Phase I Archaeology & Landscape Modeling
Central & Western Iowa

Farmsteads and business of rural Iowa needed potable water immediately because of a lingering and worsening climatic drought. Foth & Van Dyke was recommended by existing clients and regulators from around the country to help resolve this dilemma and to provide Phase I archaeology and landscape modeling for four Rural Water Pipeline Companies in Central and Western parts of Iowa.

Historic compliance issues had stopped the construction of water distribution pipelines to farmsteads and businesses in rural Iowa and threatened the projects' financial stability. The United States Department of Agriculture-Rural Development (USDA-RD) was the lead federal agency and financed this project. Therefore, compliance with Section 106 of the National Historic Preservation Act of 1966 (as amended) was required.

Foth & Van Dyke's team of geologists created and tested multiple landscape suitability models to scientifically reduce the amount of water pipeline corridor requiring survey. The reductions were based upon landforms that were either too young or were formed in too high of an energy environment to contain and preserve intact archaeological resources. This modeling therefore reduced the amount of time and cost to finish a complete-coverage archaeological survey.

Foth & Van Dyke then pulled archaeology crews from other projects with less strenuous deadlines to accommodate the needs of these citizens and companies. Conditional clearances were negotiated with the Iowa State Historic Preservation Office to avoid virtually any construction downtime costs and keep the projects on schedule and budget. This modeling was completed in accordance with both Section 106, and the eventual Programmatic Agreement and User Manual that Foth & Van Dyke helped to author for the USDA-RD.

Since these emergency Phase I surveys were completed, Foth & Van Dyke has worked on more than 1,250 cumulative miles of rural water pipeline of which only a small fraction has required surveying. This reduced amount of surveying is because of the Programmatic Agreement's User Manual, and landscape modeling that Foth & Van Dyke helped to create. The end results included projects that remained on schedule at a substantial savings compared to the costs of doing 100 percent survey coverage. More importantly, the citizens of Iowa received their potable water as promised by the rural water companies and the USDA-RD.