Bee Branch Creek

It is unknown how the Bee Branch got its name; however, it is believed to be a name for a lower tributary of the creek. Earlier, the creek went by Couler Creek, named after Couler Valley and Couler Village. Couler could come from the French or "to cast", coming from the local smelting of lead. Also, Couler Creek remained in use for a long time afterward, being used in 1959 and 1997 geological surveys. == History ==

Early history The Couler Creek saw many floods, inhibiting growth in the city in the 19th century. After a flood in 1878, opinion was swayed into directing the Bee Branch into the Little Maquoketa. In 1885, the Dubuque and Northwestern Railroad acquired right of way along Elm Street and the Bee Branch, leading to an increase of development. Residential development also increased in the Couler Valley as sewers and streetcars were put in. Another flood in March 1894 brought more calls for the northward diversion. A petition was prepared and, at the time, it was expected to pass unanimously. The chosen idea in the end was putting the creek through a sewer. An advantage of the storm sewer would allow for Elm Street to be expanded. In late 1898, the city council hired J. H. Blake to plan out the sewer. By the mid 20th century, the creek was seen as insignificant. That flood prompted the city to research an engineering project on the 100-year flood area. The Iowa Department of Homeland Security and Emergency Management (Iowa HSEMD) lists twelve phases. It was found that the storm sewer did not have the capacity for storms of that size. Detention basins were added or improved on to limit flooding. The creek is more open than its previous sewer design, allowing a greater volume of water to be carried. The project did receive backlash. Citizens were unhappy that homes were getting demolished and they felt that they were not getting compensated enough. Citizens also worried the daylighted creek would be ugly or unsafe or raise utility bills. Construction on the Upper Bee Branch Restoration started in 2015 Six houses, a parking lot, and of soil were removed to make space for the creek. The city also tried to minimize impermeable surfaces causing flooding by converting alleyways into permeable sections. The conversion is expected to cost $9.5 million and be completed in December 2033. to the mid-2010s, In 2017, the Bee Branch adverted a flood when of rain fell. Two more floods were prevented in 2018 and 2019. On June 18, 2020, Gavilon Grain spilled two containers with a million gallons of liquid nitrogen fertilizer into the Bee Branch. An estimated of fertilizer was spilled into a storm drain that flows into the Bee Branch. The accident was caused by a mistake transferring nitrogen, with the receiving tank overfilling. The transfer was not being watched nor was the spill immediately reported. The company was fined $270,000. It was opened on June 24. This event was commemorated as the finishing the restoration project. However, the Bee Branch Watershed Project is not expected to be completed until 2040. In November 2022, a $3 million project to make a new drainage sewer to replace the temporary siphon sewer. The siphon system had maintenance issues according to a worker. The city was unable to put in the replacement earlier due to a lack of finances. In 2025, a pump from the University of Iowa was installed in the Bee Branch, costing $26 million. Work was halted in October on installation over fears of contamination related to the 2020 chemical spill. State and federal contributions have made up the bulk of the funding, with contributions from the city and the Iowa Flood Mitigation Program. Outcome The Bee Branch after the restoration has been proven to manage flash flooding. However, without all the phases completed, water will move out slower. Overall, the project has prevented $11.6 million in damages. == Geography ==

The creek originates in the suburbia, just past Eisenhower Elementary, The culvert that feeds the Upper Bee Branch comes from those detention basins deeper in town. The Bee Branch is split into two sections by the CPR and Garfield Avenue. In total, the drainage basin covers about and 50% of Dubuque's businesses and population. The creek is about long. Crossings The Bee Branch is crossed by 22nd Street and Rhomberg in the upper part and Sycamore Street and 16th Street in the lower section and Garfield and the CPR separates the upper and lower sections. Dubuque commissioned Origin Design to plan and build up the bridges of the upper and lower sections. The Bee Branch's trail is long and is paved with asphalt and concrete. The trail is made up of two overlapping loops, both long. The trails also go under the nearby rails through a pedestrian tunnel. == Ecology ==

It is expected that the creek will maintain a healthy ecosystem. In the Lower Bee Branch, 14 native species of fish and the common carp have been found in it. Many of these fish are game fish, including: bluegill, largemouth bass, and northern pike. The Iowa Department of Natural Resources considered the ecosystem healthy considering the how new the stream is. The islands have a total area of . The largest islands are by . In past years, the Iowa DNR have been making an effort to return mussel populations to waterways. The mussels were split into two groups. The 1st group would be placed in rearing silos. The 2nd group would be released in groups of 500 throughout the creek. ==See also==