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Departments | Conservation | News
DATE: JANUARY 23, 2012
TOPIC: CROSS COUNTRY SKI TRAILS
All trails at Lime Creek Conservation Area have been packed. The woodland (diagonal stride/classical) ski trails have been track set. No further grooming will be completed until the next significant snowfall.
The Quarry Lake Trail and the Wild Turkey Loop at LCCA have been packed. All snow bike users and all recreational walkers, snow shoe enthusiasts and dog walkers are asked to utilize that trail for their winter activities. As a reminder hikers and other foot -powered traffic on the groomed ski trails damages the trail for cross country skiing. Due to a very short winter ski season we strongly urge cooperation from all users, to respect the groomed ski trails when optimum conditions exist.
The expanded ski trail venue at Wilkinson Park in Rock Falls will be evaluated later in the week.
Updates will be provided on this website when necessary for those interested in trail conditions. As a guideline for ski trail users updates will appear on this site during the work week only, dependent on changes in general conditions. For any questions regarding winter trail use at the Lime Creek Conservation or Wilkinson Park Areas please contact our office at 641-423-5309.
DATE: JANUARY 20, 2012
TOPIC: ANNUAL ELECTION OF CONSERVATION BOARD OFFICERS
FROM: MARY ERMER, OFFICE MANGER
The Cerro Gordo County Conservation Board met on Tuesday, January 17th for their regular monthly meeting. Election of officers for the 2012 year was held with the following individuals being voted to the respective positions: Mr. Dave Kaiser of Mason City "Chair", Mr. Gene Hinrichs of Ventura “Vice-Chair", Ms. Crystal Meier of Mason City "Secretary/Treasurer”. Other members of the conservation board include Dr. Ron Masters of Mason City and Ms. Jacquelyn Arthur of Mason City. Board members are appointed by the Cerro Gordo County Board of Supervisors for staggered terms of five years as specified by the Code of Iowa.
The Board members are responsible for policy setting and overall management of the programs administered by the County Conservation Department. The public meetings are held on the third Tuesday of each month at 7:00 PM at the Lime Creek Nature Center, located north of Mason City. For more information about the board, contact Fred Heinz/Director @ 641-423-5309.
DATE: JANUARY 4, 2012
TOPIC: FISHING JETTY CONSTRUCTED AT BLUEBILL WILDLIFE AREA
FROM: MIKE WEBB, NATURAL RESOURCE MANAGER - WILDLIFE
A new fishing jetty has been constructed at the Bluebill Wildlife Area this winter, the result of Cerro Gordo County Conservation Board (CGCCB) being successful in receiving an Iowa DNR Fish Habitat Grant and a local grant from Armour-Eckrich. The 85 foot long by 12 foot wide fishing jetty is located on the west shoreline, near the boat ramp. The construction of this jetty increases fishing access to the lake, while also providing additional fish habitat.
The jetty has a smooth gravel surface making it easy to access for the angler. The outer end of the jetty will place the angler over 10-12 feet of water. This distance will place the angler out beyond the normal emergent vegetation line, providing increased fishing opportunities. The large rock used to construct the jetty also provides additional fish habitat, as shelter and spawning sites. The increased habitat created by the jetty also provides increased fishing opportunities for the angler.
Construction of the jetty consisted of three steps. The first step involved placement of large rip rap (12-24” diameter stone) into the lake basin to provide a solid base. Following placement of the large rock a layer of three inch rock was used to fill in the voids of the large rock thus providing a stable surface for the final layer. The final layer or top surface of the jetty was covered in a high quality road stone which provides a stable and smooth finished surface.
Funding for the fishing jetty project is being provided by an Iowa DNR Fish Habitat grant, Armour-Eckrich grant and CGCCB Resource Enhancement and Protection (REAP) funds. The CGCCB was awarded Fish Habitat grant funds in the amount of $35,250. Armour-Eckrich contributed $3,000 to the project and $8,750 of REAP funds were utilized.
Iowa Fish Habitat funds are derived from the sale of fishing licenses, with three dollars from each license sold used to promote fish habitat. The fishing jetty project not only provides additional fish habitat, but it also provides additional recreational opportunities for the angler.
