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DNR News Releases

Archive by tag: HillReturn

Mix of short and tallgrass prairie increases species diversity at Heritage Hills in Clarke County

• 9/17/2024 11:34:00 AM
• View Count 4968

The Heritage Hills tract in Clarke County is not easy to find, but for anyone willing to put in the effort, the 595-acre public wildlife area offers views of an emerging remnant prairie, sounds of quail whistling on a picturesque southern Iowa landscape.

Iowa DNR to host an open house on the Rolling Hills Wildlife Area

• 8/13/2024 2:46:00 PM
• View Count 5113

Truro, Iowa - The Iowa Department of Natural Resources (DNR) is holding an open house on Aug. 27, at 5:30 p.m., at the Community Building in Truro, to discuss the past and future management, recreation use, wildlife populations and other topics of interest for the Rolling Hills Wildlife Area.

Heritage Hills management is topic of Aug. 27 public meeting

• 7/22/2024 2:34:00 PM
• View Count 4014

MEDORA, Iowa - The Iowa Department of Natural Resources (DNR) is holding an open house on Aug. 27, from 5-8 p.m., at the outside shelter located at the Hickory Hills Park, near Medora, to discuss the habitat management, recreation use, forest plans, wildlife populations and other topics of interest for the 704-acre Heritage Hills Wildlife Management Area, in Warren County.

Fishing regulations to be relaxed at Casey Lake in Tama County

• 10/3/2023 12:56:00 PM
• View Count 4848

TAMA COUNTY - The Iowa Department of Natural Resources (DNR) will relax the fishing regulations at Casey Lake in Hickory Hills Park starting October 4 to allow anglers to more freely harvest fish before the lake is renovated.

DNR to host open house to discuss Loess Hills State Forest Wildfire Restoration Plans

• 9/19/2023 2:13:00 PM
• View Count 3917

PISGAH -- The Iowa Department of Natural Resources (DNR) will hold a public open house on Monday, Sept. 25, beginning at 6 p.m., at the Brent S. Olson Memorial Visitor Center.

DNR and Black Hawk County Conservation to host open house to discuss lake restoration plans for Casey Lake, located in Hickory Hills Park

• 6/27/2023 4:44:00 PM
• View Count 3110

La Porte City – Black Hawk County Conservation (BHCC), Shive-Hattery, Inc., and the Iowa Department of Natural Resources (DNR) will host a public meeting at 6 p.m., July 10, at the Lakeview lodge at Hickory Hills Park located at 3338 Hickory Hills Road, near La Porte City, to discuss ongoing lake restoration efforts at the park, slated for the fall of 2023 through early spring of 2025.

Long-term project is bringing prairie back to hard to get to places of the Loess Hills

• 6/6/2023 2:13:00 PM
• View Count 2375

“Limb’n and chunk’n in pieces your swampers can move,” yelled Doug Chafa in what sounded like secret code known only to the 30 or so select people who happened to be dressed in chainsaw chaps, long sleeve shirts, hard hats and gloves.

DNR to host open house to discuss Loess Hills Wildlife Area forest wildlife stewardship plan

• 11/23/2021 2:30:00 PM
• View Count 1643

The Iowa Department of Natural Resources (DNR) will hold a public open house on Dec. 2, from 4 to 6 p.m. at the Turin Community Center, at 310 Hwy 175, in Turin, to discuss a proposed forest wildlife stewardship plan at the Loess Hills Wildlife Management Area (WMA).

DNR investigating black water entering Wapello County creek

• 7/19/2021 8:44:00 AM
• View Count 1521

CHILLICOTHE - Responding to a complaint received just before noon today, DNR staff found black water entering South Avery Creek about one mile southwest of Chillicothe in Wapello County.

Green Hill Wildlife Area won’t remain a secret for long

• 6/23/2021 6:58:00 AM
• View Count 5737

One of Iowa’s newest public wildlife areas is in the backyard of Council Bluffs and outside of a few keen-eyed hunters who noticed the green signs last fall, not many people know about it.

Union Hills checks all the boxes as a destination area

• 9/8/2020 3:09:00 PM
• View Count 4415

Union Hills Wildlife Area’s network of wetlands and prairie has that been-here-forever kind of feel to it.

