should be buttressed with clean f'dl and a silt cap, creating a wetland ledge as
previously discussed and shown on Figure 5.
BREEDING ISLANDS
Some wildlife species can benefit from breeding islands enth'ely surrounded by water. Most
waterfowl will utilize them as well as some species of amphibians and reptiles. The islands also
provide more edge habitat and make the site more interesting to humans. These m'e illustrated on
Figure 4. A Cross-section tlu'ough a typical island recommended for the site is illustrated on
Figure 7. In general, low islands are preferred by nesting wildlife, even though this increases the
probability of flooding of nests.
POTENTIAL FOR RIVER CHANNEL CHANGE
The shifting of river channels to new locations is a natural process on all floodplains and is in fact
an important aspect of floodplain creation. However, in modern thnes, channel shifting has
become very inconvenient for maintenance of bridges, roads, property lines and much of city
infi'astructure. Therefore, in and near Iowa City, the Iowa River has been increasingly constrah~ed
into a single channel position and it is appropriate to plan for this constraint at the Williams'
property also.
The location of the weakest link in maintaining channel position for the Iowa River at the
WillJain's property is shown on Figure 2 with tlu'ee sets of dashed arrows. During a large
magnitude flood event, with or without the sand pit, it is possible that the Iowa River could begin
eroding the intermittent stream channel which extends south of the east end of the proposed
gravel pit. If the flood were of sufficient depth, velocity and duration (under present conditions,
exceeding the 1993 floods) erosion could propagate north across the present cornfield and
connect to the Iowa River at the outside of the bend.
20
'm
SITE~
GUAGE
50' 48' 30'
UPLAND
6
FIGURE 7
TYPICAL CROSS SECTION OF BREEDING ISLAND
SCALE 1
SITE
GUAGE
--12'
-- 20'
~S C01'~STj'L,?M,~'~, iNC. o~ ..... JDM o,~. 07/24/£7
1917 South Gilbert Street
Iowo City, Iowo 52240 ~ ox. L~D/JJ~
319-551-8282 ~o.: 0~z2-0~9 ~ ¢
G:~0100~0112019~01120191 7-21-97 11:01:22 o
21
it is likely that the thick stand of trees in and around this intermittent stream channel has been
important for preventing such downcutting during past floods and preventing an eroding nick
point fi'om propagating north toward the river bend. Maintaining the trees in and along this
shallow waterway is therefore a key factor ill preventing channel location change. Restoration of
the sand pit can also include some additional sal~guards to help discourage such channel change.
These recommendations are shown ill Figure 4 and are listed below:
Do not mine sand from the row crop field corner nearest the intermittent stream
channel.
Replace tile car bodies and rubbish in the present riprap along the Iowa River with
better quality riprap, see Figure 8.
o
Use full face riprap where water will exit the future sand pit during future floods,
in close proximity to the intermittent stream channel.
Some of the wildlit~ breeding islands are shaped and located to help deflect
floodwaters away fi'om intermittent stream access and back towat'ds the main
channel.
Planting the top edge of all riprap with sandbar willow will create a network of
roots to help hold the blocks in place, as well as partially camouflaging them and
providing habitat, locations on Figure 4.
REVEGETATION
Restoration is often def'med as a procedure which allows natural processes to take over and
function again. This is especially true for wetland plantings in a dynamic floodplain environment.
Regardless of which species are planted today, one should expect that 10 years from now the mix
will be different. Floodwaters, depending upon their duration and timing, will kill some species
while bringing in seed of others. Muska'ats, beaver, geese and carp may suppress some species
while spreadh~g others, and theh' populations also shift from year to year. The species mix
recommended on Table II represents durable and adaptable species which can tolerate many
different hydroperiod combinations, grow prolifically and are readily available, either as local
transplants or from regional wetland nurseries. Most of these species are planted as dormant
rhizomes, rootstocks or tubers in the spring, the recommended rate being approximately one plant
per square yard. If large sod chunks (4-6 inches) are used, they can be spaced 4 feet apart and
will fill in equally fast. Seedlings are not recommended because the combined resident and
migratory goose population could do serious damage before the seedlings can become
established.