The funding from Armour-Eckrich was a grant awarded to CGCCB for their company’s commitment to environmental projects. A portion of the statewide REAP funds are distributed to county conservation boards for conservation and recreation projects within their counties.
For more information on this project or other CGCCB programs contact the CGCCB office at 3501 Lime Creek Road, Mason City, IA 50401; call (641) 423-5309 or visit the website at www.co.cerro-gordo.ia.us, then click on outdoors under the quick find menu on the left margin.
DATE: DECEMBER 22, 2011
TOPIC: VOLUNTEER SERVICE AWARD
Cerro Gordo County Conservation Board Vice-chair, Mr. Dave Kaiser (right) presents Mr. Steve Karabatsos (left) with a volunteer service award for his 18 years of service to this county as a member of the Conservation Board. He served from January of 1994 until December of 2011, serving as Chair of the board in 2011.
DATE: DECEMBER 5, 2011
TOPIC: LIME CREEK CONSERVATION AREA TRAILS
FROM: TODD HANSEN, PARK MANAGER
Effective immediately, Lime Creek Conservation area trails will be closed to horses and standard recreational bikes for the remainder of the winter/ski season. The Quarry Lake Loop and the Wild Turkey Loop will remain open to bikes with tires greater than 3.5" (aka: Fat Tire Bikes or Snow Bikes) during the snow/winter season. Trails will reopen to horses and all bikes spring of 2012.
Cerro Gordo County Conservation Board would like to inform all LCCA users of trail guidelines during the winter season.
Lime Creek Conservation Area offers nearly 8 miles of groomed trails to accomodate diagonal stride/traditional skiing and skate style skiing when snow conditions permit. An initial base of 6"-8" of snowfall is required to cover all trail irregularities and provide a base for grooming activities. Normal grooming will typically follow any additional snowfall. If a dusting of snowfall is received it is recommended to simply ski over the existing groomed tracks.
Hikers, dog walkers, and other winter trail users are encouraged to use either the Quarry Lake Loop or the Easy Access Trail. The Quarry Lake Loop is located on the west side of the area and is packed to facilitate a hard surfaced snow trail. The Easy Access Trail is located adjacent to the Nature Center and when conditions permit the trail is cleared of snow.
Snow bike users (tires greater than 3.5") are restricted to the Quarry Lake Loop and the Wild Turkey Loop. Access to LCCA will be allowed from the south along the east/river side of the River Bluffs Trail and the Easy Access Trail during the snow/winter season. Snow bike users must obey all signs and not travel in the groomed tracks set on the River Bluffs Trail section described above.
If non-skiers and/or pets are to use any of the "groomed" cross country ski trails they are directed to walk to the far right of the groomed area and to NOT walk in the grooved channels set for the classical or diagonal stride skiers. Skiers with pets are also directed to keep pets from walking/running in groomed area. (All pets must be kept on a 6' leash)
The ski season is very short in north Iowa and to maintain trail opportunities, it will take the cooperation of all park users. All motorized vehicle traffic is prohibited on all trails (i.e. ATV's, Snowmobiles, Etc). If you have any questions regarding winter trail use or winter conditions contact the conservation office @ 423-5309 or view the website at www.co.cerro-gordo.ia.us.
DATE: DECEMBER 5, 2011
TOPIC: FALL UPDATES
- Effective Monday, December 5, 2011 the gate at Bluebill Wildlife Area has been closed for the season.
- Effective Monday, November 28, 2011 the Trolley Trail located between Mason City and Clear Lake along county road B-35 will officially close for the season.
- Effective Monday, November 28, 2011 Wilkinson Pioneer Park Greenbelt and the Shell Rock River Greenbelt extending from 295th Street to County Road B30 will officially close for the season.
- Effective Monday, October 3, 2011, all Cerro Gordo County Conservation Board modern campgrounds have been closed for the season. This includes Wilkinson Pioneer Park in Rock Falls, Linn Grove Park in Rockwell, and Ingebretson Park in Thornton. The three campgrounds will reopen May 2012
- Effective Monday, October 24, 2011 the dock at Bluebill Wildlife Area has been removed for the season.