Heritage Hills is developing into a destination public area 45 miles south of Des Moines

• 6/16/2020 1:47:00 PM
• View Count 5944

It’s not often that the opportunity to build a large wildlife area from the ground up comes along, but that’s what’s happening right now at Heritage Hills Wildlife Area on the Madison and Clarke County line. 

Iowa DNR to track sandhill cranes as part of pilot study

• 6/2/2020 11:40:00 AM
• View Count 7180

The Iowa Department of Natural Resources (DNR) has outfitted a greater sandhill crane with a GPS transmitter as part of a small pilot study to learn more about this unique species that is increasingly calling Iowa’s wetlands home.

5 cool things you should know about Iowa State Forests

• 5/21/2020 2:28:00 PM
• View Count 13733

As some of Iowa’s most remote and peaceful areas, state forests are different from parks because their primary goal is management of woodland resources. Forests can be overlooked recreation destinations because of their rustic amenities, but nature lovers who visit will find countless opportunities for outdoor fun. Iowa forests offer hundreds of miles of hiking trails, bird watching, fishing, hunting and even primitive camping. 

Turin Wildlife Area is another Loess Hills treasure

• 10/15/2019 11:32:00 AM
• View Count 4569

Turin, Iowa - Just north of the small town of Turin in central Monona County is a place where the threatened plains pocket mouse lives with legendary Iowa stags, rare plants and animals can be found, and volunteers come to help restore the landscape to more closely resemble what was here when western Iowa was settled.

Water level to drop at West Lake Park ahead of restoration

• 7/10/2019 11:22:00 AM
• View Count 3430

DAVENPORT – The Iowa Department of Natural Resources will start lowering the water level at Lake of the Hills, Railroad Lake, Lambach Lake and Bluegrass Lake at West Lake Park on July 15 as part of a lake restoration project to improve water quality and recreational opportunities.

5 hidden surprises at Stone State Park

• 5/23/2019 11:45:00 AM
• View Count 10585

Nestled in the northern portion of Iowa’s Loess Hills overlooking the South Dakota and Iowa border, Stone State Park is rich in local history, diverse plant life and rugged terrain.

Hunters enjoy diverse experiences at Madison County wildlife area

• 10/9/2018 1:02:00 PM
• View Count 3314

East Peru, Iowa - Heather Jobst arrived for a tour of a potential new wildlife area and was immediately struck by the uniqueness of the parcel’s size, lack of internal roads and its location less than an hour from Des Moines.

Fish kill north of Runnells appears limited to five miles

• 7/25/2018 8:47:00 AM
• View Count 2358

PLEASANT HILL - A fish kill that began in Camp Creek east of Pleasant Hill and about five miles north of Runnells in Polk County appears to be limited to less than five miles of Camp Creek, DNR investigators said today.

DNR investigating spill and fish kill north of Runnells

• 7/24/2018 11:32:00 AM
• View Count 2097

PLEASANT HILL - Iowa DNR field staff are investigating a fish kill that began in Camp Creek east of Pleasant Hill and about five miles north of Runnells in Polk County.

Meeting to discuss proposed bird conservation area in Lower Loess Hills set for Aug. 17

• 8/1/2017 11:46:00 AM
• View Count 3434

HAMBURG – The Iowa Department of Natural Resources (DNR) will discuss its proposed designation of the region that includes Waubonsie State Park and Riverton and Forney Lake wildlife areas as a state Bird Conservation Area (BCA) at a public meeting on Aug. 17. 

DNR traced Sioux County fish kill to improper disposal of pesticide

• 7/28/2017 8:33:00 PM
• View Count 3234

HULL—The report of a fish kill sent DNR staff from Spencer looking for a pollutant source in a small creek on the southeast side of the Sioux County town of Hull.

Backyard forest invasive species field day

• 7/18/2017 2:57:00 PM
• View Count 4038

Registration is now open for an educational forest field day taking place at Hickory Hill Park in Iowa City, Sept. 30, from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. The Backyard Forest Invasive Species Field Day will cover issues related to invasive species including identification and management, as well as the establishment of healthy native habitat.  