A double row of sandbar willows should be deep-planted along tile outermost perimeter edge of
the sand pit rim. Unlike many willow species, sandbat' willow does not form large trees but rather
FIGURE 8
CAR BODIES IN RIPRAP
2,2,
23
spreads fi'om root suckers to titan dense clonal thickets. Tile tangled mat of roots and suckers
helps hold sediment and riprap blocks in place. The thicket helps camouflage the riprap, create
habitat and slows floodflows so that sediment is deposited rather than eroded, thus slowly
building the natural levee. There are many methods to plant sandbar willow and the one most
suited to this site is to harvest and plant long dormant cuttings in late March or early April. A
narrow backhoe bucket can be used to dig a slot 5 or 6 feet deep with pairs of 8 or 9 foot long
cuttings pushed into the hole before refilling and compacting the excavated soil. The pah's should
be spaced about 5 feet on center, with 10-12 t~et between the rows. Deep-planted willow whips
can root over theh' enth'e below-ground length in wet seasons with very high rates of survival. If
the spring season is dry they should be watered regularly until well established. Details of willow
planting are illustrated with a cross-section on Figure 9.
Tile upper side slopes of the sand pit should be cut back to 4:1 (run:rise) and planted to a three-
stage grass and forb mix. The th'st stage grasses should be either oats for a spring planting or
winter wheat for an early autumn planting. These will sprout immediately and provide erosion
control. The second stage should be a common pasture mix with timothy, red top, red clover,
etc., which develops more slowly that year (or the following year for an early autumn planting).
The thh'd stage is s~naller quantities of native prairie species which will attempt to gradually
displace the pasture species. Approximate quantities are listed on Table Ill. Floods will bring in
additional seed from upstream and the long term outcome is not fully predictable without
intensive management, which is not recommended for this site.
STOCKING
As soon as construction of each cell is completed it should be stocked with 20 pounds of fathead
minnows. This species remahls small, reproduces prolifically, eats mosquito larvae plus other tiny
plants and animals, and tolerates a wide range of water quality conditions. It is low on the food
chain and supports a wide range of predators, from bass to kingfishers. These minnows are
available locally.
The other small plants and animals, including algae, diatoms, ostracodes, pondweeds, snails,
beetles, stoneflies, leeches, mayflies, fah'y slu'imp, rofifers, crayfish, hydras, etc. will migrate
rapidly to the site without our assistance and colonize each cell as it becomes available. These do
not need to be stocked.
TABLE II
RECOMMENDED WETLAND AND AQUATIC SPECIES
Wild h'is
Sweet Flag
Canada Anemone
Burreed (several species)
Sedges (many species)
Arrowhead (several species)
Deepwater Duck Potato
Water Lily
Ironweed
Water Plantain (plant as seed)
Spikerushes (many species)
Bukushes (many species)
Muskgrass (deep water aquatic)
Wild Celery (deep water aquatic)
Blue joint
24
Note: cattails and reed canary grass are not recommended because they will move in on their own
and could overwhelm other species if planted early.
IOWA
RIVER
25
WILLOW
CUTTINGS
//-~"~.~ TEM POR ARILY
EXCAVATED
SOIL
I /
I /
I /
EXISTING
RIPRAP
FIGURE 9
PLANTING WILLOW WHIPS
NOT TO SCALE
~MS CONSULTANTS,
1917 South Gilbert Street
Iowa City, Iowa 52240 CHECKED BY.. LDD/JJK DRAI~NG NO,:
31 9-351-8282 0112-019 $H£Er OF
JO~ NO.:
G:~0100~0112019~01120193 7-21-97 9:01:09 am EST
Stage
1
(cover)
2
(pasture)
TABLE 1II
UPPER SLOPE SEEDING MIX
Species
Oats or Winter Wheat
Pounds/Acre
45-55
Timothy
Red Top
Red Clover
Perennial Rye
Kentucky Bluegrass
Alfalfa
12-20
3 Big Bluestem 9-12
(native prairie) Indian Grass
Little Bluestem
Purple Coneflower
Sideoats Grama
Sunflowers (several species)
New England Aster
Pm'tridge Pea
Pale Purple Coneflower
Yellow Coneflower
Monarda
Note: Some pasture mixes and some native prah'ie mixes will contah~ different species.
pasture mixes with brome and select mesic prairie mixes.
Avoid
26
27
PART IV
OTHER ENVIRONMENTAL ISSUES
Some mineral extraction industries can create groundwater problems, affecting either quantity or
quality. However hydraulic sand dredging, as presently conducted in Iowa City and proposed for
this site, uses water fi'om a pit dug into the sand layer and returns all the water to the same sand
layer, so there is no net loss. Fines washed fi'om the sand are returned to the pit where they settle
out and the water is recycled to dredge more sand. The net result is that shallow wells only a
short distance down gradient show no change in water level or quality. The WillJain's site is
presently in row crops and applied pesticides can readily enter the shallow sands. This will cease
with its conversion to a sand pit and subsequent reclamation.
Hydraulic sand dredging is one of the least obtrusive mineral extraction industries. There is not
the blasting associated with a bedrock quarry nor the tarry odor of an asphalt plant, so it should
be relatively easy for the operators to maintain a good neighbor policy.
