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 teamboats
in the 1860s would ply the waters of Desoto Bend, a hairpin curve on the
Missouri River. The steamboat Bertrand was abandoned there on its
maiden voyage in the 1865 after striking a snag and sinking. Traffic continued
on the river bend into the 20th century, made more navigable by the U.S.
Army Corps of Engineers. But the bend exists no more. In one of many engineering
projects to channelize and deepen the "Big Muddy", as the river was called,
a new channel was dug between the ends of DeSoto Bend, bypassing the seven-mile
curve with a straight shot of just one mile and forming DeSoto Lake out
of the original river loop. The project met with total hostility until
the idea of establishing a refuge, with the lake as focal point, was promoted
by local conservationists. The Bertrand had been all but forgotten.
Opposition from Nebraska farmers continued. They were to be the losers. The river formed the boundary between Iowa and Nebraska. With the state boundary fixed and the river moved westward, their land would remain in Nebraska, but on the opposite side of the relocated river. Moreover, their land was to become the bulk of the refuge on the "island" surrounded by the lake on the one side and the new river channel on the other.
By the end of 1959, title to about 6,000 acres had been acquired by condemnation for the new DeSoto NWR. Public day-use recreational facilities were in the planning stage that included boat launching sites, swimming beaches, picnic areas, concessions, and parking areas. The river project was completed by the Corps of Engineers in 1960. "Build it and they will come" was certainly proved to be the case at DeSoto. By 1978, annual visits to the refuge exceeded 300,000. Water skiing and swimming were popular, but picnicking more so with 75,000. Concessionaires added to the Coney Island atmosphere with food service, boat rentals, and fishing supplies. As recreationists increased, so did problems. Bank erosion was made worse by the wakes from high-speed boards. In the late 1970s, refuge officials could not venture a guess on the potential speed and noise levels of the growing numbers of high-powered motorboats By them for safety reasons boat traffic on the lake was limited to a maximum of 125 craft. When imposed, the one out, one in policy produced long waiting lines and short tempers. Hundreds of warning tickets were being issued by refuge law enforcement officials for various infractions. Beginning in the early 1980s, a series of events led to the reduction and eventual elimination of DeSoto's unusual non-wildlife recreation. First, a $6 million visitor center was built and opened in 1981 on the edge of DeSoto Lake. A huge observation room in the award-winning structure overlooks the lake. Thanks to the calm waters of DeSoto Lake, an unexpected number of snow geese were making the refuge a migration stopover during the months of November and December, a spectacular half million birds each year! The visitor center was located to overlook one of their favorite roost areas. To spare summer refuge visitors the sight of water skiers from the viewing gallery a first major reduction in non-wildlife recreation was instituted; motorized boats were forbidden in the vicinity of the visitor center. Boaters cooperated. At about the same time, due to a lack of lifeguards, swimming at the two refuge beaches had to be limited to weekends only. A short time later, North Beach was closed entirely when deteriorating concessions had to be closed. Again, there were few complaints. But the protestations rose to a fever pitch when high-speed power boating and water skiing were completely banned from DeSoto Lake, an action to protect a half-million dollar investment in a major lake renovation project that occurred n 1985. Negative editorials appeared n local papers, 3,000 individuals signed petitions to reverse the ruling, boat clubs organized opposition campaigns, and pressure was brought on members of congress to do something. The closest the refuge came to being overruled was when Senator Charles Grassley (R-IA) threatened an amendment to an Interior appropriations bill to force the resumption of water sports. House and senate bills would have required no less than 100 power boards at any time, but they died in Congress before being acted on. Some people are still emotional over the issue, alleging that a promise to allow water skiing forever had been broken, but the refuge in the end was successful in restoring traditional refuge uses. While the refuge was still trying to accommodate by hundreds of thousands of summer recreationists, another events that had