IOWA CITY -- Over the course of the Iowa Geological Survey's life at the University of Iowa, it has worked on nearly 200 research projects related to the state's geology and water resources.

The survey came to the UI in 2014 after initially living as a bureau within the Iowa Department of Natural Resources. Since then, it has worked on 186 projects that have taken its researchers to nearly every county in the state.

"That's really an impressive statistic," said Keith Schilling, director of the Iowa Geological Survey and the state geologist. "It's a lot to keep track of and it's a lot to do with our small group."

Since joining the UI under Larry Weber, director of Hydroscience & Engineering -- known as IIHR -- Schilling said the culture of the survey has changed.

"One of the best things that happened when we joined IIHR under Larry's leadership was that it just unleashed our entrepreneurial spirit," Schilling said. Since the transition, "we can take ownership of our future."

When the survey came to the UI 10 years ago, it had a staff of eight. Now, the workforce has doubled between full- and part-time staff. It has employed over 60 students.

Some of the survey's projects include research by Schilling and soil scientist Matthew Streeter into saturated waterways, studying how slowing down water flow on agricultural fields can reduce nitrate and other chemicals in the water. Another example is an ongoing study into carbon dioxide sequestration in Iowa, which previously wasn't thought possible in the state.

In an event celebrating the 10-year anniversary Wednesday, Schilling said the survey's increased number of research projects is partly due to more funding being brought in to support the researchers and their studies.

Schilling said between fiscal 2015 and 2024, the agency has seen a funding increase of about $100,000 per year, coming from a combination of sources. Some of its funding sources are municipal, federal and state. For fiscal 2024, the survey received nearly $2.48 million from funders.

Schilling said that IIHR provided annual funding assistance to the survey from its inception at the UI a decade ago up through fiscal 2019, but is not now among its funding sources.

They agency also received funding from the U.S. Geological Survey. The national survey funded nearly $30,000 for the 2024-2025 year to foster work for "data preservation and critical minerals activities."

Ann McKenna, dean of the UI College of Engineering, said that what the agency has been able to accomplish in 10 years with its budget is "impressive."

"When you have that level of constraint where you're starting at with the budget ... it really indicates the passion and the commitment that you all have to making it work," McKenna said. "It is amazing the contributions and the impact that (the agency) is having for the state."

Although its is celebrating a decade at the UI, the survey has been at work in Iowa for 132 years. It was established in 1892 as an independent agency that reported directly to the governor until 1986. That year, it moved to the Iowa DNR, where it became one branch of the department's work.

At the Iowa DNR, Schilling said the agency was called the "Iowa Geological and Water Survey Bureau at the DNR." It had about 50 staff members divided into four sections: Geographic Information System, Geology & Groundwater, Watershed Monitoring & Assessment and Watershed Improvement.

"The process (of transitioning to the UI) was a challenge," said Weber, who is also a professor of civil and environmental engineering. "We really put together a very good team. ... A team that continues to grow. I'm very proud of everybody that has been part of the Iowa Geologic Survey."

Of those 50 staff members, only about eight moved with the survey to the UI. Now, they survey is located in UI's Trowbridge Hall in Iowa City and the university's Oakdale Research Park in Coralville.

At the UI, "we're allowed to be entrepreneurs and go out and find new work that interests us and the public," Schilling said. "That's the biggest win that I can think of in the last 10 years. It's just allowing us to be who we are."