Special Collections Department
403 Parks Library
Iowa State University
Ames, IA 50011-2140

MS 558
Wallis R. Tonsfeldt (1927-2004)
Papers, 1936-1984, n.d.


Descriptive summary

creator:

Tonsfeldt, Wallis R. (1927-2004)

title:

Papers
dates:

1936-1984, n.d.
extent:

4.2 linear ft. (10 document boxes)
collection number:

MS 558
repository:

Special Collections Department, Iowa State University.

 

Administrative information

access:

Open for research
publication rights:

Consult Head, Special Collections Department
preferred citation:

Wallis R. Tonsfeldt Papers, MS 558, Special Collections Department, Iowa State University Library.

 

Biographical note

Wallis R. Tonsfeldt was born on November 10, 1927 in LeMars, Iowa. Tonsfeldt received his B.S. (1954) from Iowa State College (University) in farm operations. Wallis R. Tonsfeldt was a soil conservationist (1956-1957) in Cherokee County, Iowa. He then moved to the Sioux City, Iowa area office to work on the Little Sioux Watershed Project where he served as area soil conservationist (1957-1965) and then as area conservationist (1965-1984). He retired in 1984.

The Little Sioux River Basin Watershed and Flood Prevention Project was one of eleven watersheds authorized by Public Law 78-534 (Flood Control Act of 1946). In compliance with the Flood Control Act of 1936, a survey of the watershed had been conducted prior to 1946. The Little Sioux Watershed encompasses 4,500 square miles in fifteen counties of northwestern Iowa and includes Nobles and Jackson counties of Minnesota. Most of the area consists of farmland with very fertile, but fragile, loess soil. The area also contains many hills. Sheet erosion, gulley erosion, and sedimentation and flooding had been major problems of the watershed. The loess soils of the area are very low in clay, which contributes to the gulley erosion problem. In addition, during World War I the steep areas of the watershed had been plowed to increase production, furthering erosion and gully development. The erosion was damaging crops, waterways, roadways and buildings. Early flood prevention plans included covering very steep areas with grass and other close growing covers and assisting farmers in implementing improved farming practices that would help reduce erosion and gulley formation.

The United States Department of Agriculture's Soil Conservation Service administers the program, primarily giving financial and technical assistance. Eight Iowa conservation districts are a part of the watershed: O'Brien, Plymouth, Cherokee, Buena Vista, Woodbury, Ida, Sac and Monona. Four other conservation districts have a limited interest in the project. The soil conservation districts serve as a link between the farmers and the federal government's Soil Conservation Service.

As part of the Little Sioux Watershed Project, the Little Sioux Works Committee (established in 1946), provided guidance for the execution of the program, established priorities for assistance, and facilitated work and cooperation among the state soil conservation districts involved. The farmer-directed committee cooperated with the Soil Conservation Service in making polices and setting priorities for subwatershed work.

As of 2009, the federal government continues to assist farmers in land treatment measures to reduce runoff and erosion in the area, currently (2009) referred to as the Little Sioux River Watershed.

 

Collection description

The collection (1936-1984, n.d.) includes conservation plans, correspondence, project reports, policies and procedures, budget and financial information, damage reports, design criteria, work and design plans, criteria for watershed treatment, treatment plans, legal documents, meeting minutes, photographs, reports and various data and statistics gathered on the watershed and its subwatersheds. The collection does not contain the personal papers of Tonsfeldt, but consists of materials collected and created by Tonsfeldt relating to the Little Sioux Watershed Project.

Most of the collection consists of materials on specific projects, studies, plans, costs and work performed. Folders on areas of the watershed and subwatersheds (drainage areas of a watershed) often contain background information, statistics and reports on conservation work. The photographs contain images of erosion problems, damages and flood control measures of waterways, cropland, pastures, roadways, buildings and other properties. Descriptions on the back of the photographs contain the location and explanation of what was photographed, giving details of conservation measures used. The photographs and descriptions depict specific erosion problems and actions taken in a particular area not often found in the other documents of the collection.

