As part of the Clarke County Reservoir Commission’s (CCRC) July board meeting, Mike Butterfield and HDR, Inc. provided a summary and presentation materials recently featured at the 2024 Annual Water Treatment and Distribution Conference. Their presentation focused on the activities the CCRC has taken in their quest to bring viable water resources to south central Iowa. 
As a part of the annual continuing education conference, Butterfield and the team at HDR compiled the planning and history of the Clarke County reservoir project to present in a section focused on addressing “Water Shortages and Alternatives.” With the recent drought issues that plagued south central Iowa, the organizers of the event asked HDR to present, singling out the Clarke County project as a strong case study in raw water scarcity mitigation and planning for rural community growth and development.
“The presentation Mike gave really summarized the history and steps {the CCRC has} taken to get the project where it is today,” said Dave Beck, CCRC Project Coordinator. “The data backing the need for alternate water sources in the face of changing weather patterns is undeniable.”
The presentation provided at the conference provided attendees a background to the Clarke County reservoir project including historical reservoir need evaluations, regional drought history, site planning strategies, and the evaluation of surrounding water sources and their viabilities as water alternatives to Osceola’s West Lake. Butterfield went on to discuss the history of the project starting in the early 1990s and progressing through financing options and the most recent activities with NRCS and the watershed plan-EIS.
The presentation also provided the most recent design draft for the reservoir, including geotechnical investigative data and design, hydrologic and hydraulic evaluation, roadway design, and more to build out the planned reservoir. Finally, a timeline, based on the current status of investigation and engineering, was provided citing construction starting as soon as 2028.
“Our board was very appreciative of the work HDR put into this presentation,” said Beck. “It will be an important informational tool for our team as well as our entire community.”
The presentation has been added to the history page of the CCRC website at https://clarkecountyreservoir.info/about/our-history/
Monthly meetings for the Clarke County Reservoir Commission are held on the fourth Thursday of each month from 9:30 AM to ~10:30 AM at 115 E Washington St, Osceola, IA 50213. These meetings are open in compliance with House File 2074, Sixty-seventy General Assembly, Chapter 28A of the Code of Iowa and public attendance is welcome.