Peter Levi, assistant professor of environmental science, and Drake’s Stream Ecosystem Ecology Lab (SEEL) were awarded a 3-year, $200,000 grant to collaborate with two local Watershed Management Authorities (WMAs) to research the impacts of current and future restoration work in Fourmile Creek and Walnut Creek. These streams flow through farmland and suburbs before reaching Des Moines—and they have impaired water quality as a result. The work by Levi and students in Drake’s Department of Environmental Science and Sustainability will track changes to the hydrology, chemistry, and biology of the ecosystems while the WMAs implement infrastructure and restoration activities in the watersheds. The study will provide a holistic assessment on the ecological value of watershed improvement investments and will offer guidance for watershed management efforts.

Tricia Atterberg, Sponsored Programs Administration and Research Compliance