Impact of the Floods of 2008
Kurt Baker, Director
The summer of 2008 will be remembered for a long time, especially by the
families that have lost nearly everything in the immense natural disasters
associated with Iowa’s tornadoes and flooding. Our heartfelt feelings go
out to those that will start over where
there once was a home, once was a
town.
Disasters such as these make a person
feel the true power of nature and how
inconsequential we actually are at
times. As Don Brazelton, Executive
Secretary of the Iowa Association of
County Conservation Boards said of
this past year, “We are only players
on the stage that is set for us. We are
not in control; we only can manage that which is in our control until a greater
force takes over.”
Damages to public recreational areas throughout Iowa have been widespread
with some areas being
hit far worse than others.
In Wapello County,
only two conservation
board properties were
significantly impacted,
those being Rock Bluff
Park and Gray Eagle
Wildlife Reserve both
located adjacent to the Des
Moines River.
Rock Bluff Park’s lower
end was under water for several weeks resulting in debris and silt
deposition, with little other damage.
Gray Eagle Wildlife Reserve, located south
of Highway 34 and just east of the river
sustained significant alterations. This highly
dynamic sand and gravel floodplain ebbs and
flows with the Des Moines River and was
changed again during the summer flood. A
new channel was carved into the landscape
as a result of a broken levee that now allows
water to feed directly into the wetland that
had been separated from the river by the
levee. The large influx of water tore out the
access lane that allows users to get to the
interior portion of the property.
To return the site to pre-flood condition,
the levee will need to be repaired prior to
the road repair in an effort to restrict water
movement into the area. The conservation
board is working with FEMA to seek funding
for these repairs.
More Fall Programs!!
Lincoln Utt, Natural Resource Manager
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As natural resource manager for the
conservation board, part of my job is
providing the public with educational
opportunities. I have a strong interest in land
and wildlife management. For that reason,
I tend to lean toward those areas when
picking out programs for the public. In the
next few months, we have three programs
that I am very excited about, and I think will
give sportsmen and landowners a good
chance to walk away from the programs with
knowledge that will make a difference.
The first program will take place on
Thursday, September 11 at Pioneer Ridge
Nature Center beginning at 7:00 pm. This
program is titled, “Managing for Whitetails.”
For this program, we will be bringing in
presenter, Tom Litchfield, Iowa DNR Deer
Biologist. Tom is relatively new with the DNR,
and he comes to the state with a wealth of
experience managing deer in many different
areas around the country. Tom’s program
will discuss several issues including habitat
management, quality deer management,
and harvest strategies. For any landowner
or sportsman
wanting to learn
more about
managing land
for large bucks
or just a healthy
deer herd, this
will be a program
you won’t want
to miss.
The next program will be taking place on
October 7 at 7:00pm. This program will cover
all the basics and facts one might need to
get started trapping. Once again, we are
bringing in a local expert to go over some of
the basics. This would be a great opportunity
for beginners to get acquainted with
different trapping equipment, techniques,
and procedures. Trapping veterans are
welcome to come join the discussion to share
ideas and maybe even a few tricks. With
the increasing
numbers of
bobcats, river
otters and other
mammals,
the future of
trapping looks
promising with
plenty of new
opportunities for
local trappers.
Bringing the fall to a close, we will be
covering a topic that most of the public finds
frightening, captivating and very intriguing...
FIRE! In November, the conservation
board field staff will be conducting several
controlled burns also called prescribed fire as
part of our management for our woodlands,
prairies and savannas. Prescribed fire is one
of our most important tools when it comes to
natural resource management. During our
short fall burn season, we will be attempting
to present a short program on prescribed
fire in conjunction with a demonstration
burn. This program will cover the basics of
prescribed fire including why, when and how.
We will also cover safety, proper equipment
and answer any questions. This program
will take place at Pioneer Ridge. Since we
are at the mercy of mother nature during our
controlled burn season, we will set a tentative
date of November 18. Once we get closer to
the program date, we will set the exact time
and date. Hope to see you this fall.
For questions on any of these programs,
call 641-682-3091.
Become a Gothic House Expert
Jessica Strom, AGHC Administrator
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Visitors to the American
Gothic House often
wonder about its origins.
Here are some of their
questions with answers
to help you become
an expert on this local
treasure.
Is the house in its original location?
In the 1960’s and early 1970’s, there were
discussions about moving the house to a more
convenient location, but no action was taken.
Now with its listing on the National Register
of Historic Places (1974), its ownership by the
State Historical Society of Iowa (1991), and the
complimentary addition of the American Gothic
House Center (2007), the house is secure in
its original location.
Why did the original owners choose a
Gothic window?
It is unknown why the Dibble family chose to
include Gothic windows in the gable of their
home. It is believed that the windows were
purchased through a catalogue, but why they
chose the window that belongs in a church
no one knows for sure. Perhaps it was simply
a way to add a little beauty to their everyday
lives.
On the other hand, the use of Gothic windows
follows a mid-19th century trend known as
Carpenter Gothic. Identifying features of
Carpenter Gothic include steeply pitched roofs
and gables, carved porch railings, strong
vertical design elements, such as board and
batten siding, and of course, pointed-arch
windows.
Who were the Dibbles?
The original portion of the house that contains
the two Gothic windows was built in 1881-82 by Catherine and Charles Dibble. As the
original owners of the home, it is listed on the
National Register of Historic Places as the
Dibble House, aka American Gothic House.
