Polk County restores 11 streams in $17M water quality push
A $17 million project to repair stream erosion is nearing completion in Polk County. Why it matters: The investment could serve as a blueprint for the rest of the state's waterways if researchers can demonstrate measurable water quality improvements. Catch up quick: Polk County launched the initiative in 2024, with the first restoration projects starting in 2025. It covers 11 stream restoration projects spanning nearly 10 miles in Ankeny, Altoona, Mitchellville, Des Moines and Pleasant Hill. Context: The work comes amid years of water quality concerns , including high nitrate levels that prompted the metro's first mandatory lawn-watering ban in 2025. By the numbers: Costs have fallen by about $4 million from the county's previously reported $21 million estimate, thanks to competitive construction bidding, Polk County water resources supervisor John Swanson tells Axios. Six projects are complete, two are expected to finish in November, and three are scheduled for completion in spring 2027. Before-and-after photos show a creek near Fourmile Bike Park, where crews installed rocks and other features to stabilize the stream. Photos: Courtesy of Polk County Public Works Follow the money: The state is covering about 63% of the total costs ($10.62 million), with Polk County, participating cities