DATE: NOVEMBER 29, 2011
TOPIC: LIME CREEK AND WINNEBAGO OXBOW HABITAT PROJECT (PRAIRIE RESTORATION)
The Cerro Gordo County Conservation Board (CGCCB) is continuing with habitat improvement projects at the Lime Creek Conservation Area and The Winnebago Oxbow Wildlife Area. Previously four additional wetlands were created at these areas. Three new wetlands totaling 4 acres were developed at the Lime Creek area and one wetland totaling 3 acres was developed at Winnebago Oxbow. The next habitat improvement phase will be the conversion of cool season vegetation to more desirable prairie vegetation at each location. The Lime Creek project will involve planting 20 acres of prairie vegetation while 10 acres of prairie vegetation will be planted at Winnebago Oxbow.
The cool season vegetation is being replaced as its value to wildlife is much lower than prairie vegetation. The prairie vegetation provides a greater diversity of grasses and flowers for attracting insects and producing seeds for food, provides better winter and nesting cover and will tolerate extreme weather conditions better. Also, historically Iowa was dominated by prairie vegetation, therefore this project will be restoring a bit of history to these areas. The process of converting the existing cool season vegetation to prairie vegetation will involve many steps.
The first step in restoring prairie vegetation is eliminating the existing cool season vegetation. The cool season vegetation is eliminated to reduce its competitive effect on the new prairie seedlings. The processes used to remove the cool season vegetation involve burning and the application of a non selective contact herbicide. Burning is done to remove all of the residual vegetation which will allow the new growth to be exposed. The removal of the residual vegetation and exposure of the new growth will allow the chemical application to work with greater efficiency and effectiveness. This step was initiated this fall as CGCCB staff began burning off the planting sites (at Lime Creek and Winnebago Oxbow). Once the cool season vegetation is eliminated it will be time to plant the prairie vegetation. The prairie grasses and flowers will be planted using a seed drill designed for that purpose. To encourage as much plant diversity as possible a seed mix using at least seven different grass species and at least twenty different flower species will be used. By planting as many plant species as possible a stable long term plant community is developed and the wildlife habitat provided is greatly improved.
Following the initial spring planting (2012) of the prairie vegetation, follow up maintenance will be needed the first summer and fall. The required maintenance is a regular mowing of the seeding sites. The new plantings will be mowed when any non- prairie plants grow higher than 8-10 inches and will be mowed to a height of no less than 4 inches. By doing this the prairie vegetation will continue to receive the proper amount of sunlight needed to encourage its maximum growth. While this will reduce the amount of wildlife cover the first year it will greatly improve the wildlife cover in following years. Once the prairie vegetation is established an occasional prescribed burn will be the primary long term maintenance requirement. The periodic prescribed burn will maintain the health and vigor of the prairie vegetation.
The process to improve wildlife habitat often involves many steps. As described earlier the process to convert cool season grasslands to a prairie involves burning, chemical application, planting and mowing. While all these steps may reduce wildlife habitat in the short term they will definitely create an improved habitat for wildlife for many years following.
The wetland and prairie habitat improvements projects at Lime Creek and Winnebago Oxbow have been a cooperative effort between the US Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) and our agency (CGCCB). The CGCCB applied for and received a grant from the USFWS for wetland restorations and 30 acres of upland habitat improvement on the sites. The USFWS provided the funding while the CGCCB provided the labor and equipment to make these projects possible.
Burn at Lime Creek Conservation Area
Burn at Winnebago Oxbow
DATE: NOVEMBER 15, 2011
TOPIC: EAGLE SCOUT PROJECT
New bat house boxes have been installed at several county park areas, thanks to an Eagle Scout project completed by Logan Pearce of Mason City Troop 12 Boy Scouts. Logan and his family members constructed 17 bat houses for the project. The bat houses were installed on shelter houses at Wilkinson, Ingebretsen, Linn Grove parks, and on the open shelter and Lime Creek Nature Center at the Lime Creek Conservation Area. These bat houses will provide roosting habitat for one of Iowa’s most unique mammals - bats! Logan also completed interpretive information about bats that will be posted at the shelter houses to educate the public about bats. A second component of Logan’s project was the construction of six fishing line recycling bins that will be installed at several county fishing areas this spring. More information about the recyclers will be provided after they are installed. The Cerro Gordo County Conservation Board and Lime Creek Nature Center would like to commend Logan and Troop 12 for a fantastic job on this project! Thank you for your time and efforts!
