(Spirit Lake)– Some additional restoration work will be taking place this fall in the Welsh Lake complex, west of Big Spirit Lake and north of West Lake Okoboji, just off of Highway 86.
Chris La Rue, wildlife biologist with the Iowa Department of Natural Resources Great Lakes Unit, says the 1,475 acre Welsh Lake complex filters 16 percent of its watershed through 56 natural and restored wetlands that stretch two and-a-half miles northwest of Highway 9…
“The Welsh Lake Wetlands Complex is very significant from a water quality standpoint, especially to West Lake Okoboji and the Iowa Great Lakes chain. This new project that we’re working on up there to the north actually is partially in the watershed for West Lake and then it’s also got a little watershed that goes toward Diamond Lake. We’re going to restore four wetlands up there this fall that will be about another 20 some acres. It’s a great project, located right there along Highway 86.”
One major restoration was completed in that same complex in the early 2,000’s followed by another large wetland enhancement project in the same area in 2019. La Rue says this latest project will be getting underway shortly after the harvest this fall…
“As soon as the beans come off that particular area we’re going to get the construction going, so that’s finished up before we get to December. And then as soon as the construction is done we’ll be doing a fall prairie seeding out there to restore the uplands for some good habitat.”
La Rue says the Welsh Lake complex is also extremely well known for waterfowl hunting and played a key role in Iowa’s trumpeter swan restoration project. The majestic swans are known to nest in that area.
