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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
March 26, 2019
Campers anxious to reserve spots for the Fourth of July weekend should mark April 4 on their calendars, when reservations for that day open.
Campers can make reservations for sites three months ahead of their first night’s stay. For those planning in advance, 75 percent of electric and nonelectric sites are reservable, with the remaining sites open for walk-up camping that week.
Information on Iowa’s state parks is available online at www.iowadnr.gov/stateparks including the link to reservations. Campers can also log on directly to http://iowastateparks.reserveamerica.com and enter their preferred dates and/or parks to make a reservation.
Media Contact: Todd Coffelt, Chief of State Parks, Iowa Department of Natural Resources, 515-725-8485.
Fort Dodge - The Fort Dodge Hydroelectric Dam, formerly a 16-feet high dam, has been partially removed to about five feet high.
All boaters should avoid the stretch between the Hydroelectric Park Access and mouth of Lizard Creek until the rest of the dam is removed this summer.
The dam’s removal is staged into two steps to prevent all the sediment in the impoundment from being released at the same time. Recirculating currents will continue to be a safety hazard around the remaining portion of the dam until the dam is completely removed.
Check out a time lapse video of the first stage of the dam’s removal at https://www.facebook.com/115815355132446/videos/349587482317072/.
Media Contact: Todd Robertson, Iowa DNR River Programs Outreach Coordinator at 515-243-3714.
North Liberty – A family-friendly trout fishing event will be held at Liberty Centre Pond, 820 West Cherry Street, on Saturday, March 30, at 11 a.m. The Iowa Department of Natural Resources (DNR) will stock 500 rainbow and 500 brook trout in the pond.
This is the first time the Iowa DNR has stocked trout in North Liberty. A family fishing event at Liberty Centre Pond each June during Iowa’s Free Fishing Weekend is very popular.
“We are excited about this new addition to our spring community trout stockings,” said Paul Sleeper, Iowa DNR fisheries biologist. Liberty Centre Pond will replace the trout stockings previously held each spring and fall at Terry Trueblood Lake in Iowa City.
Anglers must have a valid fishing license and pay the trout fee to fish for or possess trout. The daily limit is five trout per licensed angler with a possession limit of 10.
Children age 15 or younger can fish for trout with a properly licensed adult, but they must limit their catch to one daily limit. The child can buy a trout fee which will allow them to catch their own limit of five trout.
Participants need to bring their own fishing poles and bait. The City of North Liberty will award prizes to anyone who catches a tagged trout until prizes run out.
This free event is sponsored by North Liberty Parks and Recreation and the Iowa DNR.
Media Contact: Paul Sleeper, Fisheries Management Biologist, Iowa Department of Natural Resources, 319-350-8399.
The trout stockings at Wilson Lake, Fort Madison, are scheduled for March 29 at noon and 10 a.m. at the Discovery Park Pond, Muscatine.
Previously scheduled for March 22, both stockings were postponed due to heavy ice cover preventing fisheries staff from stocking trout.
Media Contact: Chad Dolan, Fisheries Management Biologist, Iowa Department of Natural Resources, 319-694-2430.
The Iowa Department of Natural Resources will hold an additional Operation ReLeaf event in April in Marshalltown.
The Operation ReLeaf event in Marshalltown will take place on Tuesday, April 30 from 4:30-6:00pm at Grimes Farm and Conservation Center.
The DNR, in partnership with many private partners, will provide a mixture of hardwoods, low-growing ornamental and evergreen tree species.
This program is available to the public and the trees are $25. The order forms can be found at www.iowadnr.gov/trees. Applications are due by April 24.
Media contact: Gabriele Edwards, Urban Forestry Program Specialist, (515) 725-8456 or
gabriele.edwards@dnr.iowa.gov.
Each year, the Iowa DNR relies heavily on volunteers through partnerships and other avenues to keep Iowa’s natural resources in pristine condition.
In 2018, 10,621 volunteers spent over 209,500 hours volunteering throughout the state cleaning trash along Iowa’s waterways through Project AWARE, instructing Hunter Education courses, serving as campground hosts or working on numerous miscellaneous projects within our state parks and volunteering with DNR fisheries staff throughout the year, to name a few.
“We are extremely grateful for the partnerships and dedication of each of these volunteers,” said Acting Director Bruce Trautman. “Their passion for the resources is unmatched and their work continues to make a noticeable difference in our state.”
