The Muscatine County Board of Supervisors hopes to speak with the city of Muscatine soon to address an issue regarding new regulations for stream bed projects.

County Engineer Bryan Horesowsky told the supervisors Monday that the county is hearing back on some of the permitting it has applied for to the Corps of Engineers. He explained there have been new rules and regulations that have been issued by the Iowa Environmental Protection Agency. He said the Corps and the Iowa Department of Natural Resources have been interpreting the rules and that they are vague.

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"One of the rules is if you place a structure or any type of fill in a stream bed - if you do a box culvert, you are taking up additional stream bed," he said. "We have some projects we have put in permits for, and we are getting letters back saying we would take up too much stream bed. The only option to mitigate that is to purchase stream bed credits."

Horesowsky told the supervisors that there would be additional expense to upcoming projects due to the new regulations. He also said the cost of the credits are "variable" and counties could purchase as many credits as they want, but the tough part is finding the credits to purchase.

Supervisor Jeff Sorensen said this would just drive the cost up for taxpayers.

Horesowsky said there are two credit banks in the area. The credits are released in a staged manner, and one of the banks the county is working with does not have all the credits needed but will have them in January. He also said in meetings with the Corps of Engineers, it has been stated this is the easiest method that has been found.

"So, the government is requiring us to buy something to do something in our own county and carefully restricts the supply of that thing," Supervisor Nathan Mather said. "This is idiotic."

Sorensen said the city of Muscatine has discussed cleaning up siltation in Mad Creek as part of the riverfront renewal project. He wondered aloud if there is an opportunity to develop streambed credits in that project.

"Mad Creek is a fairly substantial waterway," Sorensen said. "I know siltation in the Mississippi is something they are concerned about."

Horesowsky said the county is working on replacing a box culvert and it needs 200 credits for the project. He said from the quotes the county has gotten, it will cost $99 to $125 per credit.

Photos: U.S. Corps of Engineers host a Tour of Dewatered Lock 14