Much of the USDA correspondence is between conservationists and the Little Sioux Works Committee. Correspondents include George E. Lamp, Sr. (state conservationist), L. J. Larson, and Frank H. Mendell (state conservationist). The correspondence covers topics such as policies and procedures, budgets and finance, meetings, treatment plans, decisions and project priorities.

The collection also contains some documents from work done prior to the 1946 authorization, such as correspondence and a survey of the area contained in the folder entitled Watershed Description and Basic Physical Data (Box 9, Folder 14). The survey consists of a description of the area, background information, physical analysis of the area, and a soil erosion and damage report.

For related collections, please see the Little Sioux Watershed Records (MS 106), Alden J. Erskine Papers (MS 85), George and Sewell Allen Papers (MS 81), and John D. Beardsley Papers (MS 79). The Special Collections Department at Iowa State University also holds a number of collections related to soil conservation and soil conservation districts such as the Iowa Soil Conservation Districts Records (MS 185), the National Association of Conservation Districts Records (MS 460), and the Hugh Hammond Bennett Papers (MS 164).

 

Organization

The collection is organized alphabetically.

 

Container list

Box

Folder

Title

Dates

1

1

Accelerated Treatment Analysis

n.d.

1

2

Acts: Watershed and Flood Prevention, Soil Conservation

1944-1956, n.d.

1

3

Administrative Service: Status Report

1981

1

4

Agricultural Committee of the Little Sioux Watershed: Functions and Plans

1946 ca.

1

5

Alternate Plan Approach

1953

1

6

Amendments: District Program and Work Plan, Farmer-District Agreement, Memorandums

1947-1962, n.d.

1

7

Amendment Operation and Maintenance Agreement: Method 4 and 5

n.d.

1

8

Amendment of Woodbury County Soil Conservation District Farmer-District Agreement: State of Iowa

n.d.

1

9

Anthon Minor Watershed

1959

1

10

Arcola Watershed

1951-1965, n.d.

1

11

Armstrong Watershed

1951-1962

1

12

Benefit Determinations

n.d.

1

13

Big Sioux River Basin

1956-1976, n.d.

1

14

Bills: Flood Control, Soil Conservation Districts

1947

1

15

Biology: Technical Operations Guide

1961

1

16

Buena Vista County

1946-1957, n.d.

1

17

Camp Creek

n.d.

1

18

Checking Ownership at Courthouse, Procedure for: Woodbury County

n.d.

1

19

Cherokee County: Costs, Reports

1944-1959, n.d.

1

20

Chicago and North Western Railway Company: Flooding Damages

1949

1

21

Chris Miller Watershed

n.d.

1

22

Clark Watershed

n.d.

1

23

Code of Iowa: Flooding and Soil Conservation Chapters

1946-1959

1

24

Committees to Consider Problems Relating to Research, Extensions and Operation in the Little Sioux Flood Control Area

1949

1

25

Committee on Federal Aid to Agriculture

1954

1

26

Conifer Suitability Study

n.d.

1

27

Conservation Factors in Flood Control Planning

1950

1

28

Conservation Field Day: Little Sioux Watershed Information

1959

1

29

Construction Costs

1957-1981, n.d.

1

30

Construction Sequence

n.d.

1

31

Construction Administration

n.d.

1

32

Contracts: Watersheds

1966-1983

1

33

Conveyance of Right-of-Way Easement

n.d.

1

34

Correspondence

1941-1952

2

1-6

Correspondence

1953-1980, n.d.

3

1

Cottonwood-Green Valley Subwatershed

1965-1968

3

2

County District Agreements

n.d.

3

3

County Parks Law Explanation

n.d.

3

4

Crawford Creek Subwatershed

1982

3

5

Data and Statistics

1945-1981

3

6

Davis-Battle Creek Project

1963-1968

3

7

Department of Commerce

1952

3

8

Design Criteria for Little Sioux Watershed

1956-1965

3

9

Diest Watershed

1949

3

10

Distribution List

n.d.

3

11

District Maintenance Plan for Flood Prevention Program of Little Sioux

n.d.