DONATION
The Cerro Gordo County Conservation Board (CGCCB) was pleased to accept a cash donation from the local Armour-Eckrich food processing plant in Mason City. Smithfield Foods, Inc. the parent company presented the award to the local plant in recognition of their 2011 Environmental Excellence Awards. The Mason City facility and staff member received a second-place award in “Waste Reduction-Pollution Prevention” category recognizing employee Patty Sullivan for her efforts in redesigning product packaging to reduce the amount of material required and strengthening the boxes as well.
The monetary gift of $3,000 will be utilized by the CGCCB to assist with the local 25% match for an Ia. Dept. of Natural Resources Fish Habitat Grant. The State of Iowa funding was awarded to CGCCB to construct a fishing jetty at the Blue-bill Wildlife Area, located southeast of Clear Lake (14369 Indigo Ave.). Fish Habitat Grant funds are generated by Iowans purchasing fishing licenses, with a portion annually made available to county conservation boards, via competitive regional grants. The fishing jetty is scheduled for construction during the winter of ’11-’12, with 75% of the cost covered by the state grant program.
This is not the first time that the local Armour-Eckrich plant has assisted CGCCB with projects at the Blue-bill Wildlife Area. On two previous occasions they have provided financial gifts; first in development of the boat ramp and parking lot and secondly with shoreline rip-rap placement to reduce shoreline erosion and improve lake water quality. In both of those situations the generous financial donations assisted the CGCCB with the mandatory local match for competitive grants this agency had received.
The CGCCB was organized in June of 1958 according to state statutes, which created this unique to Iowa county conservation system. The CGCCB has enjoyed tremendous success during the first 50 years of existence, much of that directly related to the on-going local public support and successful partnerships with citizens, communities, special interest groups, private conservation organizations and local business/industry.
The financial gift was presented by Armour-Eckrich Mason City plant employee Patty Sullivan (left) accepted by CGCCB director Fred Heinz (right) and joined by local Plant Manager Dave Bergan (center). For more information regarding this project please contact Fred Heinz @ 641-423-5309.
DATE: OCTOBER 12, 2011
TOPIC: BRUSH AND TREE REMOVAL/WOOD CHIP AVAILABILITY
FROM: JOSH BRANDT-NATURAL RESOURCE MANAGER-ROW VEGETATION
The Cerro Gordo County Conservation Board Roadside Management staff will soon begin annual tree and brush removal efforts within county road right-of-ways. Manual removal of trees and brush will be focused primarily within Grant, Lincoln, Lime Creek and Falls townships according to the Cerro Gordo County brush removal policy. Residents of Cerro Gordo County may request a full load(s) of wood chips by contacting the Cerro Gordo County Conservation Board at (641) 423-5309. Chips will be delivered at no cost to dump sites in close proximity to work areas. The Roadside Management staff requests that potential dump sites be unobstructed and clearly flagged to facilitate easy delivery.
Additional wood chips will be made available next spring at Lime Creek Nature Center to residents and non-residents of Cerro Gordo County requesting smaller quantities.
DATE: JULY 3, 2007
TOPIC: NEW RULES & REGULATIONS
FROM: TODD HANSEN, PARK MANAGER
Cerro Gordo County Conservation Board has adopted two new rules and regulations effective 7/15/07.
1. "Motorized vehicles in campgrounds restricted to licensed units, except golf carts being used to travel to and from golf course."
2. "The use of rifles and handguns is prohibited at the Lime Creek Conservation Area public hunting zone surrounding Quarry Lake."
For more information contact the Cerro Gordo County Conservation office at (641) 423-5309.
HUNTING & FISHING INFORMATION
A complete list of hunting and fishing regulations can be found at: www.iowadnr.com
Cerro Gordo County Conservation Office
Mason City, IA 50401
Phone:(641)423-5309
Fax:(641)423-1566