The tall grass prairie is in full blown in areas around Emmetsburg and that is good for Five Island Lake. When a decision has been made to take land out of agriculture crop production, landowners are usually working with the USDA and the local Farm Service Agency. It is through the Conservation Reserve Program that the land is transformed for another purpose. The USDA states that, “In exchange for a yearly rental payment, farmers enrolled in the program agree to remove environmentally sensitive land from agricultural production and plant species that will improve environmental health and quality. Contracts for land enrolled in CRP are 10-15 years in length. The long-term goal of the program is to re-establish valuable land cover to help improve water quality, prevent soil erosion, and reduce loss of wildlife habitat.”
Around Five Island Lake several landowners are part of the CRP. Plantings have been prairie grasses and flowers. And at this time of the year, the blooming plants are a spectacle of colors, shapes and textures.
At the curve north of the golf course, the Rouse prairie begins. It runs parallel to the Five Island Trail at the north portion of Rockport. It is awash with color such as the Wild Bergamot purple clusters that attract bees, butterflies and hummingbirds. There is the orange Butterfly Milkweed, the yellow Black-eyed Susan, the yellow Oxeye Sunflower and the Yellow Coneflower (sometimes known as the gray head coneflower) which is the tallest yellow plant in the prairie. The Stiff Goldenrod is just beginning to show its yellow domed clusters and the Showy Goldenrod will not be far behind in its bloom. The lighter yellow three feet tall plant is the Partridge Pea. You have to look closer to the ground for the purple coneflower since it is only about 24 inches high. If you are lucky, you may also see some of the blue lobelia.
Continuing north on the recreational trail is the Weiland Prairie featuring grasses such as big blue stem with its signature head shaped like a turkey foot. Also growing is little blue stem, Indian grass and Canada rye. The cup plan, which reaches a height of 8 ft. is now sprouting its daisy-like flowers.
These visual pleasantries add to the uniqueness of the trail but they are also beneficial in other ways. The Tall Grass Prairie Center at the University of Northern Iowa specializes in prairie plants. According to their studies, “Hidden deep underground, the massive root systems of prairie plants often extend deeper into the soil than the stems that rise above it. En masse, these densely tangled roots provide a variety of ecosystem services. Strategic use of prairie plants in the landscape slows runoff, reduces soil loss, lessens the severity of flooding and rebuilds the structure of damaged soil.”
This piece only highlights two CRP lands but there are others throughout Palo Alto County. It is the time of year to explore these places to enjoy the beauty of the perennial plants and also recognize the ecological benefits of these forbs and grasses.
Previous question’s answer: When the shoreline below the trestle was rebuilt and lined with stones in 1911-1920, it was the first effort by any community in Iowa to improve a natural resource.
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Written by Diane Weiland
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