Shell Rock River Watershed Habitat Restoration Program - Phase VII
The Phase VII Habitat Restoration Program included an Orr Wetland Restoration, a Belshan Property Targeted Habitat Acquisition Project, and a Shell Rock River Streambank Restoration Project. As a result, 152 acres of habitat and wetlands were protected, enhanced or restored.
With the Phase VII Habitat Restoration Program, the District completed one acquisition, along with a large wetland restoration, and a river enhancement project.
For the land acquisition project, the District worked with a willing landowner and entered into an option agreement to purchase the property. Once the option was signed, the District completed a survey and an appraisal of the property. The District then negotiated with the landowner an acceptable offer, executed the purchase agreement, and completed final closing requirements. The District closed on the property in 2021. This property included 57 acres of previous row-crop farm ground that the District planted into natives. The District also conducted two wetland restorations on this property with Phase VII funding. Using tile breaks, berms, and scrapes, two different wetland basins were created for waterfowl enhancement efforts. The District placed the work out for bid, and construction and touch up seeding wrapped up in Spring of 2023.
The Orr Wetland Restoration partnered with the USFWS to seed fallow agricultural ground into native grasses and flowers. The District worked with the USFWS to source native origin seed and get the ground seeded prior to wetland restoration work. This project expands current restored parcels owned by the USFWS and will benefit pollinators, such as the rusty patched bumblebee, and songbirds. The District then worked with USFWS staff to design and implement wetland restorations ranging in size from a quarter of an acre to 22 acres. In total approximately 55 total acres of wetlands were designed and installed. Construction was placed out for bid and work was conducted over the fall of 2022 into spring of 2023.Project benefits of the wetland restorations also include increased use days for waterfowl, reduced competition for feeding and nesting sites as well as improved habitat for the threatened Marsh Wren.
The Shell Rock River Streambank Enhancement was a project that the District partnered with the DNR to implement site specific habitat features in the Shell Rock River. Following procurement procedures, the District worked with DNR's engineers and river specialists to design and construct habitat features all along the Panicum Prairie Management Area. Toe wood installation and natural benches were all used to incorporate habitat back into the Shell Rock River and prevent continued erosion.
$1,421,000 the second year is to the commissioner of natural resources for an agreement with the Shell Rock River Watershed District to acquire lands in fee and to restore and enhance aquatic habitat in the Shell Rock River watershed. A list of proposed acquisitions, restorations, and enhancements must be provided as part of the required accomplishment plan.
Historically the Shell Rock River Watershed is a shallow lake system with diverse populations of fish, waterfowl and wildlife. An ongoing effort of modeling and monitoring has defined current impairments and invasive species populations. Implementing site specific habitat restoration projects are progressively improving populations of native fish, waterfowl and wildlife habitat. The Program included projects that are prioritized based on the significance of benefit to aquatic habitat, urgency of the work, availability of leverage funding, location of projects and agreement with relevant planning documents. Targeted species that benefited from this proposal outcomes included the Blanding's turtle, Sheepnose and Round Pigtoe Mussels from the River Restoration Project and the Marsh Wren and Blanding's turtle with the Orr Wetland projects. Pollinators such as the rusty patch bumblebee have more habitat from the many acres of native prairies that were established.
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