At IStorm 2026 in Cedar Falls last month, we recognized the projects, communities, and individuals making a real difference for water quality across Iowa. Three Ripple Effect Awards, the Traveling Paddle, and two Water Warrior Awards were presented during the conference luncheon on April 23.
This year’s theme, Weathering the Storm: Adapting Together for Resilient Communities, reflected the growing challenges Iowa communities face with stormwater. The award recipients show what is possible when partners commit to creative solutions and stick with them.
Congratulations to all of this year’s honorees!
Ripple Effect Awards
The Ripple Effect Award recognizes outstanding urban stormwater management projects that protect and improve Iowa’s water quality. Winning projects show creative solutions, measurable benefits, and serve as models other communities can learn from.
Cedar Falls High School Stormwater Management, Conservation, and Education Project
The Cedar Falls Community School District integrated four parking lot bioretention cells treating runoff from over 2.5 acres of impervious surface, along with 23.5 acres of native prairie planted across detention basins and surrounding areas. Together, these practices will manage nearly 14.7 million gallons of stormwater each year and reduce more than 40,000 pounds of total suspended solids, plus measurable reductions in phosphorus and nitrogen.
The project also connects students to nature through outdoor learning spaces, landscaped courtyards, and biology labs that support environmental education across grade levels.
Project partners: Black Hawk Soil and Water Conservation District, Dry Run Creek Watershed Improvement Project, Iowa Department of Natural Resources, Iowa Department of Agriculture and Land Stewardship, and the UNI Tallgrass Prairie Center.
Dr. Andy Pattee, Superintendent of Cedar Falls Community School District, and Josh Balk of the Iowa Department of Agriculture and Land Stewardship accept the Ripple Effect Award on stage at IStorm 2026.
Polk County Creekview Stormwater Wetland
Polk County and the City of Ankeny developed the Creekview Stormwater Wetland, a 6.5-acre wetland that treats runoff from a 430-acre fully developed urban watershed draining into Four Mile Creek, a priority watershed for water quality improvement and flood mitigation.
The wetland treats urban runoff, enhances wildlife habitat, and provides downstream flood storage. The team overcame significant permitting challenges through innovative design, and the project will serve as a model stormwater wetland for Polk County and the surrounding region.
Project partners: City of Ankeny, Great Outdoors Foundation, Iowa Department of Agriculture and Land Stewardship, Iowa Finance Authority, US Army Corps of Engineers, Iowa Department of Natural Resources, McAninch, and Snyder & Associates.
Jared Bright of the City of Ankeny, Dave Mulholland of Snyder & Associates, and Cassie Druhl of Polk County accept the Ripple Effect Award on stage at IStorm 2026.
Coralville Clear Creek Stream Mitigation Bank
The City of Coralville’s Clear Creek Stream Mitigation Bank restored two miles of stream and riparian corridor through re-meandering, floodplain reconnection, and habitat enhancement using the Iowa Stream Mitigation Method. The restored channel shows significantly less bank erosion and sediment loading than its pre-project condition, and the work created over 50 acres of native vegetation and planted more than 1,000 trees.
The project is also financially sustainable, projected to generate $10 million in credits, more than covering project costs, and provides a replicable model for Iowa communities looking to restore urban streams while meeting regulatory needs.
Project partners: Bolton & Menk (lead design), Eocene Environmental Group, Impact 7G, and Peterson Contractors.
Virginia Hayes with the City of Coralville and Kelsey Fritze of Bolton & Menk accept the Ripple Effect Award on stage at IStorm 2026.
Traveling Paddle Award
The Traveling Paddle recognizes an innovative Iowa municipality demonstrating exceptional leadership in stormwater management and watershed protection.
City of Waterloo
The City of Waterloo received the 2026 Traveling Paddle for its sustained leadership in Iowa’s stormwater community. The city’s Sunnyside Wet Pond and Channel Improvements project pairs water quality treatment with flood control. The 14-acre wet pond treats runoff from a 375-acre drainage area and reduces sediment loading along Sunnyside Creek by an estimated 417 tons per year, plus approximately 1,000 feet of stabilized streambank.
Beyond its own projects, Waterloo has been a steady partner to ISWEP, supporting the organization’s programming and trainings in ways that benefit the broader Iowa stormwater community.
Cameron Agan accepts the Traveling Paddle Award on behalf of the City of Waterloo at IStorm 2026.
Water Warrior Awards
The Water Warrior Award recognizes individuals who champion clean water in their communities. These are passionate advocates, dedicated professionals, and committed volunteers who go above and beyond to protect Iowa’s watersheds.
Dr. Larry Weber, University of Iowa
Dr. Larry Weber serves as Director of IIHR—Hydroscience and Engineering at the University of Iowa, where he is also a professor of civil and environmental engineering. He co-founded the Iowa Flood Center in 2009 and has remained active in statewide floodplain mapping and watershed projects aimed at flood damage reduction, including the $97M Iowa Watershed Approach.
Larry serves on numerous state and federal water resources committees and frequently presents to community groups across Iowa on water-related topics. His personal conservation work at Old Man’s Timber, his property near Iowa City, includes restored timber, reconstructed tallgrass prairie, and a restored 19th-century barn, a reflection of the same commitment to land and water that defines his professional career.
Dr. Larry Weber of the University of Iowa accepts the Water Warrior Award at IStorm 2026.
Amy Bouska, Iowa Department of Agriculture and Land Stewardship
Amy Bouska has spent thirty years with the Iowa Department of Agriculture and Land Stewardship, focused on watershed management and conservation across both agricultural and urban landscapes. She joined IDALS’ original Urban Conservation team in 2008 and currently supports Eastern Iowa on urban water, resiliency, and wildlife habitat issues.
Amy began her conservation career as a young college student with the Johnson County Soil and Water Conservation District, where she worked alongside legendary conservationist Wayne Petersen for more than twenty-six years. She holds a B.A. in Political Science and a B.A. in Geography from the University of Iowa, along with an M.S. in Urban and Regional Planning with emphases in Environmental Planning and Land Use Planning.
Amy Bouska of the Iowa Department of Agriculture and Land Stewardship accepts the Water Warrior Award at IStorm 2026.
Thank you!
Thank you to everyone who joined us in Cedar Falls and to the nominators who shared these projects and people with us. The work happening across Iowa to protect our water resources is inspiring, and we are grateful to be part of a community that takes it on every day. Mark your calendars for IStorm 2027 – details coming soon!