YEADER CREEK
PUBLIC COMMENTS SOUGHT ON WATER QUALITY PLAN

DES MOINES - Plans for improving water quality at Yeader Creek in Des
Moines will be discussed at a public meeting on Dec. 14. The meeting
will be held at the Des Moines South Side Library at 1111 Porter Ave at
6:30 p.m. Comments on the draft plan will be received through Dec. 27.

A draft TMDL - or Total Maximum Daily Load - has been developed for
Yeader Creek. TMDLs are calculations used to determine how much of a
pollutant a water body can receive and still maintain its designated use
such as maintaining aquatic life, allowing body contact such as swimming
or being used as a drinking water supply.

TMDLs also include plans on how water quality can be improved through
conservation efforts and best management practices in the watershed.
After receiving public comments, the TMDL will be forwarded to the U.S.
Environmental Protection Agency for final approval.

Yeader Creek is impaired due to deicing agents (glycol) that cause
aesthetically objectionable conditions in the stream and are toxic to
aquatic life. Ethylene glycol and propylene glycol are two common
deicing agents used at the Des Moines International Airport. The airport
has a NPDES permit from the DNR, which limits the amount of glycol that
can be discharged to the stream.

High levels of glycol in the stream can cause aesthetic concerns such
as water coloration and substrate coloration, and aquatic life concerns
due to glycol toxicity and the demand on dissolved oxygen in the
stream.

Recommendations made by the DNR for improving water quality in Yeader
Creek include:
* Continued compliance of the NPDES permit by the Des Moines
International Airport
* Increase public education by the City of Des Moines in regards to
urban stormwater draining to Yeader creek
* Prevent illegal dumping in the stream and report any spills going
into Yeader Creek

The draft TMDLs can be obtained and comments can be made using the
following sources:
* Internet http://www.iowadnr.com/water/tmdlwqa/tmdl/publicnotice.html

* E-mail to: [log in to unmask]
* Telephone by calling: Danelle Haake at (515) 281-6064
* Mail by writing: Danelle Haake, care of Iowa DNR, Wallace State
Office Building, Des Moines, Iowa 50319

For more information, contact Danelle Haake at (515) 281-6064 or Kevin
Baskins at (515) 281-8395.

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