We recently caught up with former Limestone Bluffs RC&D Director, Lori Scovel, to talk about her experience working with IISC. Lori Scovel wrote the grant courtesy of the Iowa Department of Natural Resources, which established the full partnership between the Maquoketa River Watershed Management Authority (MR WMA) and IISC. Here’s what she said:

Q: How did you first learn about IISC?

Lori Scovel: “I live in Manchester, and as a local resident, I heard University of Iowa students would be working with the City of Manchester on different projects through IISC. The City of Manchester ended up gifting the MR WMA a project for us to complete Phase 1 of the Watershed Plan, and we ended up having such a lovely experience working with students and faculty on this project.” 

Q: Why did the MR WMA decide to become an IISC Full-Partner? 

LS: “I really got the sense from Phase 1 of the Watershed Plan, that the faculty and students really cared about our organization and wanted us to succeed. It was this entire package that made me want to pursue funding for a full partnership to keep the momentum going with the Watershed Plan project.”

Q: What has the MR WMA’s experience been like working with University faculty and students?

LS: “It has inspired us to think in different ways. This partnership has connected us to knowledgeable faculty and talented students. We love the expertise from the faculty and the contributions of the students, and have been impressed by the work they do."

Q: What have been some examples of tangible impacts that have resulted from the projects?

Camp Courageous and Civil and Environmental Engineering 

LS: “We enjoyed working with the Civil and Environmental Engineering students on the Camp Courageous projects. That partnership gained a lot of attention in Eastern Iowa and I hope organizations continue working with Camp Courageous in the future, and build on the work started from these projects. We recently learned Camp Courageous is beginning work on the trail project and has plans to pave out the trail path soon."

MR WMA and Community Engagement Law Project

LS: “I am also excited to see the work that the Law students come up with. They have been able to look at our organizational structure from a third-party perspective and make suggestions that we never thought or dreamed of. Their ideas and suggestions have been fantastic, and I believe the end result will have tangible and usable pieces to help out our organization for the foreseeable future.”

MR WMA and Urban and Regional Planning 

LS: “The WMA sought out this partnership for the Watershed Plan. Not only are we getting a plan on paper but we’re getting an interactive website with data layers. Through this partnership, multiple organizations have been able to collaborate and bring their own set of expertise to the table. I'm proud to say we are creating a state-of-the-art model for other eastern Iowa watershed communities to reference in the future.”

Q: What advice do you have for prospective communities that are considering an IISC partnership?

LS: “This is a huge investment, but the return on investment is large. The University can bring you so much, and to fully utilize the services of IISC, you need to have a good grasp of the full range of needs within your community. This partnership can even help other organizations within your community, like how the City of Manchester helped us out when they gifted us the Watershed Plan project.”