3

12

Easement

1961-1971, n.d.

3

13

Engineering Memorandum No.3 in Iowa Structure Design

1956

3

14

Engineering Staff for Area I: Organization and Duties

1969

3

15

Engineering Survey

n.d.

3

16

Exhibits: Examples of Work Plan, Agreements and Forms

n.d.

3

17

Farm Planners Justification Notes for Employment

1947

3

18

Farmer-District Cooperative Agreement

n.d.

3

19

Field Estimate Watershed Projects

1958-1959

3

20

Field Observations

1950

3

21

Field Trip

n.d.

3

22

Fiscal 1967 Plan of Operations Area Office Soil Conservationists

1967

3

23

Fish and Wildlife Report

1965

3

24

Flood Control Act of 1936

1936

3

25

Flood Control Conference

1946

3

26

Flood Control Monthly Progress Report

1954

3

27

Flood Control Operations

n.d.

3

28

Flood and Erosion Damage: Storms

1950-1962, n.d.

3

29

Flood Prevention Costs

1955

3

30

Flood Prevention Operations Guide

n.d.

3

31

Flood Prevention Projects: Financial Assistance

1981-1983

3

32

Flood Prevention Works of Improvement Memorandum of Understanding

1972

3

33

Flood Report

1965-1969

3

34

Floyd River Watershed

1952-1963

3

35

Four Mile Creek

n.d.

3

36

Functional Inspection

1968

3

37

Gallup Watershed

1949-1960

3

38

Gant Creek Project: Annual Progress Report

1967-1972

3

39

Garton Watershed

n.d.

3

40

General Guide and Procedure in Presenting Proposed Structural Works of Improvements to Local People

n.d.

3

41

Global Outlook on Environmental Impacts of Agricultural Soil Erosion and Nitrates Water Pollution Hazard

1980

3

42

Grass Waterways: Technical Operations Guide

1960

3

43

Guide for Conducting Subwatershed Inspection

n.d.

3

44

Habinck Watershed

1960, n.d.

3

45

Held Project: Annual Progress Summary

1966-1972

3

46

Held Subwatershed

1963-1969

3

47

House Committee on Agriculture Corn: Hog Trip to Iowa's Sixth Congressional District

1969

3

48

Ida County

1945-1960, n.d.

3

49

Individual Watersheds: Costs and Payments

1953-1954

3

50

Infiltration Rates

1952

3

51

Information on Minor Watersheds

n.d.

3

52

Inspection Report of Perion, Kirkholm and East Aldrich Watersheds

1957

3

53

Inundation Damage Appraisal

n.d.

3

54

Iowa Association of Soil Conservation District Commissioners

n.d.

3

55

Iowa Conservancy District Establishment

1952

3

56

Grade Stabilization Structure Installed on Public Road

n.d.

3

57

Iowa Natural Resources Council

n.d.

3

58

Johnson Run Creek

n.d.

3

59

Johnson Watershed

n.d.

3

60

Jones Creek

1960, n.d.

3

61

Lake Sites for Recreation Development

n.d.

4

1

Land Treatment and Wildlife

n.d.

4

2

Letter from the Assistant Secretary Department of Agriculture

1943

4

3

Little Beaver

1959, n.d.

4

4

Little Delaware: Mission Creek's Pilot Watershed Project

n.d.

4

5

Little Egypt Watershed

1957

4

6

Little Sioux Agricultural Committee

1946, n.d.

4

7

Little Sioux Committee of 12

1947

4

8

Little Sioux Educational Committee and County Extension Directors and County Superintendents of Schools

1953

4

9

Little Sioux Flood Prevention: Installation of Basin Terraces Policies, Procedures and Criteria

1962

4

10

Little Sioux Operations

1946-1983, n.d.

4

11

Little Sioux Program Criticisms

n.d.

4

12

Little Sioux Program, Progress Report

1965-1968

4

13

Little Sioux River Basin Watershed and Flood Prevention Project: Program Report

1958 ca.

4

14-15

Little Sioux River Flood Prevention

1946-1982, n.d.