With the upcoming centennial celebration of state parks, Parks 2020, this year, DNR parks staff and friends groups are encouraging visitors and community members to get active in your local state park. Throughout the year, there will be several volunteer opportunities at each of the state parks. Visit this link throughout the year for the latest parks volunteer opportunities, as well as other DNR volunteer opportunities: https://www.iowadnr.gov/About-DNR/Volunteer-Opportunities.
WEST DES MOINES, Iowa -- On Wednesday, April 3, seven awards will be presented to individuals and groups for their work involving and improving urban forestry.
The awards will be presented at the 29th Annual Urban Forestry Awards Luncheon at the Sheraton in West Des Moines.
The following recipients will be recognized:
- Jeanette Hario of Des Moines, Outstanding Volunteer
- Lyle Jensen of Marshalltown, Outstanding Volunteer
- Josh Worrell of Coralville, Outstanding Professional
- Tab Ray of Waverly, Outstanding Professional
- Story City Trees Forever, Outstanding Community Organization
- Project GREEN of Iowa City, Outstanding Community Organization
- Nevada Central Elementary School, Outstanding Youth Project/Program
Full details on each individual award and photographs of each can be requested by reaching out to Emma Hanigan at 515-249-1732 or Emma.Hanigan@dnr.iowa.gov.
MEDIA CONTACT: Emma Hanigan, DNR, (515) 249-1732, or Emma.Hanigan@dnr.iowa.gov.
It may be cool out, but it is time to finish pruning oak trees to prevent the spread of oak wilt. The best way to prevent the spread of oak wilt is to not prune any oak tree between the end of March and the start of October. However, the warm weather conditions indicate that spring might be a bit early this year. For that reason, DNR suggest finishing your oak pruning this year by the end of the first week in March.
Oak wilt has been present in Iowa for many years, and it is caused by a fungus. The trees in Iowa most commonly impacted by this disease are species such as red, black, and pin oak, but it can also infect white and bur oak. If black, pin, or red oak are infected by the fungus that causes this disease they usually die within the same summer they are infected. White oak and bur oak can often take a number of years before they succumb to this disease.
A healthy tree can be infected by the fungus that causes this disease two different ways. The first is through open wounds during the growing season. The fungus is carried from a diseased tree to a healthy tree with an open wound by a small beetle.
The second form of infection is through root grafts between oak trees of the same species. For example, if a red oak is infected and there is another red oak within 50 to 100 feet there is a good chance that the roots of these trees are grafted and the fungus can move from the diseased tree to the healthy tree.
Symptoms to look for on infected trees usually include leaves turning a bronzed brown along the outer margins of the leaves. These leaves can often still have some green on them as they fall from the tree. The defoliation tends to start at the top of the tree. The best way to prevent the spread of oak wilt is to prevent any wounding to oak trees during the growing season. If a tree is wounded from storm damage or pruning is required during the growing season, treat the wounds immediately with a wound dressing such as acrylic paint. Do not purchase pruning paints/sealants. Those products slow the tree’s ability to seal over the wound.
More information on oak wilt prevention and control can be found here https://www.fs.usda.gov/naspf/publications/how-identify-prevent-and-control-oak-wilt
Iowa’s youth only turkey hunting season begins April 5 for residents age 15 and younger at the time when they purchased their youth turkey license.
This season is set aside to allow youths to hunt under direct guidance of an adult mentor, age 18 and older. Over the past four years, an average of 5,500 youth participated in the season.
The focus of the youth season is to provide opportunities to teach skills necessary to become a confident turkey hunter.
Ideally, the experience would begin before the season where the mentor and the youth will scout the area they plan to hunt, identify roosting trees or which fields the birds are using, together, secure permission if hunting private land, and pattern the gun so the youth understands the limits of the gun and shot. It’s also a good idea for the youth and mentor to start practicing calling so when the season begins their confidence won’t be shaken.
The one-on-one relationship with the mentor has produced a higher rate of harvest than during the other spring turkey seasons 27 vs 23 percent. An unfilled youth season tag continues to be valid until filled during any of the remaining spring turkey seasons. This allows for a potential 38 day season that other hunters do not have. The key is for the youth tag to be purchased before the youth season closes because once the season is over this option is no longer available. The season ends April 7.
Mentors must have a valid turkey hunting license for one of the spring turkey seasons and may not carry a bow or firearm while participating as a mentor.
Successful hunters are required to report their harvest by midnight of the day after it is tagged and be prepared to answer a few simple questions (county of harvest and spur length.) The easiest way to report is to log on to www.iowadnr.gov. Other ways to report are by calling the phone number listed on the tag or by going through a license vendor. Be sure to write the harvest registration number on the harvest report tag. This allows the Iowa DNR to monitor annual harvest across the state.
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