Decatur County ISU Extension held its ISU Sesquicentennial Service Project
on a beautiful day, Saturday, May 12, at Slip Bluff Park near Davis
City. Slip Bluff is a county conservation board park that has a
very high bluff with a splendid scenic overview of the Grand River valley
in the Davis City area. The park lies adjacent to and just east of Interstate
35 and can be viewed from the I-35 rest stop just north of the Lamoni exit.
The park has a small lake, camping facilities, picnic shelters, hiking
paths, and many wonderful natural features, including a breath-taking scenic
overlook view high above the Grand River.
The park is undergoing a transformation, or more accurately, a renovation
of sorts. The Decatur County Conservation Board, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service,
and Southern Iowa Oak Savanna Alliance (SIOSA) have teamed up and embarked
on a project to restore the park to an Oak Savanna terrain, which was the
predominant prairie/woodland landscape in this area prior to settlement.
The project has begun with the first phase consisting of removal of undesirable
brush and understory which has invaded the wooded areas plus tree thinning
and timber stand management. Other phases will include prescribed burning
in the wooded and grassland areas to keep unwanted brush down and encourage
growth of native grass and forbs as well as groupings of desirable oaks and
other hardwood species. Gregg Pattison, with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service,
is a prescribed burn specialist and is working with this and other savanna
restoration projects in the area. He is an ISU alum and the husband of Karen
Pattison, our ISU Extension Youth Field Specialist.
This ISU Sesquicentennial project was planned and developed by Gregg Pattison,
Rich Erke, Decatur County Conservation Board Director and Jack Van Laar,
CEED, all ISU alumni. It was designed to compliment the restoration work
at Slip Bluff Park and consisted of erecting several sections of rail fence
as wings on each side of the short stone wall at the scenic overlook. The
face of the bluff at the scenic overlook is very steep and over time is gradually
sloughing or sliding in thin layers toward the river bank below. This is
a natural process from which the park derives its name.
Thinning of unwanted brush has already been done on the face of the bluff
opening it up tremendously. However, as wanted vegetation becomes established,
it will be critical to keep foot traffic off the bluff to prevent accelerated
damage and erosion to the bluff.
This rail fence is an attractive complement to the scenic overlook as well
as deterrent to traffic into this fragile area. Our crew consisted of 11
hard working individuals. Participants enjoyed a picnic lunch
consisting of hot dogs roasted over an open fire, chips, baked beans, drink
and chocolate chip toll house cookies for dessert.
Jesse Randall, Assistant Professor in Natural Resources and Ecology Management,
was the ISU Campus representative and presented the plaque commemorating
the project to Jack Van Laar and Rich Erke. The plaque will
be affixed to a permanent concrete marker post to be erected at the edge
of the stone wall next to the east rail fence wing.
Our sincere thanks go out to everyone who participated in this unique project
which will benefit all visitors to the park and help preserve an important
part of our county’s natural heritage.
Click on any photo for a larger version or to
start a slideshow.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|