4

16

Little Sioux River Improvement Plan

1945, n.d.

4

17

Little Sioux River Watershed Flood Control Work: County-District Cooperative Agreement

n.d.

4

18

Little Sioux River Watershed Cooperative Agreement

1949-1958

4

19

Little Sioux River Watershed District Maintenance Plan for Flood Prevention

n.d.

4

20

Little Sioux River Watershed Flood Prevention Project: Final Environmental Impact Statement

1976

4

21

Little Sioux River Watershed Maintenance Agreement

1959-1961

4

22

Little Sioux River Watershed Minutes

1982

4

23

Little Sioux River Watershed Status Reports

1969-1982

4

24

Little Sioux Schedule of Operations

1965

4

25

Little Sioux Terrace

1957-1984, n.d.

4

26

Little Sioux Watershed Annual Progress Report

1959-1963

5

1

Little Sioux Watershed Chutes and Drop Inlets: Full Flow Structures Chart

1960

5

2

Little Sioux Watershed Photographs: Channels (1- 4x5 b/w, 1- 8x10 b/w)

1948-1957

5

3

Little Sioux Watershed Reports: Forestry Accomplishments

1976-1980

5

4

Little Sioux Watershed Research Needs

n.d.

5

5

Little Sioux Works Committee

1950-1968, n.d.

5

6

Little Sioux Works Committee Agendas

1959-1975

5

7

Little Sioux Works Committee Minutes

1946-1954

5

8-11

Little Sioux Works Committee Minutes

1955-1982

5

12

Little Sioux Works Committee Minutes and Mailing List

1964

5

13

Little Sioux Works Committee Organization and Function Statement

1950-1974

5

14

Little Sioux Works Committee Outline of Functions

1968, n.d.

5

15

Little Sioux Works Committee Progress Report

1965

5

16

Lum Hollow Watershed

1959, n.d.

5

17

Lyon County

n.d.

5

18

Maintenance and Construction Costs of Little Sioux Works Committee

n.d.

5

19

Major Topographic Areas of Iowa

n.d.

5

20

Master Watershed

1960, n.d.

5

21

McDonald Watershed

1959, n.d.

5

22

Measurements of Sediment and Discharge During Floods

1944

6

1

Meetings

1947-1982, n.d.

6

2

Memorandum of Understanding

1971, n.d.

6

3

Midwestern Conference on Food, Agriculture and Public Policy, Fifth Annual

n.d.

6

4

Miller Watershed

1960, n.d.

6

5

Miscellaneous: Instructions, Meeting Outlines, Projects

1951-1965, n.d.

6

6

Missouri River: Information on the Washington and Stabilization Project

n.d.

6

7-8

Missouri River Program

1946-1961, n.d.

6

9

Monona County

1950-1966, n.d.

6

10

Muckey Creek Watershed

1966, n.d.

6

11

Nassau Watershed

1953-1959

6

12

National Association of Conservation Districts: Tuesday Letter (newsletter)

1971

6

13

National Watershed Congress

1965

6

14

National Watershed Tour Guide

n.d.

7

2

Negatives: Northwest Iowa (negative numbers 099327-099344)

n.d.

6

15

Nepper Watershed

1951-1960

6

16

News Releases

1953-1960

6

17

Newspaper Articles: Sioux City Journal

1963-1972, n.d.

6

18

O'Brien County

1946-1957, n.d.

6

19

Operations Report

1956-1958

6

20

Parnell Subwatershed

n.d.

6

21

Permits to Store and Approval for Construction by Iowa Natural Resource Council

n.d.

6

22

Petitions

n.d.

6

23

Photographs, Northwest Iowa (32- 8x10 b/w, 2- 5x7 b/w, 6- 4x5 b/w)

1945-1960

7

1

Photographs, Northwest Iowa and Apache Junction, Arizona (43- 8x10 b/w, 1- 5x7 b/w, 8- 4x3 b/w, 12- 4x5 b/w, 1- 3x3 color)

1961-1974, n.d.

7

3

Pioneer Watershed Project

1970-1974

7

4

Plymouth County

1946-1972, n.d.

