(East Okoboji)-Some improvements are planned for The Narrows Preserve on East Lake Okoboji.
KUOO’s Becky Thoreson has details:
The Iowa Natural Heritage Foundation plans to improve habitat at The Narrows Preserve this summer. Communications Director Joe Jayjack says, the work will include prairie restoration. “it is dominated right now by non-native cold-season grasses, and so we’re going to try to knock back some of those grasses and introduce some native prairie plants. Getting in some of those native prairie plants is really going to help improve water quality. The deep root systems they have helps to slow down and filter water before it enters the lakes.”
He adds that they also plan to remove terraces and brush from the property. “Over the last few decades there have been terraces put in and we’re trying to reintroduce kind of a gentle, sloping landscape which that property was historically. That is going to help with animal migration and natural water flow and things like that, and then, what people may notice most, is some of the tree work that’s going to happen out there. We’re going to remove a considerable amount of brushy undergrowth, non-native species that are out there, really get some more sun on the parts where we are restoring prairie and help those native prairie plants, which is ultimately going to help native wildlife.”
He notes that some temporary closures may occur during the improvements.
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