Abstract |
Human ecological impacts of the Coralville Dam and Reservoir, a flood control structure on the Iowa River, Iowa are described.Impacts include agricultural and urban land use changes, recreation participation growth, changes in stream hydrology, erosion, debris and problems associated with prolonged, controlled outflows from the dam and high water levels in the reservoir, and a number of indirect effects of these changes. Prolonged and high outflows from the dam have produced downstream flooding on agricultural land. Resulting conflicts between farmers and the Corps of Engineers over the flood control structure and its operation have lessened its beneficial image at the local level. The research indicates careful attention should be directed to scale of impact, dynamics of impact, zone or location of impact, socio-economic distribution of impact and components of impact, in environmental and human ecological analyses. (Modified author abstract) |