7

5

Pond Sealing Materials List

n.d.

7

6

Principal Soil Association Areas of Iowa

1964

7

7

Procedure for Checking Courthouse

n.d.

7

8

Project Agreements

1982

7

9

Questionnaire

n.d.

7

10

Questions Pertaining to Legal Instruments Required In Watershed Cooperation With the Districts

n.d.

7

11

Rain Gauges

n.d.

7

12

Ralston Watershed

n.d.

7

13

Rapid Memo

1982

7

14

Remedial Program

n.d.

7

15

Request to Attend Meeting

1965

7

16

Resolution

n.d.

7

17

Resources Development Workshop

1969

7

18

Resource Planning and Development

n.d.

7

19

River Basin Studies: Facts About Iowa

1978

7

20

A River That Works, by E.H. Taylor

1949

7

21

Robeson Watershed: Work Plans

1954

7

22

Sac County

n.d.

7

23

The Salt-Wahoo: The Story of Teamwork in a Watershed (Salt-Wahoo Watershed, Nebraska)

n.d.

7

24

Satisfaction Piece (State of Iowa form)

1953

7

25

“Save Soil … on Rented Farms” by I.W. Arthur

n.d.

7

26

Scour Hole Study: Site 45+100, Fee Subwatershed, Little Sioux Watershed, Cherokee County IA, Sec.23, T90N, R41W (8- 4x5 b/w photographs)

1963-1964

7

27

Scour Hole Study: Site 170+52, Weber Creek Sub Watershed Little Sioux, Woodbury County, Iowa SE Y4, Sec 27-34, T88, R44W (2- 4x5 b/w photographs)

1963

7

28

Sour Hole Study: Site 199+43, Lum hollow Watershed Little Sioux, Woodbury County, Iowa SW1/4 Sec.18, T86N, R44W (2- 4x5 b/w photographs)

n.d.

7

29

Sheriff's Car: Rider List

1966 ca.

7

30

Silver Creek Subwatershed Report to Little Sioux Works Committee

1978

7

31

Silver Lake Watershed, October

1974

7

32

Soil Conservation Districts: presentation and filing system

1961, n.d.

7

33

Soil Conservation Service

1952-1981, n.d.

7

34

Soil Conservation Service Reports to Little Sioux Works Committee

1950-1970

7

35

Soil Management Requirement Estimates by G.M. Browning

n.d.

7

36

Soil and Water Conservation Key to Continued Abundance in Iowa

1964

7

37

Soldier-Maple Valley Soil Conservation District

1941-1949, n.d.

7

38

South Hungerford Project

1964-1968

7

39

Staffing Plan

1974

7

40

State of Iowa Watershed and Resource Conservation and Development Projects Operation and Maintenance Hand Book, May

1971

7

41

State Office References

n.d.

7

42

State Soil Conservation Committee

1948-1959

7

43

Statements to the Honorable Robert E. Jones

n.d.

7

44

Statement of Ownership and Encumbrance

n.d.

7

45

Statements and Remarks

1954-1963

7

46

Statistical Analysis of Flood and Erosion Damage

n.d.

7

47

Steps in Watershed Organization

n.d.

7

48

Streambank Erosion Control

n.d.

8

1

Strip Mine Reclamation

1965

8

2

Subwatersheds

1947-1949

8

3

Inspection and Status Reports

1946-1966, n.d.

8

4

Subwatershed Runoff Studies

n.d.

8

5

Survey Report on Flood Control: Soldier River

1941

8

6

"Taming Mule Creek" - A Plan for Every Acre in the Watershed

n.d.

8

7

Technical Specifications and Contracts

n.d.

8

8

Terraces

1953-1973, n.d.

8

9

Terrace Contracting Workshop

1971

8

10

Theobold Watershed

n.d.

8

11

Thompson Creek

1949-1979, n.d.

8

12

Tile Outlets for Terraces

n.d.

