This article first appeared in INHF's Summer 2008 magazine.
Iowa Department of Transportation |
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The boggy peat lands east of Colo resisted drainage, posing challenges to farmers and travelers, as shown in this 1928 photo of a roadster on Lincoln Highway, U.S. 30. |
INHF has helped knit another 180 acres into the Colo Bog Wetlands Complex, thanks to two recent purchases and a related land trade.
Colo Bog, situated in eastern Story County, was molded by the advance and retreat of the Wisconsin glacier 13,000 years ago. Though early settlers and road builders cursed the landscape’s myriad, poorly drained depressions, generations have valued its abundant wildlife. More recently, soil scientists value pollen records buried in the bog’s peat layers, a hidden historical record of the region’s plants and climate.
The dream starts small
In a 1999 Nevada Journal column, Story County Pheasants Forever member and neighbor Hank Zaletel described the area’s history and diverse habitat, which is used by “thousands of geese and waterfowl in early spring. Then, in May,” he wrote, “the sloping hills east of Colo are dotted with thousands of Lesser Golden Plover, while the shallow potholes yield hundreds of shorebirds. Pheasant and Gray Partridge abound.”
The first step to acquire this diverse conservation area took place in 1995 when the local Pheasants Forever chapter purchased just eight acres of marsh and 17 acres of upland, deeding them to the Story County Conservation Board. With the latest of eight total acquisitions, Colo Bog Wildlife Management Area has grown to 450 acres, all protected for recreation and water quality benefits.
A dream needs many partners
The local chapter and Iowa Council of Pheasants Forever and the Story County Conservation Board have led efforts to protect the bog, aided by partners ranging from Ducks Unlimited to the Big Bluestem Audubon Society. INHF acquired 140 acres from Andy Swanson through a land trade and purchased 40 acres from Joe and Phyllis Harper. Our roles included interim ownership and other technical assistance.
Public partners include the Iowa Department of Natural Resources and the U.S. Natural Resources Conservation Service through its Wetlands Reserve Program. The Iowa Department of Transportation also supported the project as mitigation for wetland losses caused by improvements to U.S. Highway 30.
Portions of the Colo Bog Wildlife Management Area are now owned by Story County and the Iowa DNR, and management is shared. Dikes have been built and tile lines broken to restore wetlands. Native grasses have been planted on the upland prairies. As the changes reveal the original character of the landscape, outdoor enthusiasts like Hank Zaletel see a lifetime dream being realized.
For more information, e-mail Ann Robinson, Outreach Coordinator, or call (515) 288-1846.