a profound effect on the refuge future began unfolding. It began with two men from Omaha thinking there was a steamboat on the refuge. Their historical research led them to believe the wrecked steamboat Bertrand was buried in a former river channel on the refuge. They wanted to salvage the boat's cargo, rumored to include 500 casks of mercury, 5,000 gallons of whiskey, and some quantity of gold. With an agreement in hand allowing them to search for and retain 60 percent of mercury, gold and whiskey, Salvors Sam Corbina and Jesse Pursell detected what they thought was the Bertrand with sophisticated magnetometers. Auger samples confirmed the presence of a boat wreck under some 30 feet of silt and clay. Under the guidance of National Park Service archeologists, excavation of the Bertrand began in March 1968. Not until November were the salvors able to positively identify the excavated boat as the Bertrand. By the time all the cargo was removed the following year, 210 well point were installed to continuously draw the water table down 18 feel to the bottom of the boat's hull. In all, some 2 million individual artifacts were removed from the full. Over 200,000 items of handtools, foodstuffs, clothing, patent medicines, munitions and various objects of leather, wood, glass, ceramics, ivory, bone, and iron were worthy of restoration for study and exhibition. In addition to staple items, the Bertrand also carried luxuries like champagne and silks. "A Wal-Mart of its day!" remarked former refuge interpreter Bruce Weber. It happened that none of the rumored whiskey or gold was on board and only nine flasks of mercury were recovered. Archeologists presume that most of the mercury had been recovered by the boat's insurers soon after the sinking along with the vessel's engines and paddlewheel. Interestingly, kegs of nails and plowshares on board the Bertrand were the articles of cargo that the magnetometers detected when the burial site was first located. The modern day salvors found the remains of the hull too weakened to be removed from its watery grave. Protected with carefully placed silt and sand in the events that in the future it might be raised or exhibited in place, the pumps were turned off and the hull now rests unseen at the bottom of the water-filled excavation. Floating markers indicated the outline of the 178 foot ill-fated vessel. A walking trail leads to an observation deck overlooking the site. Cataloging and restoring the Bertrand's cargo was an exhaustive 10-year process. Local people would not hear of the Smithsonian Institution's recommendation to move the early Americana artifact collection to its museum in Washington. But the collection could not stay in the temporary building at the refuge either. Controlled conditions were needed to avoid deterioration of the century-old artifacts. The well-timed 1976 Bicentennial Land Heritage Program provided the solution; a climate-controlled museum as a major part of the new refuge visitor center opened in 1981, the only one of its kind in the refuge system. Located behind glass partitions, the thousands of artifacts on display are monitor for appropriate light, temperature, and humidity. The 1977-81 Bicentennial program provided $180 million to the refuge system for new and rehabilitated facilities. The visitor center attracts over 100,000 visitors a year. In addition to the Bertrand exhibits, others depict the wetlands, prairie, and woodlands of the refuge and the animals that would have likely been seen when Lewis and Clark traveled DeSoto Bend on their expedition to find a land route to the Pacific Ocean. The 12-minute film "Seeds of Change" orients audiences to the refuge and a four-minute trailer describes the excavation of the steamboat Bertrand. But the biggest attraction is in the fall when the visitor center is filled with people to observe the half-million snow geese that arrive beginning in October. Many also get to see coyotes chase and capture older and weaker birds. There have been peak time when thousands of people had to be turned away at the refuge entrance where traffic backed up for one-quarter mile in each direction. The geese depart the refuge in December when the lake waters freeze over. A self-guided auto tour is set up from mid-October through November with numbered stops keyed to a brochure handout. Ironically, the goose spectacle is the result of food supporting more geese on migration routes than what breeding areas in northern Canada can accommodate. The destruction that overpopulations are causing to the fragile tundra habitat in Canada has resulted in new strategies to reduce the population including more liberal hunting rules. While