March 28, 2024

Outdoor news

Busy holiday

Iowa State Parks are gearing up for the Fourth of July weekend and are ready to welcome thousands of campers, cabin renters, picnickers and outdoor enthusiasts. The weather forecast for most of the state and weekend is favoring plenty of outdoor activity.

“State Parks are great destinations for these major summer holidays,” says Todd Coffelt, DNR State Parks Bureau chief. “Whether you are staying for a week or making a day trip, they provide great opportunities for families and friends to gather and make memories.”

Reservable campsites have been filled for three months. Last minute campers can take their chances with walk-in campsites, as 25-50 percent of all state park campsites are first-come, first-served. Most of these sites are non-electric and realistically most will be occupied by Thursday. Best chances to secure a site will be at smaller, more remote parks. Visitwww.iowadnr.gov/parks for a list of parks and their amenities.

Despite recent wet weather in some areas, nearly all state parks are in good shape and getting ready for the big weekend.

Here are a few reminders for those planning a trip to specific state parks this weekend.

• Only one state park campground is closed due to recent weather. Walnut Woods State Park, southwest of the Des Moines metro area, is still cleaning up from Raccoon River flooding. The park is expected to reopen late next week.

• Canyon Drive at Ledges State Park has reopened to vehicle traffic, but visitors are cautioned that any rain event in the area will likely close it again. Potential visitors wanting to drive into that area of the park are encouraged to call the park office at 515-432-1852 for closure information. The campground, trails, other roads, parking lots and both open shelters remain accessible by vehicle.

• Visitors to Lake Macbride State Park in Johnson County and Pleasant Creek State Recreation Area in Linn County are reminded that those beaches will close at 6 PM each day. Due to high use and limited parking at the beach area at Lake Macbride, visitors should expect a beach closure on weekends and holidays. Access to the beach may be closed for up to 2 hours. During these times, people in vehicles will be stopped at the park entrance and asked to return to the beach at a later time or asked to visit one of the other beaches in Johnson County such as Sandy Beach, Sugar Bottom, West Overlook or Kent Park.

• Equestrian trails are currently closed due to wet conditions at Brushy Creek State Recreation Area (except for the 12-mile Wet Weather Trail), Elk Rock and Waubonsie state parks and Shimek Forest (except the 3-mile Wet Weather Trail) and Stephens Forest. However, if dry weather conditions continue, equestrians are encouraged to call individual areas for re-openings.

Closure information is posted on the DNR website at www.iowadnr.gov/parks and the parks reservation site at http://iowastateparks.reserveamerica.com. Current information is also available by calling individual park offices directly.

Turkey count

The Iowa Department of Natural Resources (DNR) is looking for volunteers to help with its annual wild turkey survey this summer.

The work is pretty simple: while outdoors in Iowa this July and August, keep an eye out for wild turkeys. If you see one, determine if it is an adult female or adult male (males have beards on their breast), and whether there are young poults (baby turkeys).

Count the number of young, make a note of the date and the county in which you saw the turkey(s) and then report your sighting online to the Iowa DNR's Wildlife Bureau athttp://www.surveygizmo.com/s3/2115256/Iowa-Wild-Turkey-Reports

Boaters cited

DES MOINES – The effort by state, federal and local law enforcement agencies to enforce Iowa’s boating while intoxicated law as part of the national Operation Dry Water campaign resulted in making contact with more than 1,400 boaters on 380 vessels.

“The number of our boater contacts were higher this year versus previous years because of favorable boating conditions,” said Susan Stocker, boating law administrator and education coordinator for the Iowa DNR.

Of the vessels contacted, officials issued 161 warnings or citations and made 10 arrests for boating while intoxicated.

Last year, nearly three out of four of Iowa’s boating fatalities involved alcohol.

In 2014, the Iowa Department of Natural Resources and its partners contacted more than 350 vessels containing 1,100 boaters resulting in two BWI arrests and 59 citations or warnings as part of Operation Dry Water.

The DNR has partnered with the U.S. Coast Guard, Wisconsin and Illinois departments of natural resources, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, and local sheriffs and police departments as part of previous Operation Dry Water campaigns.

Aquatic hitchhikers

As the Fourth of July approaches, the Iowa Department of Natural Resources is reminding boaters and anglers to check for any unwanted hitchhikers to protect Iowa lakes and streams.

Aquatic hitchhikers are invasive species – everything from zebra mussels to Eurasian watermilfoil - that are transported from one waterbody to another by hitchhiking on boats, in bait buckets, and other equipment used in the water. When brought to another lake or stream, they often grow quickly and spread rapidly due to lack of natural controls.

These aquatic invasive species can create serious problems for Iowa waters by reducing native species and making lakes and rivers unusable by boaters, anglers and swimmers.

“The best way to control the negative impacts of aquatic invasive species in Iowa is to prevent their spread to new waterbodies,” said Kim Bogenschutz, aquatic invasive species coordinator for the Iowa Department of Natural Resources.

“Boaters and anglers need to clean, drain, dry after each time on the water to stop aquatic hitchhikers.”

• CLEAN any plants, animals, or mud from your boat and equipment before leaving a waterbody.

• DRAIN water from all equipment (motor, live well, bilge, transom well) before leaving a waterbody.

• DRY anything that comes into contact with water (boats, trailers, equipment, boots, clothing, dogs). Before transporting to another waterbody either: Spray your boat and trailer with hot, high-pressure water; or Dry your boat and equipment for at least 5 days.

• Never release plants, fish, or animals into a water body unless they came out of that water body and empty unwanted bait in the trash.

It is illegal to possess or transport prohibited aquatic invasive species in Iowa. The fine for violating this law is $500. Signs are posted at public accesses to remind boaters to stop aquatic hitchhikers and to identify infested waters.

It is also illegal to transport any aquatic plants on water-related equipment. Boaters must drain all water from boats and equipment before leaving a water access and must keep drain plugs removed or opened during transport. It is also illegal to introduce any live fish, except for hooked bait, into public waters.

More information about aquatic invasive species and a list of infested waters can be found in the 2015 Iowa Fishing Regulations booklet.

Young peregrines

The next generation of Iowa’s expanding falcon population is taking to the sky as young peregrines begin leaving their nests.

Falcons have already fledged at the MidAmerican Energy building in Davenport and at the Alliant Energy plant near Chillicothe. Two male falcons have fledged at the State Capitol in Des Moines, ahead of two females that are rehabilitating after being blown from the same nest during a recent storm.

Falcons are also fledging at the American Enterprise building in Des Moines and at the USBank building in Cedar Rapids.

Iowa added six nesting pairs this year, which has not happened before. Additional pairs have been reported at Bellevue, Clayton, Dubuque, Clinton, Muscatine and Keokuk.

Wild peregrine pairs on the Upper Mississippi River cliffs include Agee’s Bluff north of Lansing, Lansing Power Plant cliff, Leo’s Bluff south of Harper’s Ferry, Pattison Sand Mines near Clayton, a huge rock near the state park at Bellevue, and at Dubuque Quarry near Eagle Point Park.

A second Dubuque pair is nesting at the courthouse, at the Power and Light plant smokestack box in Muscatine and at the energy plant dam in Keokuk.

Clinton County is the southern extent of peregrines historic nesting range. With the inclusion of the new pair, Clinton now has three nesting pairs. Established pairs at Louisa and Burlington are active this year.

Young falcons hone their flight skills by engaging in mock combat flights that provide incredible visual, high speed chases and maneuvers often attracting non-breeding peregrines to the area.

Last year 15 falcon pairs were successful at 13 sites that produced 34 young.