INHF helps create new public wetland

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This article first appeared in INHF's Winter 2008 magazine.

“It’s very satisfying to build such a large complex all at once, both from a habitat standpoint and from a public use standpoint.”

- Bruce Mountain, INHF land projects director

by Andrea L. Zimmerman

A new public wetland in Mills County provides a whopping 800 acres for wildlife habitat and human recreation.

The restored wetland complex is located approximately two miles south of Pacific Junction along Interstate 29. It will be called Haynie Slough, an old local name for the property.

Two things make Haynie Slough particularly significant: its sheer size and its location on the Missouri River floodplain, where most land has been converted to crops. The restored wetland will provide an oasis for resident and migrating wildlife.

The Iowa Natural Heritage Foundation provided temporary ownership and landowner negotiations. It is now owned and managed by the Iowa Department of Natural Resources (DNR).

According to Carl Priebe, wildlife biologist for the Iowa DNR, the property already provides habitat for pheasants, deer, ducks and — depending on water levels — shore birds and northern harriers. Because of the wet conditions, Priebe said, the area also provides resting places for migrating waterfowl along the Missouri River flyway. Public uses will include hunting, birdwatching and wildlife photography.

The Iowa DNR’s future plans for the property include preserving the wetlands, maintaining the quality of native grass on the uplands and providing a wetland area for the public to enjoy.

The previous owner, Dick DeLaschmutt, had enrolled the site in the Wetland Reserve Program (WRP), a federal farm program designed to restore natural wetland complexes. The WRP pays for agricultural rights, which lowered the subsequent purchase price. The Iowa DNR purchased the site through grant funding from the federal North American Wetlands Conservation Act (NAWCA). Ducks Unlimited administered the grant.

“Normally it takes several parcels acquired over a period of time to make a complex this big,” said Bruce Mountain, land projects director of INHF. “It’s very satisfying to build such a large complex all at once, both from a habitat standpoint and from a public use standpoint.”

Andrea L. Zimmerman is a Drake University student and Robert R. Buckmaster Intern at INHF.

See related news release

For more information, e-mail Cathy Engstrom, Director of Communications, or call (515) 288-1846.