TOLEDO, Iowa. Feb. 1, 2008 – After five years and close to a half a million dollars, Ducks Unlimited has completed work to enhance the wildlife habitat and aquatic ecology of the 3,600-acre Otter Creek Wildlife Area in southeastern Tama County. DU engineered a state-of-the-art pumping station that is the main water source for the 2,400 acres of flooded impoundments on the wildlife area.
Managed marshes were developed on the area through the creation of eight impoundments with an elaborate, but aging pumping and water conveyance system. It was critically important that the water management system be upgraded. Through its Living Lakes Initiative, DU stepped in and, with the Iowa Department of Natural Resources, planned, designed and constructed a permanent pumping station with a pumping capacity of 15,000 gallons per minute. The water management infrastructure is now in place to allow optimal development of a variety of wetland habitats on Otter Creek.
“Developing this water management capability will result in sustained improvements in providing a mosaic of wetland types and waterfowl habitat,” said Roger Pederson, DU conservation manager.
“This project will significantly improve the ability to provide critical wildlife habitat at Otter Creek,” said Rick Trine, the Iowa DNR’s area manager. “We are pleased to have the help and cooperation of DU to make this important wetland management improvement. It will be a big plus in helping to meet the habitat goals of the state’s Duck Plan.”
The managed marshes at Otter Creek provide outstanding foraging areas and habitat for migrating waterfowl, raptors, wading birds, shorebirds, songbirds and other wetland wildlife such as muskrat, mink, otter and beaver. Duck populations of 15,000 to 20,000 birds and goose populations of 5,000 to 10,000 are common in the fall.
The new pumping station will dramatically increase the ability to remove and add water in a managed fashion in order to establish wildlife-desirable marsh plant communities. Mallard, northern pintail, blue-winged teal, green-winged teal, wood ducks, gadwall, widgeon, bluebills, ringnecks and Canada geese will benefit the most. Spring drawdowns will also create excellent mud flat conditions for shorebirds and wading birds and concentrations of snow geese in the spring are an attraction to bird watchers. White-tailed deer, turkey and ring-necked pheasant and other resident wildlife species are also abundant in the area.
Otter Creek has also been very appealing to non-game wildlife species. Bald eagles, sandhill cranes, great blue herons, screech owls, marsh hawks, tree swallows, goldfinches, indigo buntings, bobolinks and yellow-headed blackbirds are just some of the wide variety of wildlife documented on the area. The first documented successful nesting of sandhill cranes in Iowa since the early 1900s was at Otter Creek in 1992.
The Living Lakes Initiative in Iowa and Minnesota is restoring and protecting shallow lakes and their watersheds to provide for waterfowl as they journey to the country’s nesting and wintering grounds