The Iowa River Corridor Project is an innovative floodplain management focus area that encompasses 50,000 acres of land stretching along 45 miles of river in Tama, Benton and Iowa counties. Within the project area, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (Service) owns about 10,000 acres which are part of Port Louisa National Wildlife Refuge. These lands are managed by the Iowa Department of Natural Resources through a cooperative agreement with the Service. Most of the refuge land has reverted from cropland back to its former habitat of wet meadow, oxbow wetlands, grassland, and bottomland forest with a mixture of scrub/shrub openings.
The Iowa River Corridor Project originated following the devastating flood of 1993, which caused millions of dollars of damage to local property. The Iowa River had risen out of its banks 28 of the last 30 years and many farmers were weary of fighting the elements and dealing with the risks of farming in the floodplain. The federal government wanted to reduce the taxpayer burden of flood damage payments to landowners.
As a result, the Natural Resource Conservation Service (NRCS) offered payments to landowners willing to permanently stop farming their floodplain fields. Under the easement contract, landowners received a lump sum payment covering approximately 80% of the land value. Of the 379 farm tracts in the corridor, 100 have portions enrolled in either the Emergency Wetland Reserve Program (EWRP) or Wetland Reserve Program (WRP). These permanent easements total nearly 20,000 acres.
NRCS restored several hundred acres of wetlands and nearly 2,000 acres of native grasslands as part of the easement contracts, but much of the area has been allowed to naturally revegetate to bottomland forest and wet meadow. Flood waters flow unimpeded during late spring and early summer, allowing the floodplain to again function naturally.
Many landowners who enrolled in the easement program expressed a strong interest in selling their former croplands. In 1994, Congress authorized funds for the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service to acquire lands from willing sellers. The Service paid the remaining 20% value of the lands along with the NRCS easement payment.
Refuge lands on the corridor are managed primarily for waterfowl and other migratory birds. Some of the larger impoundments such as on the Hawk, Deseret Trust, and Foley tracts attract thousands of waterfowl during the spring and fall migrations. Grasslands and wet meadows are managed aggressively with fire and offer habitat for several species of prairie songbirds as well as pheasants and bobwhite quail. Bottomland forests provide migration and nesting habitat for many warblers and other woodland songbirds. In May 2004, a 100,000-acre bird conservation area was established along the Iowa River by the Iowa Department of Natural Resources.
Refuge lands offer exceptional recreational opportunities for outdoor enthusiasts. Hunting and fishing are allowed in accordance with state regulations. The area is known for large populations of whitetail deer, turkey, and pheasant. Waterfowl hunting is allowed except on designated sanctuary areas. Other popular recreational activities include bird and wildlife watching, canoeing, boating and hiking.
Regulations
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