Citizens report Casey Lake fish kill

• 6/8/2017 1:51:00 PM
• View Count 6235

TAMA COUNTY — A fish kill of more than 1,000 small black crappies at Casey Lake in Hickory Hills Park appears to be from natural spawning stress. 

Loess Hills Visitors Center renamed for longtime forester

• 6/6/2017 11:34:00 AM
• View Count 4235

A dedication ceremony will be held at the Loess Hills State Forest Visitors’ Center this Thursday, June 8, 3-5 p.m. The center will be officially named the Brent S. Olson Memorial Visitor Center in recognition of Olson, forester for the area who died last December following a long battle with cancer.

Small manure spill quickly contained in Sioux County

• 3/9/2017 5:08:00 PM
• View Count 3158

NEWKIRK—The DNR Spencer field office responded Thursday to a small manure spill about 0.5 miles south of Newkirk in Sioux County.

Loess Hills Wildlife Area and State Forest Becoming a Bird Conservation Area

• 5/17/2016 12:21:00 PM
• View Count 7259

CASTANA, Iowa – A public ceremony to dedicate the Loess Hills Wildlife Area, Loess Hills State Forest, Preparation Canyon State Park, and a 42 mile section of the Loess Hills (including the Loess Hills National Natural Landmark) as Iowa’s newest Bird Conservation Area (BCA) will take place on Friday, June 3 at 3 pm. 

40th Annual Loess Hills Prairie Seminar - Fascinations of the Loess Hills

• 5/3/2016 1:32:00 PM
• View Count 5665

The Loess Hills Prairie Seminar, sponsored annually by the Northwest Area Education Agency, Iowa Department of Natural Resources and Monona County Conservation, is June 3-5, beginning at West Monona High School, in Onawa, and then moving to the Loess Hills Wildlife Management Area campground, near Castana.

Public Meeting to Discuss Lake of the Hills Water Quality Improvement Plan

• 4/21/2016 8:05:00 AM
• View Count 4226

DAVENPORT – Iowans interested in the results of a DNR study to improve water quality in Scott County’s Lake of the Hills can attend a meeting Thursday, May 5. Citizens are encouraged to bring their questions and ideas to improve the lake to the meeting for discussion.

Meeting Set to Discuss Proposed Bird Conservation Area in Loess Hills

• 3/1/2016 9:31:00 AM
• View Count 4600

PISGAH, Iowa – The Iowa Department of Natural Resources will discuss the proposed designation of the region including Loess Hills State Forest, Preparation Canyon State Park, and Loess Hills Wildlife Management Area as a state Bird Conservation Area (BCA) at a public meeting on March 16. The meeting begins at 6:30 p.m. at the Loess Hills State Forest Visitor Center in Pisgah, two blocks west of State Hwy. 183, at 206 Polk Street.

Go Afloat with the Corps of Discovery: Lewis and Clark State Park

• 6/10/2015 9:51:00 AM
• View Count 11820

“Cast away! Cast away!” With that resounding command, bellowed stem to stern o’er land and water, the stunning 55-foot reproduction of Meriwether Lewis and William Clark’s Missouri-wending keelboat, Discovery, gingerly takes leave of the shores at which the explorers’ expedition arrived on Aug. 10, 1804.

A Walk on the Wild Side: Preparation Canyon and Iowa's Loess Hills

• 6/3/2015 4:34:00 AM
• View Count 16409

Visiting western Iowa’s razor-ridged Loess Hills on a hot, breezy summer afternoon that eventually succumbs to the ruling grandeur of a moonlit night is surely as intense an experience today as it was for renowned naturalist and University of Iowa professor Bohumil Shimek as he describes it in a section of the 1909 Iowa Geological Survey Annual Report.

Great Escapes: 7 of Iowa’s Best Hikes

• 5/22/2015 7:55:00 AM
• View Count 107191

Whether you’re looking to get away from civilization for a weekend or just take in some beautiful scenery for an hour or two with the family, Iowa – yes, Iowa – offers some incredible hikes in our state parks and forests.