Anglers Bay Dedication

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Tim Ackarman

Anglers Bay has been protected for its serene beauty, but also for its importance to the Iowa Great Lakes' fish and wildlife habitat and water quality.

This item was posted in August 2008.

About 200 major donors, partners and friends came together Saturday morning, August 2, to celebrate a landmark conservation success at the Iowa Great Lakes. They were there to dedicate the new Anglers Bay Wildlife Management Area, on the northeast shore of Big Spirit Lake.  

A short dedication ceremony featured comments from honored guests, former Iowa Congressman Berkley Bedell and the property’s previous owner Nancy Yarnes, who, along with her late husband Don, helped make the project possible. Read the Yarnes family comments. Speakers unveiled prototypes for Anglers Bay signage that will interpret the history and natural resource values of the area to future visitors.

Activities from early morning until noon included a guided bird hike, netting and identifying aquatic critters along the shore, pontoon rides to view the bulrushes and a hike to preview restoration progress.

Tim Ackarman

A flotilla of 40 kayaks took a close-up view of Anglers Bay and its bulrushes as part of the celebration.

The party was sponsored by the Iowa Natural Heritage Foundation and the Iowa Department of Natural Resources, with assistance from the Dickinson County Conservation Board and many local volunteers.

The importance of Anglers Bay to the Lakes’ water quality and wildlife inspired this $6.67 million protection effort along two-thirds of a mile of shoreline between Hales Slough and Sandbar Slough. Once slated for yet another housing development, this area will instead remain a place for the public to enjoy the natural beauty of the Lakes region. Work to restore the 93-acre site with wetlands, prairie and a new portion of trail is just beginning. Get more project details.

Tim Ackarman

Area birder Lee Schoenewe led an early-morning bird hike before the dedication ceremony.

Directions: The new Anglers Bay Wildlife Management Area is located on the northeast shore of Big Spirit Lake, nestled between Hales Slough on the south and Sandbar Slough on the north.

From Estherville: traveling west on Highway 9, turn north/right on Highway 71 and drive 3 miles. Turn west/left on County Road A15 and drive 3.5 miles to the T intersection with County Road M56 and turn right. The parking area and dedication site is just beyond the intersection.

From the south: from downtown Spirit Lake, travel north on Hill Avenue to the T intersection at 140th Street. Turn east/right on 140th, then turn north/left onto County Road M56. The parking area and dedication site is just beyond the intersection with County Road A15.

Maps:

• Driving
• Bicycling (The great Dickinson County trails system can take you directly to this site as it adjoins County Road M56 in this area.)

Thanks to

• More than 1,077 donors who helped purchase and restore Anglers Bay
• The late Don Yarnes and Nancy Yarnes, former owners. They made a substantial donation in honor of Consider A. Yarnes, Don's grandfather and the original owner of the property.
• Partner organizations
  • Friends who spoke out in favor of the project and helped raise funding
  • State government leaders who provided two appropriations to fund half of this project
  • Volunteers
    

Support
Funds have been raised for acquisition and restoration. Funding is still needed to establish the trail across the site. For trail information, contact Stephen Litts with Dickinson County Trails.

All past donations to Anglers Bay are also helping to secure and leverage more federal dollars to continue important wetland restoration in northwest Iowa.