Integrated Roadside Management
Why is IRM Important to Cerro Gordo County?
- Roadside plantings are a long-term plan for cost savings.
- Native plants are benficial to pollinators and other wildlife.
- Roadside plantings beautify the landscape.
- Native plants resist the spread of invasive species.
- Native plantings preserve our natural heritage.
- Native plants help drivers in the winter by reducing glare.
Noxious Weed Control
Cerro Gordo County Conservation is responsible for enforcement of the Iowa Noxious Weed Law on both public and private property. Roadside Vegetation Management staff utilize prescribed burning, spot spraying, and mowing to control invasive plants in County roadsides. Roadside Vegetation Manager Ryan Wilcke is the appointed County Weed Commissioner. Contact Ryan with questions/concerns about noxious weeds.
Brush Control
Cerro Gordo County’s IRM program utilizes spot spraying and mechanical removal to control woody vegetation within the right-of-way, improving site distance around road signs and intersections, reducing snow traps, and improving conditions that might impede the maintenance of the right-of-way.
Native Vegetation
Our Roadside Management Staff establishes native prairie in the ROW as a long-term , cost-effective management practice that discourages erosion and invasive plant growth, while promoting water infiltration and habitat diversity. Our staff utilizes local ecotype, native seed provided through an annual Living Roadway Trust Fund grant as well as seed grown and harvested in seed production plots located at Lime Creek Conservation Area.
