Jones Creek Watershed Historic District facts for kids
Quick facts for kids |
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Jones Creek Watershed Historic District
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 Location in Iowa
Location in the United States
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| Location | Between the Little Sioux and Soldier Rivers, southwest of Moorhead |
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| Area | 1,400 acres (570 ha) |
| Built | 1937/38-1942 |
| MPS | Conservation Movement in Iowa MPS |
| NRHP reference No. | 91001839 |
| Added to NRHP | December 23, 1991 |
The Jones Creek Watershed Historic District is a special historical area located southwest of Moorhead, Iowa. It's recognized across the country for its importance. This district was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1991. It shows how people worked together to protect the land a long time ago.
The district includes eight dams that helped control water. These dams were built by young people from the Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC). The CCC was a government program that gave jobs to young men during the Great Depression. They worked with the Soil Conservation Service (SCS). The SCS helps farmers protect their land from erosion.
Contents
What is the Jones Creek Watershed?
This historic district is mostly made up of eight dams. These dams were built to stop soil from washing away. They were put in place by young people from the CCC Camp DPE-79. They worked for the SCS. The dams were built between 1937 (or 1938) and 1941. The project was finished by other workers in late 1941 and 1942.
Iowa's First Watershed Project
This project was one of the very first watershed protection efforts by the SCS in the United States. It was also the first one in the state of Iowa. A watershed is an area of land where all the water drains into a single river or stream. Protecting it means keeping the land and water healthy.
The idea for this project started when the CCC was developing Preparation Canyon State Park nearby. People like SCS engineer Robert Mayberry, local farmer Roy McCue, and CCC camp superintendent Ray Jones talked about it.
How the Project Got Started
At first, using government money for soil work on private farms was not allowed. But a new law, the Emergency Relief Appropriation Act of 1939, changed this. It allowed such projects if they were sponsored by groups that focused on soil control. The local farmers in this area had already formed the Soldier-Maple Valley Soil Conservation District. This made it possible for the project to go forward. Also, Monona and Harrison County had a history of working together on flood control.
Protecting the Land
The dams in this project were built to make the soil stable. This was important because farming practices at the time caused a lot of soil to wash away. The SCS also helped individual farmers change their methods. Instead of planting crops in straight rows, they learned to use contour farming. This means planting along the curves of the land. They also built terraced benches, which are like steps on a hillside, to slow down water.
About 80 acres of land that were badly eroded were taken out of farming. This land was then used for pasture or planted with trees. These efforts helped to heal the land and prevent future erosion.
