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Clean water is essential for life. That goes for wildlife and people alike. We at the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service also know that public lands and habitat restoration play a huge role in providing for that need. That’s true here in Iowa, too, where Black Hawk Wildlife Management Area is considered a community treasure. Take a moment to learn more about how we’re partnering with the Iowa Department of Natural Resources to invest funding from the Inflation Reduction Act to keep this outdoor oasis and the communities around it safe and enjoyable.
Located in Sac County, the centerpiece of Black Hawk Wildlife Management Area is 760-acre Black Hawk Lake, a prime spot for boating and fishing, surrounded by an additional 160 acres called State Marsh. These surrounding wetlands are a popular destination for waterfowl hunters, birders and other outdoor enthusiasts. All of this area is state-owned and managed by the Iowa Department of Natural Resources. While you probably know about this choice spot for outdoor recreation, you may not know that this land and water is working doubly hard for you and needs attention to keep it functioning.
Nearly half of the 14,000-acre watershed that feeds Black Hawk Lake travels through State Marsh. That means this public wildlife area not only provides fun places to recreate, it also filters out phosphorus, nitrogen and other nutrients that can cause unhealthy algal blooms. The marsh around the lake does the heavy lifting by cleaning Carnarvon Creek and a majority of the watershed before water even reaches Black Hawk Lake.
Addressing a deteriorating State Marsh dike will help keep the wetlands functioning well for clean water and recreation. Iowa Department of Natural Resources is directing more than $80,000 in federal funding and $50,000 in state funding to rebuild and improve the structural integrity of the dike. This will help to create additional wetland acres on Black Hawk Wildlife Management Area. The State Marsh dike also serves as a portion of the Sauk Rail Trail, a 33-mile multi-use recreational trail managed by the Sac County and Carroll County Conservation Board. Folks who live in Lake View and Carroll know this area as a great place to get outside, hike, bike or just watch wildlife.
All of these improvements will make Black Hawk Lake an even better gathering place and a perfect backdrop for Water Carnival, Arctic Open or the Stone Pier summer concert series. That is the meaning behind this project and so many others around the country, where investments from the Inflation Reduction Act are bringing conservation partners together, supporting communities and improving our quality of life. This is just one of many projects funded with Inflation Reduction Act funds to improve water quality, reduce flooding, increase wildlife habitat and provide recreational opportunities for Iowans.
Meet your neighbors
Black Hawk Wildlife Management Area is home to a wide variety of plants and animals, including several that are on Iowa’s list of endangered, threatened or are of special concern, including Blanding’s turtles, northern harrier and sandhill cranes. Blanding’s turtles are distinguished by their distinctive yellow throat patches and can live to be up to 80 years old. They rely on native prairies and wetlands and prefer shallow slow-moving water, like marshes, for survival.
There’s more positive change coming! Together with the Iowa Department of Natural Resources and the Section 319 Grant Program which Environmental Protection Agency administers, we’ll be restoring several oxbows along Carnarvon Creek as it meanders through Black Hawk Wildlife Management Area.
