Farmers Creek (Iowa)

Farmers Creek is a stream in Jackson County, Iowa,^[1] a tributary of the North Fork Maquoketa River. The creek passes through the city of La Motte.^[2]

Farmers Creek
Farmers Creek in La Motte, Iowa
Location
Country	United States
State	Iowa
County	Jackson County
Physical characteristics
Mouth	North Fork Maquoketa River
• coordinates	42°09′01″N 90°40′04″W
Length	18.09 miles (29.11 km)
Basin size	47.8 square miles (124 km2)
Basin features
Progression	North Fork Maquoketa→ Maquoketa→ Mississippi→ Gulf of Mexico
Cities	La Motte, Iowa

Hydrology

Farmers Creek is 18.09 miles (29.11 km) long,^[3] and its watershed is 47.8 square miles (124 km²) in area. The creek has a steep topography, increasing erosion along the stream.^[2] It is a part of the Maquoketa River Watershed.^[4]

History

Farmers Creek suffered from fish kills in 1997 and 1998. The 1997 event killed 133,000 fish while the 1998 event killed 4,264.^[2] The creek was placed onto Iowa's list of Impaired Waters in 2002.^[5] In 2005, the Jackson County Soil and Water Conservation District launched a five-year watershed project. With cooperation from farmers and landowners, protective measures for the stream were installed.^[2]

In 2008, the Environmental Protection Agency designated it for A1 primary contact recreation use and BWW2 warmwater aquatic life.^[3]

Farmers Creek was delisted from the list of Impaired Waters in 2022 through the improvement of its biological integrity.^[4]