'? ,
[l ; : I , iI lI'
2:> r,~, ,
',';i,'"
;:
Problems with CU9706: Application for Conditional Use Permit for WillJain's Sand Pit Operation
presented to the Board of Supervisors site visit October 6, 1997
The proposed sand operation is not compatible with the area, i.e. agricultural and residential.
Although the proposal is for -95 acres; a negative response from the Board of Supervisors for
CU9706 will send a message that sand mining can NOT be done near residential areas. Since an
area along the river and to the south (-350 acres) has one owner not living in the state it seems
plausible that other sand operations could be initiated in this area. Izaak Walton Road should serve
as a border for sand operations (north of Izaak Walton Road is in Iowa City); no new operations
should be approved South of Izaak Walton Road.
If you were asked why you didn't want a sand mining operation in your back yard you would
probably give some of the following reasons:
1. the road connecting me to main roads would cause potential safety problems: heavy truck vs
pedestrian, bicyclists, car or bus encounters on a minimally maintained gravel road
2. noise and dust produced by the extraction, loading and truck travel
3. safety related to open pits
4. replacement of open fields with open 'ponds' when project is completed; the aesthetics of the
finished product has not been shown by past history
Our reasons for not having a sand mining operation in our back yard are no different than yours.
Clearly, from a humanistic point of view the sand operation should not be embedded in a
residential/agricultural area. Also after reading written documents, the operation does not meet the
guidelines stated in the "Zoning Ordinance for Unincorporated Area of Johnson Cotmty" and the
goals and strategies in the "Johnson County, Comprehensive Plan 1997". The proposal should be
declined and future decisions should be based on locating these plants away from residential areas:
in many areas sand plants are purposely located far from residential areas. The added cost for
transporting the material is the price that must be paid to protect the equality of everyonefs home.
Expansion is not cheap; in this case the savings in transportation costs can not replace the loss that
nearby residents will suffer in their quality of life and in their property values. Present and future
plmming must be based on these principles.
Further expansion on these points is contained in letters written to members of the Johnson County
Board of Supervisors. Please take the time to read these letter and give these concerns your careful
consideration.
Vicki and Dwight Tardy
pitboard.doc
4608 Oak Crest Hill Rd. SE
Iowa City, Iowa 52240
October 6, 1997
Members of City Council of Iowa City
Civic Center
410 E. Washington Street
Iowa City, Iowa
Dear Madam/Sir:
We are va'iting to you today to express our concerns for and opposition to Conditional Use Permit application
CU9706: Reclamation Opportunities at the Future Williams Sand Pit. Although the Zoning staff recommended approval
the Planning and Zoning Commission voted 3 to 2 to deny the application. As you know the application has been put on
the agenda for the Board of Supervisors meeting of October 9.
We have read the i) Reclamation Oppommities at the Future Williams Sand Pit proposal, ii) the Zoning Ordinance
for Unincorporated Area of Johnson County and iii) the Johnson County, Iowa Comprehensive Plan 1997. There seems
to be some discrepancies between the County guidelines and the proposed mining at this particular site. We question the
compatibility and consistency of a mining operation in this area that has been established as residential and agricultural
by the Platming and Zoning Office of this county and approved by the Boai'd of Supervisors. We will cite specifics
where we think this proposal is in direct opposition to the goals and guidelines set out in the latter two documents listed
above.
Comprehensive Plan
Section 11.5, Future Land Use-Commercial and Industrial Development states "The county should make every
effort to reduce conflicts between commercial and industrial development and residential areas by separating
them completely or requiring increased setbacks or buffers between uses where separation is not feasible." We
ask: Does 50' from a home sound like it meets the reasonable separation from a mining operation? Would you
like a mining operation 50' from your back yard? How would you feel about the safety of your children or
grandchildren? How would you like only a row of willow trees separating your home from the benu of a sand
pit?
Section 11.9, Future Land Use Goals and Strategies.
Environmental Protection states "Protect drainage areas, creek beds, and other highly erodable lands."
This site is located directly in the floodway of the Iowa River; abandoned sand pits north of here 'blew out in
the 1993 flood and caused erosion damage to farmland to the south. A mining operation makes the land more
vulnerable to erosion. How will this added erosion affect the sewage lagoons for Regency Mobile Home Park
which are located 50' south of proposed cell # 1 ? It is easy to visualize the effluents from 600 people
contaminating wells, crop land and the Iowa River. This section also states "Protect Johnson County water
quality." There is a concern on how this would affect the wells of residents in this area. Also in this section
under Environmental Protection Strategies "Continue to strictly control development wifi~in floodplains."