visitors delight in seeing the massive flocks of geese, managers are warning that this may be "too much of a good thing." There are many opportunities for wildlife and habitat observation from 12 miles of refuge roads. They border the river, lake, woods, and grasslands. The loop around Center Island was partially closed during goose migration until Larry Klimeck became refuge manager two years ago. He ordered the road open entirely when the closure was realized to be more of a tradition than a wildlife protective measure. Klimeck also had signs erected to remind visitors who otherwise might not have known that they cross the Nebraska-Iowa state line several times while driving the tour road in the refuge. Visitors are almost sure to see flocks of wild turkeys from the roads in the fall and winter. Four nature trails include the 3/4 mile Cottonwood Trail and the Wood Duck Pond Trail that crosses a pond full of aquatic life. A 900 foot trail at the visitor center is accessible to people in wheelchairs and a 7/8 mile loop extension meanders through the woods along DeSoto Lake. A pull-off parking area overlooks the Missouri River and the Bob Starr Wildlife, the site of one of the former beaches, is constructed as a blind for viewing and photographing birds on DeSoto Lake. Naturalists give illustrated talks at the visitor center on weekends throughout the year and a different photographic exhibit is featured each month. During the summer months, wildlife films are shown in the visitor center auditorium on weekends. A refuge interpreter conducts nature walks on the last Saturday of each month. Special programs for school children are presented in the spring and fall. Several ramps are provided for launching boats into the lake. Motors are permitted, but speeds must be limited to cause no wakes. Fishing is permitted on the lake from April 15 to October 14 as is ice fishing in the winter. Archery and spearfishing for roughfish is also permitted which include carp and buffalofish. Fishing clinics are provided for inner-city and native American youth with the help of volunteer workers at a pond and pavilion built for the purpose. Interested persons need to contact the refuge for information on annual deer and waterfowl hunts. The refuge also permits mushroom collecting in designated areas in April and May. Besides snow geese, the refuge attracts smaller numbers of Canada geese and peak population of as many as 70,000 ducks. In addition to mostly mallards, other ducks include wood, teak, black, pintail, shoveler, and gadwall. As many as 143 eagles have been observed at one time. Two eagles were fledged for the first time at the refuge in 2002. Eagles will perch in the tall cottonwood trees when waterfowl are present. Owls, pheasants, wild turkeys, and bobwhite quail are common and warblers, gulls, herons, and egrets peak during migrations. Both the least tern and piping plover were known to nest on the once prevalent sandbars of the wide channels of the Missouri River, but none has nested on the refuge for over 20 years. River channel modifications have eliminated choice habitat of the birds. Nevertheless, almost 250 bird species have been documented on the refuge. Mammals include cottontail rabbits, raccoons, skunks, badgers, fox squirrels, coyotes, and white-tailed deer. About 40 mammal species have been identified or suspected to be present. Amphibians and reptiles on the refuge include two salamander, three toad, five frog, six turtle, and six snake species. Over 50 butterfly species have been documented. Any of 80 fish species found in the lower Missouri River could be present in the reach that flows through the refuge. The species include sturgeons, gars, chubs, carp, shiners, catfishes, basses, crappies, and minnows. Fish in DeSoto Lake include naturally-occurring species as well as those that are stocked for recreational fishing, an amount measuring into the millions over the last 20 years. Permits are issued periodically for netting by commercial fishers of buffalofish and carp, so-called rough, or undesirable, fish that have come to dominate the lake. The large fish will stir up the bottom and feed on the few eggs produced by the stocked fish. - Jim Clark Directions: From I-29, exit to US-30, west five miles to refuge entrance on left. Entrance fee is $3 per vehicle; annual passes cost $10. Golden Age and Migratory Bird and Conservation Stamp holders are admitted free. Visitor center is open every day 9:00 am to 4:30 pm except Thanksgiving, Christmas, and New Year's Day. Desoto NWR 1434 316th Lane Missouri Valley, IA 51555 712.642.4121 http://midwest.fws.gov/desoto
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