The Iowa Department of Cultural Affairs bestowed the honor on June 22, 2022 in front of Lieutenant Governor Adam Gregg, the State Historical Society of Iowa Board of Trustees, and past award winners from 2020 and 2021. The annual award recognizes the best archaeology or historic preservation project at the local or state level. All types of preservation work are included and the award is not exclusive to building preservation. Scott and Kettler were recognized for their work on the publication of “Controlling Water: Exploring Low Head Dams and Minor Water Control Structures throughout the State of Iowa“.
The publication is the culmination of a 2-year investigation. The 1,700+ page report (with inventory forms) details eight general contexts for low head dams in Iowa, including Engineering, Dams Used for Milling, Hydroelectric Dams, Iowa Conservation Movement Dams, New Deal Dam Building, Beautification Dams, Transportation-Related Dams, and Dams for Water Supply/Control. The project does not concern itself with a single property but instead focuses on a property type that had significant impacts on how Iowa developed from early settlement through the present. Impact7G was able to recommend 53 properties (40.5% of the sample) as eligible for the National Register of Historic Planes under one or more contexts.
The project required participation and collaboration of Iowa DNR employees, Iowa State Historic Preservation Office employees, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, 14 different staff from Impact7G across 5 different departments, and a host of past researchers from across the Midwest. Results of this seminal study will greatly assist other researchers as they look at low-head structures that were not part of the sample, either through a Section 106 process or through individual NRHP nominations.
Mr. Branden Scott completed the entire project as Impact7G’s Principal Archaeologist before advancing his career with the State Historical Society as an Archaeologist in early June 2022. Mr. Kurtis Kettler is an Archaeologist and GIS Specialist with Impact7G. Congratulations to Branden and Kurtis as well as the many other Impact7G employees that contributed to this monumental project!
###
Founded in 2011, Impact7G, Inc. is a full-service environmental consulting firm based in Johnston, Iowa with three additional offices throughout Iowa and team members located across the United States. Impact7G provides professional services to government, real estate, K/12 and higher education, utility, and private industry clients. The company employs a diverse group of environmental professionals to deliver accurate and timely information required for effective decision making in environmental compliance, water resources, natural and cultural resources, hazardous materials, telecommunications, and drilling markets nationwide. Learn about our entire suite of services at www.impact7g.com.