Strictly controlling development would be to deny approval for this permit.
The Economic Development Goals in this section also reiterates "Reduce conflicts between
commercial and industrial development and residential areas" and "Encourage commercial and industa'ial
development in such a manner as to minimize disturbance to natural land features and productive agricultural
land". There is no question that a mining operation drastically alters land features and this land is currently
being fanned. The Strategies for this subsection state "Separate commercial and industrial and residential land '
uses completely or require increased setbacks or buffers between uses where complete separation is not
feasible." And "Prevent access to industrial areas through existing or future residential areas." Residents in
this area would have to share Izaak Walton Road (IWR) with 100 trucks a day. The sand trucks would enter
IWR from their plant at the exact intersection where children are picked up and dropped off by the school bus.
The intersection oflWK with State Highway 923 is another safety concern: there is only 40' between the
intersection and the railroad track. There is no doubt that the extensive heavy truck traffic will take its toll on
the road and cause even more safety concerns for pedestrians, bicyclists and automobile drivers. Would you
like to drive your car on IWR to get to and from your home with a loaded sand truck coming full speed ahead?
(Trucks are known to travel -55 mph on this road.) Would you want your child riding lfis/her bike or walking
or waiting for the school bus under these conditions?
II.
Zoning Ordinance
Section 8:1.34. Conditional Use Permits
"I.A. That the proposed location, design, construction and operation of the particular use adequately
safeguards the health, safety and general welfare of persons residing or working in adjoining or sun'ounding
property." We are concerned about the noise fi'om the operation of removing the sand from the ground and
loading into the trucks and the noise from the trucks moving and can'ying away the sand. The safety concerns
mentioned above also apply here. How will the enviromnent be affected if 'temporary' equipment used for
producing concrete and/or asphalt is brought to the site? The general welfare of nearby residents will not be
enhanced by a mining operation.
'TB. That the proposed use will not adversely affect the quality and supply of water, air, and light to
surrounding property." We are concerned about air pollution due to dust from processing sand and fi'om truck
travel on gravel roads. We are concerned about noise pollution from digging, loading and transporting sand.
We are also concerned about water pollution to wolls in the area.
"I.C. That the proposed use will not adversely affect established property values of adjoining or surrounding
buildings." Would a sand pit and processing plant affect the value of your property if it were located in your
backyard? What will the land look like when the sand is extracted? Past experience shows us that more
wasteland will be left behind not the park-like setting illustrated on the front page of the proposal. It can't help
but devalue property in the surrounding area.
"I.D. That the proposed use is in accordance with the character of the area and peculiar suitability of this area
for the proposed use." The current character of the area is residential and agricultural from the Williams site
south. Unfortunately, pits north of Williams that were abandoned in the mid 1980's infi'inged on the
residential/agricultural/resort area; the promise of a park-like setting still does not exist 12 years later. Just
because you can do something does not mean you should. If this proposal is approved, what is to stop the
development of mining to the south along the western side of the Iowa River. It would be a pity to turn into a
wasteland what is undeniably one of Johnson County's most beautiful areas. Those of us who live along here
treasure the serenity and natural beauty of the valley.
"I.E That the proposed use is an appropriate use of the land and will not discourage appropriate uses of other
land." Some people will say that this is an appropriate use of the land since sand is here and sand is needed.
However, it does not seem compatible with the zoning that has been approved in the last couple of years;
several small subdivisions have been approved in the area directly south of IWR and are compatible with the
raising of animals and growing of crops that is cm'rently the dominant activity in the area. The proposal states
that there are only 2 to 4 years of sand on the Williams site; it doesn't take much imagination to see that it
would not be worth the time and expense to develop this site unless they are also planning to develop adjoining
areas.
We urge you to have some foresight when considering this proposal and not to let the gates open to deveioping a
wasteland along the western banks of the Iowa River. We urge you to vote to deny approval of CU9706.
Thank you for the time you have spent reading this. We would like to meet with you to discuss our concerns next
week.
Very Sincerely,
Vicki Tardy
phone: 351-5208
Dwight Tardy
(pitierr2. doc)
As requested, the following are the highlighted concerns of us property owners and
residences adjoining and surrounding the proposed sand operation on the Tom Williams'
farm. We feel it is very important for the board to read all of our letters as these are only
our points of highlighted concerns without explanation. Our letters (sent to you by mail)
explain in far greater detail the very points we list here.
1.) That the proposed site be located no closer than 1000' to any residential property.
This is the spirit of the Zoning Ordinance and is a supplemental condition of a sand
operation in any other residential area in the county. Strip mining is NOT a compatible
use in or around a residential area. We are residential property tax payers in Johnson
County and expect our rights of protection. Taxation without representation, regardless
of past zoning mistakes, is no more right now than it was when this country was founded.
