MAPPING THE SURFICIAL GEOLOGY OF BREMER AND BLACK HAWK COUNTIES (IOWA), A FIVE-YEAR USGS/EDMAP/UNI INVESTIGATION

Over the past five years, the University of Northern Iowa (UNI) has successfully partnered with the Iowa Geological and Water Survey (IGWS), NRCS, and USGS to provide its students applied learning-experiences. Twelve UNI graduate and/or undergraduate students collaborated with our state geologists (STATEMAP), their professors and peers throughout the entire mapping process. UNI/EDMAP geologic mapping included concept development, literature review, field reconnaissance, gaining permission to access public and private land, field work, lab analyses, construction of final mapping deliverables and submitting these data for publication. UNI students have developed a greater understanding of the Iowan Erosion Surface specifically the Waverly (2008-2009), Readlyn (2009-2010), Dunkerton (2010-2011), and Waterloo south (2011-2012), and Hudson (2012-2013), Iowa (7.5”) Quadrangles. The UNI EDMAP and IGWS Teams have characterized the surficial geologic landscapes of Bremer and Black Hawk Counties, thus contributing to the overall knowledge-base regarding the geologic processes that developed the area’s present landform assemblages. The primary surficial units identified, sampled, and mapped included alluvium (Qal), low terrace alluvium (Qal_lt), stratified high-terrace alluvium (Qal-ht), sandy eolian sediment (Qe), sand and gravel (Qnw2), Noah Creek Formation, and loamy and sandy sediment to glacial till (Qwa2), unnamed reworked Pre-Illinoian till. Secondary mapping products identified the interrelationships of these surficial sediments with flooding events, contaminant transport, development of Karst topography and land-use planning decision making processes in northeastern Iowa.