8

13

Tomorrow's Small Watershed Program

1977

8

14

United States Department of Agriculture (U.S.D.A.): Guides, Memorandums, Pamphlets, Descriptions of Nebraska Watersheds

1950-1959, n.d.

8

15-18

U.S.D.A. Correspondence

1946-1959

8

16

U.S.D.A. Correspondence

1960-1964

8

17

U.S.D.A. Correspondence

1965-1967

8

18

U.S.D.A. Correspondence

1968-1976

9

1

U.S.D.A. Correspondence

1977-1983, n.d.

8

19

U.S.D.A: Flood Control Program of the Little Sioux Watershed of Iowa and Minnesota (project descriptions and background)

1947-1960, n.d.

9

2

United States Department of Agriculture Flood Prevention Operations Guides

1962-1966

9

3

United States Department of Agriculture Survey Report, Watershed of the Little Sioux (Iowa and Minnesota)

1943

9

4

United States Department of the Interior Geological Survey

1954

9

5

Upper Beaver Creek Watershed

n.d.

9

6

Upper Mississippi River Comprehensive Basin Study of Water and Land Resources

n.d.

9

7

Upper Plymouth Creek Watershed

1953-1958, n.d.

9

8

Upstream Floodwater Retarding Structure

n.d.

9

9

Walling Watershed

n.d.

9

10

Water Resources Council Meeting

n.d.

9

11

Watershed Information: Reports, Programs, Policies and Procedures

1966-1973

9

12

Watershed Construction Projects Monthly Schedule of Progress

1967

9

13

Watersheds by County

n.d.

9

14

Watershed Description and Basic Physical Data

1943 ca.

9

15

Watershed Gully Control Plans for Resurvey of Little Sioux

1954, n.d.

9

16

Watershed Information Summary (blank form)

n.d.

9

17

Watershed Loans: Informational Leaflet

1958

9

18

Watershed Monthly Status Report: Woodbury

1983

9

19

Watershed Priority Construction Schedules

1947-1958

9

20

Watershed Projects Side Benefits

n.d.

9

21

Watershed Signs (1- 4x5 b/w photograph)

1959

9

22

Watershed Statistics

n.d.

9

23

Watershed Status Report: Subwatersheds

1958

9

24

Waterway Stabilization Measures (Gulley Control)

n.d.

9

25

Weber Creek Watershed

1960

9

26

West Aldrich Creek Watershed

n.d.

9

27

West Fork Watershed

1959-1963, n.d.

9

28

West Sunnyside Project: Annual Progress Summary

1968-1972

9

29

Woodbury County Subwatersheds: Memoranda, Maps, Plans

1944-1982, n.d.

9

30

Woodland: Technical Operations Guide

1961

9

31

Work Plans

1947-1981, n.d.

9

32

WWP Agricultural Economists' Workshop

1961

10

1

Map of Monona County

1959

10

2

Photographs: Little Sioux Watershed (24- 8x10 b/w, 3- 4x5 b/w)

1957

10

3

Photographs: Conservation Work in Western Iowa (79- 4x5 b/w)

1948-1953

10

4

Photographs: Conservation Work in Western Iowa (87- 4x5 b/w)

1948-1953

10

5

Photographs: Conservation Work in Western Iowa (92- 4x5 b/w)

1947-1952

11

1

Photographs: Conservation Work in Western Iowa (64- 4x5 b/w, 2- 5x7 b/w)

1947-1952, n.d.

11

2

Photographs: Conservation Work in Western Iowa (95- 4x5 b/w)

1948-1950

11

3-4

Photographs: Conservation Work in Western Iowa - Includes Photographs of Hugh Bennett, Soil Conservation Service Employees, Little Sioux Works Committee Members, and the Western Iowa Experimental Farm (109- 4x5 b/w)

1948-1953

11

5

Little Sioux Watershed Project Plans and Description

1946

12

1

Photographs: Conservation Work in Western Iowa - panoramic views with photographs joined together (4- 15x3, 4- 14x3, 11- 12x3, 5- 7x5, 5- 17x3, 4- 10x3, 11- 8x3, 1- 18x3 b/w photographs)

1947-1953