2.) That the proposed location, design, construction and operation of this particular use
adequately safeguards the health, safety and general welfare of persons residing in the
adjoining and surrounding properties.
3.) That the proposed site will not adversely affect the quality and supply of water, air,
and light to surrounding property.
4.) That the proposed site will not adversely affect established property values of
adjoining or surrounding properties.
5.) That the proposed site is in accordance with the character of property uses currently
in this area.
6.) That the proposed site is an appropriate use of this land and will not discourage
appropriate uses of other lands.
7.) That past mining operations in the area need be assessed in understanding how this
proposed operation will truly be run. As well as how the leased property truly will be left
after minerals have been exhausted regardless of promises and reclamation plans.
8.) That this operation, where allowed, be properly enforced at every level of
government to prevent illegal stockpiling of any kind, or measure, which would impede
or redirect the natural flow of flood waters. Perhaps even excluding the county from
future FEMA grants.
9.) That there be no easy access for children in the area to wonder to any hazard this
company would leave during or after their extraction of wanted minerals.
10.) That trucks using the county owned road provide special health, safety and welfare
problems including, but not limited to: dust & noise pollution, speed & traffic violation
with increased traffic, and perhaps most importantly the increased probability of
accidents. While no resident down here wishes to be in a accident with a 40 ton truck, all
agree the school bus that visits the area having such an accident, with a full load of
children, would be the greatest tragedy of allowing such an operation in a residential
area.
1 l.) That the County road be maintained during and after any new use is allowed upon
it. The railroad, county and city all have some interest in the road currently and all need
agree to what shall be done and who will have responsibility for maintenance there after.
12.) What security can be expected during and after operation of this site. The current
sites have always been an attractant for undesirables in the area. Trespassing and
destruction of private properties have in the past been byproducts of new strip mining.
13.) Holding someone responsible for property upkeep after the site is closed for the use
of mining. Current sites are never mowed and no effort at all is made to keep the
properties up because there is no other possible use for the properties after they have
been str/p mined.
14.) The very real possibility of blow outs (in times of floods) permanently changing the
current channel of the Iowa river. The combination of all other past strip mining sites in
this area, with this proposed new site, weaken further existing "weak-links" that
potentially could shorten the distance the river currently flows.
15.) Lastly, we have great concerns about accountability, where this operation is
allowed. For each of the concerns we have listed above, we wish to know who will stand
up and accept responsibility.
While we understand there are many concerns above that simply can not be addressed
while allowing this operation, most of these concerns are directly out of the county
ordinance for such an operation. The intent of the ordinance was not to have strip mining
and residences mixed. The ordinance foresaw residential concerns and tried to account
fairly for them. We ask no more than to be recognized as residences and have our rights
of protection preserved.
September 29, 1997
<<Name>>
913 South Dubuque St.
P.O. Box 1350
Iowa City, Iowa 52244-1350
I write today in opposition of a proposed Conditional Use Permit on the Tom Williams' farm. If passed, this
Conditional Use Permit would put a sand pit 50' from my back yard. I also wish to explain some of the
history of the area so you, as board members, can make a better informed decision.
My goal for this letter is to talk about tree major points, I feel can not go ignored. I will explain: 1 .) The
current and past zoning of the surrounding area, 2.) Stated requirements for a conditional use permit
which, in this case, are not being met and finally, 3.) I will try to explain the history of, now closed, sand
pits in the area. Sand pits that were operated by the very same group requesting permits to open a new sand
operation now. These "old sand pits" should be considered in assessing value of any future plan to allow
strip mining in this area.
Zoning:
I live in the Zahner's Subdivision. In 1959, when it was originally platted, this area was zoned A-2 Resort.
Zahner's stayed zoned A-2 Resort until August 19, 1985. Many people, as a result of this zoning, built there
homes in this area, myself included.
What happened on August 19, 1985, we as property owners, are just now coming to understand: In a
county wide effort to discourage further building of homes inside the 100yr flood plain, Johnson County
adopted a Flood Plain Ordinance. This new Ordinance changed Zahner's, as well as other areas in the
county, from then current zoning, to A-3 Flood Plain with one blanket action. The new Ordinance was
meant to discourage further building inside the flood plain, not to forgo the protection and property fights of
existing property owners.
The importance of understanding all this is that since 1959 property owners in this area have, and continue,
to pay a residential tax rate. Surely, therefore, we too are entitled to the rights and protections that go
along with owning a residence. The intent for a conditional use permit for a sand mining operation is rather
clear in requiring any proposed site for permit to be no closer than 1000ft to any property zoned for any type
of residency i.e.: A-2, RS, R1A, RIB, R2, or R3A.
