New Lyon County wildlife area "exceptional" for water quality benefitsThis article was written and released in December 2009.
Hunters and anglers in Lyon County are already discovering the new Boersma Wildlife Area. Its 61 acres of diverse habitat includes three-fourths mile of the meandering Little Rock River, about eight miles south of Rock Rapids. “This property offers special conservation opportunities,” said Lyon County Conservation Board Director Craig Van Otterloo. “We were really interested in this spot, because it has one of the only known rock riffles on the Little Rock River, with lots of nice small-mouth bass and catfish. We’re developing a 100-foot-wide buffer strip along either side of the river aimed at protecting water quality and fish habitat, and we may be working on some other fishery enhancements, as well.” The property also has good habitat for birds and other wildlife. To make it even better, the county is installing wildlife food plots and planting a section of native prairie. A portion of the remaining land will continue to be rented as farm ground to pay property taxes. “This area will be great for pheasants and pheasant hunters, but it’s just as valuable for water quality,” said John Linquist, Iowa Pheasants Forever Western Iowa Regional Representative. “Lyon County is doing some exceptional work to string critical areas together as part of a bigger complex that provides great habitat and also benefits water quality,” continued Linquist. “This really makes great use of limited resources.” The Iowa Natural Heritage Foundation helped bring the project together by acquiring the land while the county lined up funding. The project received a major grant from Pheasants Forever, with support from PF local and state levels, making it eligible for funds from the national PF Build a Wildlife Area (BAWA) program. Other assistance came from Resource Enhancement and Protection (REAP) county funds, and a fisheries habitat grant from the Iowa Department of Natural Resources. The previous landowners, Arlyn and Shirley Boersma, also played an important role by making a partial donation of land value. Management work on the property started this year, along with installation of two small parking lots. Find more information about conservation in Lyon County at www.lyoncountyiowa.com/conservation_department.asp Other projects in Lyon County that the Iowa Natural Heritage Foundation has helped protect include Blood Run, the Little Rock River Greenbelt Expansion and an addition to the Lake Pahoja Recreation Area. Learn more at www.inhf.org or call 515-288-1846. For more information, e-mail INHF Outreach Coordinator Ann Robinson, or call 515-288-1846.
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