Introducing the PlanIowa's Loess Hills - "An American Treasure!"Approaching the western border of Iowa travelers are intrigued by the view of a most extraordinary landscape of prairie and forest covered steep bluffs, narrow ridges and rolling hills. This unique landscape is known as Iowa’s Loess Hills. The Loess Hills are one of North America’s gems, possessing natural features rarely duplicated. In only one other part of the world, the Yellow River Valley of China, has wind-deposited silt, or loess (pronounced “luss”), accumulated to such depths as to form the landscape so spectacularly (Mutel, 4). Photograph of Loess Hills The loess deposits that makes up the Loess Hills were initially left by glacial melt waters onto the floodplain of the Missouri River and then blown upward by strong wind and re-deposited along the eastern side of the river valley. The steep, sharply ridged topography of the Loess Hills is the product of tens of thousands of years of deposition and erosion of this wind-blown silt. The rugged landscape and strong local contrasts in weather and soil conditions provide a refuge for a number of rare plants and animals, many of which can be found in Iowa only in the Loess Hills (Mutel 4-5, 1989). Iowa’s Loess Hills form a north-south band approximately 200 miles in length along the eastern edge of the Missouri River valley. The Loess Hills are best developed in a strip between 3 and 10 miles wide where the loess deposits reach up to 200 feet in depth (Mutel 8, 1989). The Loess Hills are located in the following seven western Iowa counties: 1) Plymouth 2) Woodbury 3) Monona 4) Harrison 5) Pottawattamie 6) Mills and 7) Fremont. The Loess Hills Scenic BywayPhotograph of the Loess Hills Scenic Byway A Vision for the Scenic Byway The Loess Hills Scenic Byway represents the willingness and ability of communities, public agencies, and private organizations to work together on economic development and conservation issues. In establishing the Loess Hills Scenic Byway, local residents and representatives of these agencies and organizations have created a vision that:
The Scenic Byway The Loess
Hills Scenic Byway is a connected system of state highways and county roads
through the heart of Iowa’s Loess Hills.
The Scenic Byway's main The Scenic Byway is easily accessible from Interstates 29, 680 and 80 providing travelers with numerous points of entry and exit. Route identification signs have been installed on much of the Byway network. Additional signs are planned to aid in guiding visitors as they travel the Scenic Byway. The Loess Hills Scenic Byway travels through 16 small rural towns and two larger metropolitan areas. The towns and cities on the Scenic Byway provide travelers with necessary visitor facilities and services. Along its entire length, the Scenic Byway offers travelers the opportunity to enjoy breathtaking views, dozens of parks, recreation, and wildlife areas, a variety of cultural events and attractions and numerous sites of national and local historical significance. Photograph of an attraction on the Byway, e.g., historic site Scenic Byway Development Establishment of the Loess Hills Scenic Byway took place between 1989 and 1993. Initial routes selected for the Byway were located in Harrison and Monona Counties. In 1991, Byway routes were extended into Pottawattamie, Mills, and Fremont Counties. By 1992, the Byway's final routes were selected in Woodbury and Plymouth Counties. Route identification signs were fabricated and installed and a Loess Hills Scenic Byway map was published and distributed starting in 1993. The selection, signing, and promotion of routes that make up the Scenic Byway was accomplished through the active participation of local residents, elected official, and representatives of public agencies. Development of the Byway required in-depth analysis of:
Public Participation Public involvement was encouraged at every phase of the Scenic Byway's development. Local leaders in economic development, tourism, and business together with county supervisors, engineers, and conservation board directors served on county and multi-county Scenic Byway committees. These committees were charged with researching, identifying, evaluating, and selecting routes for the Loess Hills Scenic Byway. Committee members were assisted by professionals with the Iowa Departments of Transportation, Economic Development, and Natural Resources, Iowa State University Extension, and the USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service. Photograph of residents working on Byway Roadway Characteristics The 220 miles of the Scenic Byway’s main route, or spine, consists of state and county paved roads. Drive time, without stops, for the entire main route is just under 6 hours. Selection of paved roads for the spine allowed use of the Scenic Byway by travelers of all driving abilities and vehicle types. The Scenic Byway’s 16 excursion routes or loops, vary in length from 3 to 19 miles and have drive times ranging from 15 to 40 minutes. All the excursion routes begin and end on the main route, include state and county roads, and have paved and gravel surfaces. Routes fro the Byway excursion loops were selected to provide additional opportunities for travelers to experience the Loess Hills. Landscape Assessment Landscape assessment techniques were used to determine and evaluate the varied visual resources of the Scenic Byway Corridor. Landscape assessment indicators, a technical means used to categorize and quantify the Byway’s visual resources included:
Public Preference TestingPhotographs were taken of scenes in the Loess Hills that illustrated varying combinations and levels of landscape character, structure, and information. More than 450 residents and visitors participated in the analysis of visual resources along the Scenic Byway. Participants viewed the photographs and recorded those that they like and disliked. Results of the preference testing gave Byway planners a clear indication of the types of views that most people ere interested in seeing in the Loess Hills. Scenic Byway committee members also collected field data about the landscape assessment indicators on candidate Byway routes. Working in teams, committee members recorded their ratings of the indicators for views seen along potential Byway routes. The teams also identified particularly “good” or “bad” views based on their own individual preferences and recorded driving conditions on the candidate roadways. This work provided a comparison between the results of public preference testing and the actual views present along potential Byway routes. By recording driving conditions, the teams also provided planners with input pertaining to driver expectations and safety. Photograph of preference testing Attractions and Visitor Facilities Scenic Byway committee members completed a comprehensive inventory of public attractions (historic sites, museums, parks, special events) and visitor services (lodging, restaurants, service stations, public restrooms). Inventory results were used to help determine the suitability of potential Byway routes to accommodate the needs of travelers. Safety Issues State and County highway engineers helped to establish safety standards for the review and selection of routes for the Loess Hills Scenic Byway. The engineers identified roads to be excluded from consideration due to safety related issues. These roads generally had poor vertical and horizontal alignments, high traffic accident frequencies, numerous railroad crossings, bridges with weight and height restrictions that prohibited use by motor coaches or were heavily used by commuters. On the advice of the Iowa Attorney General’s office, cautionary driving information was included as part of the Scenic Byway map and brochure. Final Route Selection The results of preference testing of scenic values, location of public attractions and visitor services, and roadway safety considerations were displayed on a series of map overlays together with candidate Byway routes. Scenic Byway committee members worked with representatives of the Iowa Departments of Transportation and Economic Development and the Natural Resources Conservation Service to review the information assembled and select final routes for the Byway. Special Report # provides additional information on the development of the Loess Hills Scenic Byway. Maps View the associated maps for this section:
The Corridor Management Plan What are Scenic Byways? Scenic Byways are special roads that often take travelers "off the beaten path" and provide access to sights and experiences they might otherwise miss. Scenic Byways offer travelers an alternative route to beautiful scenery, cultural and historical resources, and recreational activities. They may be spectacular destinations or local routes long admired by a community (Scenic America 1, 1995). Scenic Byways also:
Scenic Byways pass through corridors that reflect the special qualities of a region. These corridors consists of the area and features influenced by, and that have an impact on, the scenic byway. Scenic byway corridors include the roadway itself, right-of-way, area visible from the roadway and communities and attractions in the immediate vicinity of the roadway. Corridors also include roads, communities, attractions and landscapes that, although not directly associated with the roadway, are integral to the scenic byway. Corridor Management Plans
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