There are many residencies in this area, both in the Zahner's Subdivision and outside the Zahner's
Subdivision. The county allowed all of us to invest and build, and residential taxes have been collected on
our investments for close to 40yrs now. It is my belief, that since there was a residence on almost every lot
in Zahner's Subdivision, that the flood plain ordinance of 1985 (adopted on a county wide bases) provided
unfair hardship on the existing residences 0fthe area. Not only did the ordinance take away our existing
property use rights, but now, if this permit for a conditional use is granted, we would lose our rights of
protection as residential home owners in Johnson County as well.
I would tike to see my property in the Zahner's Subdivision zoned back to the A-2 Resort district that it had
when I bought my property and built my house. This is the only way I can see to protect the investments I
have made, over the long term. I should not have to come back to this board every time a farmer in the
area sees the county has me zoned A-3 and thinks my rights of protection can then be ignored as a
residential property tax payer. As I have said, there is a house built on almost, if not all, properties in the
Zahner's Subdivision; the A-3 Flood Plain zoning we currently have serves no purpose but to forgo our
rights o~' protection as residencies. The A-3 zoning does not discourage building in Zatmer's any more than
A-2 zoning would. If the area were zoned A-2, it would still fall under every restriction t~ar building in the
flood plain: With the addition of the 4/23/87 amendments t~r flood plain regulations, ANY property within
the 100yr flood plain, regardless o~'the zoned district, must meet flood plain regulations.
At the least, I would ask this board to protect my rights as a residency in Johnson County and deny any
conditional use permit for sand mining where tile proposed site is within 1000ft of my residence, regardless
of past ntistakes with zoning.
Requirements for a Conditional Use Permit:
There are five guidelines to be considered in determining whether a conditional use permit should, or will, be
granted:
A.) That tile proposed location, design, construction and operation of the particular use adequately
safeguards the health, safety and general welfare of persons residing or working in adjoining or surrounding
property.
B.) That tile proposed use will not adversely affect the quality and supply of water, air, and light to
surrounding property.
C.) That the proposed use will not adversely affect established property values of adjoining or surrounding
buildings.
D.) That tile proposed use is in accordance with the character of'the area and the peculiar suitability of this
area for tile proposed use.
E.) That the proposed use is an appropriate use of the land and will not discourage appropriate uses of
other land.
As pointed out, and agreed to as part of the reason to motion that this conditional use permit be denied, your
zoning board recognized none o1' the above guidelines are met by this proposal from S&G for a operation in
this area. I would like to go over each guideline, one at a time, as a means to show what information was
brought up to aid the board of zoning in there decision:
a.) There is a bus stop ilar school children at the very location where S&G hopes to gain easement, both
il~gress and egress, to their proposed sand operation. This is not a standard 40' easement, it was given as an
agricultural easement and though I have not checked I would think that it can be no more than 25ff wide.
The school bus stops a minimum ot'two times a day at this sight, early morning and early evening. The
school bus currently uses the mouth of the easement, that S&G wishes to use, to turn around in. There are
also several elderly people, with breathing difficulties, living in the surrounding neighborhoods. Proposal of
such a plan, so close to residencies, in itself does not adequately provide for the health, safety or general
wclfiu'c of persons residing in these adjoining and surrounding properties.
b.) Built so closely to my property, fifty feet away, I can expect water, air and light contamination. Less
than 75' fi'om my well, I can expect more direct introduction of f'ertilizer residue and nitrates, this farm has
used for years, in to my water supply. Even with their best efforts, running trucks and equipxnent 50' fi'om
my property line will produce uncontrollable amounts of dust erTecting ankl contaminating both the air and
light supply I currently enjoy.
c.) There are 2 other abandon sand pits operations within hundreds of feet of this proposed site. Mr. 8'arker
and Mr. Albrecht subleased one in 1987 (under the name Central Materials, Inc.) and they own the site of
the other. Both sites are totally destroyed for any use, have been abandoned and are a terrible eye sore.
Both sites have many unsymmetrical holes dug all about the property, have been let grow up with noxious
weeds and most certainly do devalue adjoining properties. We have 2 examples of exactly what S&G will
do to devalue property in this area, within hundreds of feet of each other. I have no doubt the value of my
property (fifty t~et away from such a site) would, ill fact, fall dramatically.
