Herbert Hoover National Historic Site - Watershed Planning (U.S. National Park Service)

A muddy creek channel cuts through the greenery.

NPS Photo

Channelized creeks are muddier and carry more sediment because the fast-moving water scours soil from the stream bed.

The trickle of water in Hoover Creek that later merges with the Mississippi River and reminds us about a president’s small beginnings is becoming dangerous.

Today’s creek flows faster and cuts straighter and deeper than the bucolic stream of the past. Instead of seeping slowly underground through the native prairie soil, rain and runoff from farms and pavement run right into the creek channel and carves an ugly scar into the landscape. Periods of intense rainfall cause flash floods that threaten to undermine and inundate the Herbert Hoover Birthplace Cottage, the Presidential Library and Museum, and other important or irreplaceable buildings. Floods and eroding creek banks could deprive us of our chance to reflect on the values that shaped a global figure.

Herbert Hoover was a career problem-solver, and in that spirit we can fix the problems of Hoover Creek. Scientific studies of the creek’s hydrology and water quality suggest solutions for restoring its health. The Stream Management Plan and other studies and data that are part of the park’s watershed planning efforts are available online and for download. If you are interested in improving the creek and protecting the park from floods, soil erosion, and water pollution, you can learn more from the planning documents listed below or by contacting us with your support.

Watershed Planning Documents

The Hoover Creek Stream Management Plan and Environmental Impact Statement, 2006 (PDF file, 8.5 MB) examines five management alternatives for mitigating flooding and erosion of Hoover Creek that threaten both the National Historic Site and the Presidential Library and Museum. The environmentally preferred alternative protects the National Historic Site resources from the 50-year recurrence flood.

Engineering Report for the Stream Management Plan (PDF, 2.0 MB) analyzes the instabilities in Hoover Creek that threaten park resources. The solutions considered in the Stream Management Plan were based on this report.

Working Drawing of Hoover Creek Restoration Design Elements (PDF file, 17.0 KB): a map illustrating the proposed improvements to Hoover Creek.

Flood Inundation Mapping and Flood Frequency Report (PDF file, 313 KB), prepared by the US Geological Survey.

The U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) supports a real-time data stage gage in Herbert Hoover National Historical Site. It provides data on current and historical conditions (discharge, temperature, and rainfall) for Hoover Creek.

Monitoring Water Quality on Hoover Creek as it Flows Into Herbert Hoover NHS (PDF file, 228 KB), prepared by the Iowa Department of Natural Resources, describes trends in water quality.

Volunteers sample water quality at Hoover Creek in Herbert Hoover National Historic Site. The sample site is number 916066 in the IOWATER database.

Help with PDF files

Free Adobe Reader software allows you to view, navigate, and print PDF (Portable Document Format) files on most operating systems. You may download a free copy of Adobe Reader from Adobe Systems, Inc.