(Spirit Lake)– A wetland area east of Spirit Lake was officially dedicated Saturday in honor of Larry Wilson, a former director of the Iowa Department of Natural Resources.
The wetland complex is located just north of Elinor Bedell State Park.
Environmentalists say more than four thousand acres of land drain through the complex, making up for 30 percent of the water that goes into East Lake Okoboji.
Acquisition of the land was made through a partnership involving the D-N-R, Ducks Unlimited, U-S Fish and Wildlife Service and the Iowa Natural Heritage Foundation.
Chris LaRue, a local wildlife biologist with the Iowa Department of Natural Resources, says an extensive restoration of the complex is underway. He says it will include native prairie grasses; a small amount of crop land for food plots; and about 28 wetland areas.
Richard Bishop, Bureau Chief of Wildlife for the D-N-R, told the crowd Dickinson county is a shining example as to why it would be wrong for the state to cut back on public areas. He says Dickinson is the only rural county in the state posting an increase in population, and the public recreation areas that are here have a lot to do with that.
A plaque and monument designating the complex as the “Larry Wilson Legacy Wildlife Area” was unveiled during Saturday’s event.
Speaking during the ceremony, Wilson said he was very flattered by the honor. But he told the crowd the credit needs to go other individuals and organizations that were involved.
Two other wetlands in the state…one in Jones county and another in Riverton, Iowa are also being dedicated in Wilson’s honor.