In 1993, with tile flood, pits on BOTH of the sites I speak of above DID partially blow out towards the river
on their south ends. The county of Johnson County had to rebuild part of lzaak Walton Road because of
one of these blow outs (see inclosed photo) from a pit located on property S&G owns. The other blow out
was on property Central Materials (Albrecht & Barker) subleased from Albert Gee in 1987, for the purpose
uf sm~d mining. This too, clearly, dewdues adjoinling properties, as a blow out redirects the stream flow of
the Iowa river, at times of high waters, to cut away at adjoining lands that in no way would be affected
without such a disturbance o1-' existing natural fills.
d.) There are homes within flay feet of this proposed site, there is also farm land for the production of
crops in this area. This is the character of the area. This was always the intent for this area and is exactly
why it originally was zone A-2 resort: To allow t~r both residencies and crop production. A sand operation
in this area is not fitting with the character oFthes¢ two intended uses. Nor is a sand operation in this area
an effective use of the land. It will become totally useless ground, unsuitable for crop production of any
kind within 2yrs of digging. When S&G moves offof this proposed farm land it will sit, just as the land Mr.
Albrecht and Mr. Barker leased in 1987 has. Never again will this land have any use what so ever.
c.) This proposal is not in any way an appropriate use For any crop producing farm land. Excluding times
el' very large lloods this land has produced good crops every year since it was platted. Allowing a sand
operation on this land, as small as it is, will provide short term supplies of s,'md (2-4yrs). Thereafter, the
land can never again produce a crop or serve any intended use for which it is zoned. Further, allowing this
sand operation will discourage appropriate uses of other lands. Already the owners of S&G have offered a
large property owner, south of the Williams' farm, timds so they may move this operation southward on to
his lands. In ett~ct S&G knows there is only so much sand on the Williams' farin. Their long range goal is
to gain an easement (via the Williams' farm) to tile lands south. Again, they will wish to strip mine
destroying, almost inexhaustible, crop producing abilities of the farm lands in favor era short term supplies
o f sa rid.
Past ,¥aml Operations itt This/lrea:
I have opposed sand pits in this area belbre. In an attempt to make sure the board is properly briefed on all
in/21rmation I currently have that may be of use to them I wish to end here with the histories of sand pits in
this area. I also wish to provide the board with ret~rences to get to facts regarding past operations in this
area.
While I believe it was an honest ntistake, from and honorable man that probably can not be expected to
remember every. detail of ever7 business deal 10 yr. in the past (We are, after all, all getting older), I did hear
Nil'. Barker of S&G make an error in explaining his involvement (To the Board of Zoning) in 1987 on an
adjoining piece of property. Mr. Barker clairned he never had any dealings with Gee Grading & Excavating
who, in 1987, held a lease on a tract of farm land from Ed and Mike Inc. (Eddy Pechous & Mike Donevan).
I tbught the sand pit in 1987 and the proposed sand pit was a Central Materials operation. Albert Gee
subleased the ground to Mr. Albrecht and Mr. Barker who at the time went before the board of supervisors
(I am including sorne of tl~ose minutes, as well as some news paper articles). The Board's hands, at that
time, it was decided, where tied: They could not stop tile operation argued for by Mr. Barker and Mr.
Albrccht. The reasoning given us adjoining property owners was that the mining permits where still in effect
t?om the state and that the site (as it had been mined before and never closed) was grandfathered in to the
county ordnance. At the time, we were assured (as was the Board of Supervisors) that the site, upon
reclamation, would look just like a park. Tile site was closed, the bond at the state was released and the site
does not now, and never has, looked like a park.
It was also suggested to the Board of Zoning that the I0 acre tract of land (wlfich included 1/2 of an old
sand pit originally dug by Stevens' Sand and Gravel) that S&G wishes to build a plant on (And stock pile oil)
was part elf'the Tom Williamns' t~,rm. This is in error. The piece of land pointed to in the Board of Zoning
meeting is in f~act part ofthe Ed & Mike Inc. farm that Mr. Albrecht and Mr. Barker subleased in 1987. The
lid & Mike Inc. arm has been officially closed ~r the purpose of sand mining to my understanding. A
seco,~d set of permits and a second conditional use permnit would be needed to reopen this land for a mining
operation. Further, this land, too, is within the flood plain and the flood way. It has been in use
conibrmance el'the county ordinance (the mine was officially closed) for years now. The Ed & Mike Inc.
thrm can no longer claim it is grandt~athered in. It is both in the flood plain and flood way, there can be ao
stockpiling or construction that in any way would redirect the natural flow of flood waters.
Lastly, there are sand pits (I believe now in the City Limits) directly north oFIzaak Walton Road. All of
these abandoned pits are currently owned by S&G, as well. I think we as property owners (as well as you as
board members) have many, many, examples of what can be expected from allowing further sand mining in
this area with granting of new conditional use permits.
