Partnerships protect Brushy Creek Lake

Outdoor groups in Iowa are doing more than increasing habitat for wildlife – they’re also making a difference in water quality. In Webster County, the local Pheasants Forever chapter is working to restore prairie and wetlands that will protect Brushy Creek Lake and provide a home for pheasants. In 2003, Pheasants Forever helped the Webster County Conservation Board purchase 40 acres in northeastern Webster County for the Miller Marsh wildlife area. The north-central Iowa group is continuing its work as the marsh expands.

As the Iowa Department of Transportation (DOT) worked on the Highway 20 road project in the area, it purchased, in the county’s name, almost 180 acres of poorlydrained farm land next to the marsh. As part of the road project, the DOT built new wetlands to replace those that had to be removed as part of construction. Pheasants Forever donated $25,000 to restore 165 acres of native prairie and 50 acres of wetlands on the newly expanded marsh. The wetlands will provide nesting and wintering cover for pheasants while catching and fi ltering pollutants from runoff before they can reach the lake.

“These new wetlands filter the first 800 acres of the watershed and are the centerpiece of our project,” said T.J. Lynn, who coordinates the Brushy Creek Lake Watershed Project. “The contributions of our partners, including Pheasants Forever, made the process a lot smoother. They’re really important in the success of our project.”

Pheasants Forever also bought a drill used to plant native grasses and donated it to the Webster County Conservation Board to use at Miller Marsh. The restoration of the site will also close an agriculture drainage well. Ag drainage wells allow tile drainage, including pollutants, to directly enter aquifers that many Iowans use for drinking water.

“It gives habitat for pheasants, but it all kind of goes together. We all need good water quality, and we’re getting young hunters out there. We’re working for the next generation,” said Kirk Seltz, habitat co-chair for the Webster County Pheasants Forever chapter. “These projects take more funds than one group could have. You can do bigger projects when you partner.”

The Webster County chapter of Pheasants Forever is working with the Brushy Creek Lake Watershed Project, the DNR, the Webster County Soil and Water Conservation District, the USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service, Ducks Unlimited, Whitetails Unlimited and the Pocahontas County chapter of Pheasants Forever on the project.

Read more about watershed improvement successes in 2007 (*.pdf)

Learn more about organizing your own watershed improvement project

Future successes: learn about current improvement projects

Read brochures about watershed improvement projects

DNR Contact
Allen Bonini
(515) 281-5107
Allen.Bonini@dnr.iowa.gov