Mr. Dibble owned a livery stable in Eldon. It
appears he later lost the house and it was sold
for overdue taxes.
How did Grant Wood find the house?
Grant Wood reacquainted himself with
local artist John Sharp when he visited
Eldon. According to a June 7, 1973 letter of
recollections from Sharp’s brother Edward,
he remembers that Wood took a drive with
John, and “as soon as Grant Wood spotted
the ‘house with the beautiful window’ he asked
John to stop the car.”
Interviews with Wood tell us that upon seeing
the window, he was amused. He called the
window pretentious for such a small house,
and decided to paint a portrait of who he
imagined would live in a house like that.
Who were the Jones Family?
In 1930, the house was owned by Mary Hart
Jones (1855-1941) and Gideon Jones (1849-1937). The Jones’ bought the house in 1917
from C.A. Dibble and owned it until 1933.
When Mrs. Jones (age 75) saw Wood outside
sketching her home in August
1930, she called her daughter
the come help clean the
house inside and out. They
took down the lace curtains
from the upstairs window,
washed and stretched them.
Imagine their surprise when
Wood hung different curtains
in their window!
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New at Pioneer Ridge Nature Area
Annette Wittrock, Naturalist
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Many visitors to the area have commented on the
beauty of PRNA. This time of year is one of the
best to witness the flowers of the prairie and the
peak of butterfly season.
We have had a busy year creating a more visitorfriendly
atmosphere at the ridge. We have placed
new trail maps on the paths, introduced a cabin
retreat, provided a loafing shed for horse-back
riders, and more.
But, we don’t plan
on stopping there.
On you next visit
to PRNA, you will
notice a new road
extending north
from Spring Beauty
Avenue. This leads
to what may be a
revamped primitive
camping area. This
addition will allow
visitors another
opportunity for
overnight stays. Discussions and planning are
currently underway to assess the need for an 8-10
site campground along this new access...but, more
on this expansion later.
There is one portion of this project that I would
like to highlight. A project already completed at
the future camping area. As always, we at WCCB
strive to protect the environment and conserve
this land we live in. We have installed something
that will not only keep the environment safe but
may also make your visit to Pioneer Ridge...shall
we say....a little more comfortable.
Near the end of the new road, you will notice
a small structure already built. This is a
revolutionary new toilet. I know what you’re
thinking. It’s just a toilet. What’s the big deal?
Well, first of all, it is not just any toilet, and
WCCB has the distinction of being the first in
Iowa to have this Enviro Loo (aka Eloo).
The Eloo is touted as “the next generation in
human sanitation.” It is environmentally friendly
as it is a “non-discharge dry sanitation system.”
It separates the solids from the liquids, and it
uses radiant heat absorbed through the plastic of
the manhole cover and vent pipe to increase the
internal temperature helping the liquids evaporate
and solids dehydrate. The solids will thus shrink
to about 10% or less of the original mass. This
rids the unit of odor and reduces maintenance.
The airflow inside and ventilation system ensures
the odors are expelled through the vent pipe.
The Eloo uses no chemicals which cuts the cost of
upkeep and preserves the water quality, flora and
fauna of the area. It uses no water which means
no further strain on the water supply. There is also
no electricity necessary for this toilet to function,
and energy is not necessary. The Eloo has been
in use throughout the world since 1993, but has
become available in the United States in only the
past few years.
Now that you have read a full article on a toilet,
get out to Pioneer Ridge for a hike, ride, one
of our events, or whatever activity you choose.
And if the mood so moves you, take a gander at
the first Eloo toilet in
Iowa.
How Natural Are Today’s Floods?
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In reviewing the flooding events of the past
15 years, it begs the question of are we
setting ourselves up for more of the same?
It is clear that under unusually high rainfall
periods, the land has become too efficient
in directly channeling water to the nearest
waterway, creek or river. Nearly gone is
the lands ability to store and hold excessive
water for any length of time.
Man has contributed greatly to both flooding
frequency and severity. Extensive row
cropping, tile drainage, reduction of riparian
areas and development of wetlands all
damage the lands ability to hold water. In
extreme weather events, like those in both
1993 and 2008, the overall impact of land
use choices makes it impossible to effectively
handle the vast amount of runoff without
flooding.
Our concerns with this years natural
disasters are to facilitate economic recovery
and to meet the immediate demands of so
many flood victims. This will be followed
by local, state and federal governments
assessing the process of handling these
disasters i.e. what went wrong and right
in dealing with impacts. Then these same
entities will begin planning for the next
disaster, initiating a continuing cycle of
disaster-relief-repair-disaster.
In planning ahead and attempting to buffer
the impacts of natural disasters important
conservation issues need to be addressed.
As we know, but often need reminded, nature
is something that can be worked with but
never conquered. We may be lulled into
thinking that the human can out-think, outplan
and out-engineer nature and its intricate
systems, but we are wrong. We need to pay
much more attention to mans’ needs and
how they impact the intricacy of the natural
world!
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Our mission:
“To create awareness
of our natural
environment by
providing quality
outdoor experiences.”
June 1995
We tend to FEAR that which we do not KNOW,
We tend to DISLIKE that which we FEAR,
We tend to HURT that which we DISLIKE,
but in the end
We tend to ENJOY that which we get to KNOW.
~author unknown~
Did you know: The average American
student consumes 525,600 pounds of
natural resources during their school
career. |