It simply is not in the best interest of the surrounding lands, property owners or allowable property uses (as
currently zoned) to grant such a conditional use permit for further mining of this area. The benefits gained
by the one party of S&G do not out weigh the long term costs to: 1. The county, state, and t~deral
governments through loss of revenues when this mine gets abandoned (2-4yrs), 2. Adjoining property
owners who's lands and properties (and thereby their values) are directly a~t~cted. 3. The Community as a
whole. Already, once, do to a blow out of an abandon mine, Johnson county tax payers have been asked to
bare the cost or' repairing the county owned, lzaak Walton road.
Where ~his operation is allowed and the river flows over its banks following the path it did in 1993 (directly
southeastwardly) It will blow out these mines again. This time there will not be the 95 acre barrier ofthe
Williams' farIn to stop the water fi'om avoiding 5 changes in direction over an estimated 13,000 feet of its
current bed. Where it blows out all the walls ofthe current and proposed sand pits (Less than a l~w
hundred feet max. between each pit) Tile river will t~ave access to an even deeper bed than it has now (most
of tile pits are deeper than tile current river bottom). The river will have a more direct "strait line"
sc, utheastcrly 11ow of about one third the distance (4500 feet est.).
This entire area was constructed from the natural deposition provided from the Iowa River. The area is
composed of deposited sand, silts and top soil: All easily erodable substances where their raw mass does not
provide greater l'riction and resistance than the current walls and floor of an existing bed. To maintain the
current river channel there must be less f?iction and resistance over the estimated 13,000 foot existing bed
(which l~rces 5 directional changes) than there would be from eroding through all pit walls to shorten flow
between to points by an estimated 8500 feet. If the resistance and friction provided by undisturbed parcels
ol' land between two or more bends in the river are not greater than that provided by the current channel, in
times of high water, physics dictate the river WILL take the easier path; The river would take a new,
permanent, channel.
When the river is out of its banks it flows directly south unless otherwise obstructed. On this side of the
river and in this area there is a gradual gradient change, the further west you go from the rivers edge. The
bulk of the county owned izaak Waltell Road and adjoining properties, for example, are 8' higher above sea
level than the Williams' farln. Basically, this means that at a time of flood the water is forced into a
southeasterly flow over the flood way. For three months in 1993 it flowed directly southeast in a strait line
over the bank of the river, over the old sand pits next to the Izaak Walton road (which blew out, washing a
section of Izaak Walton road away), over the sand pits that Central Materials leased and dug from in 1987
(which blew out on the southeast end, towards the Williams' farm), over tile Williamns' farm and eventually
t~acl< over tile river bank just south of the Williams' fan-n.
With this, a third set el'sand pits, (all witlain hundreds of feet of each other) all in a perfect line to shorten tile
distance of the current flow of tile Iowa river around bends that change the flow direction no less than 5
times, It is not unreasonable to expect the fiver to blow out sand pits again. With no more than a few
huadred feet between each sand pit and no more than 100' from each bank of the river, taking a new,
straighter, path increasing the rivers gradient (down hill slope of the bed or of the waters surface, if the
stream is very large) aad velocity (The speed at which a body of water travels from point a to point b) by
shortening the distance between two points seems very plausible. The current river bed would become the
new sight oldeposition (tbrming an oxbow lake) and the new channel would erode more and more deeply
where before there was only deposition: previously useable, taxable, lands, when the river was within its
banks, would become the new river chinreel.
A~ay point south of the new channel discharge point (The Furthest southeasterly corner of the Williams' farm)
could expect an increase in both the rivers gradient and velocity and, thereby, even the discharge rate would
increase (channel width, depth and velocity all being factors in the measure of discharge rates) for places
south to deal with. The cost o~' reclaiming lands damaged by such a change in the natural flow of the river
would, [ am sure, be too catastrophic to expect property owners, down stream, to bare alone. I would point
out that tim geological study on the Williams' farm, presented in the reclamation proposhl (page 19,
paragraph 5) Admits basically what [ have stated above. A blow out is a probability where a weak link is
made even weaker, providing a 100' barrier where currently there stands acres erbarfief. What the
reclamation plan does not do is extend past the boundaries of the Williams' farm to include, also, all the
weak links that will be made even weaker on all the directly adjoining (previously mined) lands in this area.
I wish to thank you for you time in reading this letter and hope you too, in some small way, now feel better
intbrmed to decide the issue soon to be before you. The concerns of us property owners are quite real,
again, tl~ank you for listening to them.
Mary Kay Hull
Sally Stutsman
Joe Bolkcom
Charles D. Duffy
Johnathan Jordahl
Stephen P. l_,acina