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and Marengo. BarSun is a private 160-acre native
and restored prairie. The Meskwaki have recently Rare species known to occur
begun a prairie restoration project as well.
Public forests are found in both upland and riverine within the IVSB corridor area
settings along the Byway. A small sampling includes
Burr Oak Wildlife Area County Preserve, Columbia
Wildlife Area, the Isaac Walton Tract Recreation Area, Birds
Simmons Timber Reserve, and Vermace Woods. Bald eagle (Halieaeetus This species is on the Iowa State Special Concern species list.
Many of these forests actually contain a diverse set leucocephalus) Several nests and nesting pairs have been confirmed. More
of habitats, not just timber. A portion of the privately may exist along the Corridor’s floodplain forest.
owned Amana Society, Inc., Forest between Amana Short-eared owl (Asio This species is on the Iowa State Endangered species list. At
least one successful nest has been confirmed. More may exist
and Homestead —called Horn’s Busch and Sprague’s glammeu) elsewhere in the Corridor, especially in open, grassy areas.
Busch, after their original, pioneer owners—is open This species is on the Iowa State Endangered species list.
to the public for hiking along a 3.2-mile-long nature Barn owl (Tyto alba) Several successful nests have been confirmed. More may
trail. Most of the Amana Society’s roughly 8,000-acres exist in old barns and in nest boxes along the Corridor.
of forest is visible from the Byway, but not generally Reptiles
open to the public.
Ornate box turtle This species is on the Iowa State Threatened species list. At
The most striking and obvious natural resource is (Terrapene ornata) least one individual has been confirmed. More may exist in
the river and its immediate environs. The Iowa River open, sandy soils along the Corridor.
Corridor Project began in 1995, a successful effort Wood turtle (Clemmys This species is on the Iowa State Endangered species list. At
least one individual has been confirmed. More may exist in
by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, the Natural insculpta) river marshes along the Corridor.
Resource Conservation Service, and the Iowa DNR This species is on the Iowa State Threatened species list.
to restore the streamside corridor between Tama and Blanding’s Turtle Several individuals have been confirmed. More may exist in
Marengo. The project involves private and public (Emydoidea blandingii) river marshes along the Corridor.
lands along a 50-mile stretch of river, called the Smooth green snake This species is on the Iowa State Special Concern species list.
Iowa River Riparian Corridor. Today, there are nearly (Liochlorophis vernalis) At least one individual has been confirmed. More may exist in
70,000 contiguous acres of restored wildlife habitat. open, grassy areas along the Corridor.
On an even wider scale, the Byway corridor is located Plants
within the Iowa River Corridor Wetland Initiative, This plant species is on the Iowa State Threatened species
which seeks to restore floodplains from central Iowa Woodland horsetail list. Several plants or plant communities have been confirmed.
(Equisetum sylvaticum)
to the river’s mouth along the Mississippi. Public More may exist at seepage areas in forests along the Corridor.
wetlands are exemplified by the Otter Creek Marsh Ground pine This plant species is on the Iowa State Endangered species
Wildlife Management Area, while the High Amana (Lycopodium clavatum) list. At least one plant or plant community has been confirmed.
Wetlands Project showcases a successful private More may exist in upland forests along the Corridor.
restoration�
