Iowa DNR Celebrates Diverse Habitat at Copeland Bend

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Written By Michael Hack

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PERCIVAL – The Iowa Department of Natural Resources praised the diverse habitat at Copeland Bend in Fremont County, Iowa, attracting both bird watchers and hunters.

The wildlife area spans over 3,000 acres, including about 6.2 miles of Missouri River frontage. It features natural wetlands and approximately 250 acres of man-made wetlands created after the 2011 flooding.

Endangered species like the short-eared owl and crayfish snakes have been spotted in the area.

Here’s the DNR story:

Forty miles south of Council Bluffs on the Missouri River is the 3,500-plus-acre Copeland Bend Wildlife Area. This vast area, a mix of grasslands and high-quality wetlands, was constructed after the extensive 2011 flooding when the big river was closed to boating, and levees along the Big Muddy were breached.

After the waters receded, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers started to relocate and rebuild the levee system away from the river, creating a series of shallow wetlands and borrow pits to gather materials for the new levee.

On this clear June morning, pheasants are seen scurrying on the gravel-topped levees and heard crowing in the grassland. Great blue herons fish in the shallow floodwaters, while ring-billed gulls swoop above the water. Mourning doves seem to be everywhere.

A state-endangered short-eared owl nested here in 2005, and state-endangered least terns have also been seen. Crayfish snakes, a species in great need of conservation, have been documented at Copeland Bend.

“The levee setback was a major win-win here with lots of wetland development,” said Matt Dollison, wildlife biologist for the Iowa Department of Natural Resources Nishnabotna Wildlife Unit.

The Missouri River serves as a major migration corridor popular with bird watchers and duck and goose hunters. The shallow wetlands provide ducks and geese a resting point during migration and offer hunters a walk-in hunting spot.

“The nice thing about this area is you can see water birds and shorebirds on the wetlands, and there is about a 2,000-acre block of grassland here supporting grassland species,” Dollison said. There is also a timber component that supports mushroom and deer hunting.

The five-mile-long levee, topped with gravel, is a good place to walk or bike and see wildlife. Three deeper borrow pits contain fish and are available for kayaking. “Bow fishing for carp is prime here when there is shallow floodwater,” Dollison said.

Another improvement came after the 2019 flood when the Iowa Department of Transportation installed a larger flow-through under U.S. Hwy. 2 to allow more water under the road. So far, the road has not been closed due to flooding.

The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers acquired about 3,000 acres, and the State of Iowa has roughly 500 acres along the river. The crescent-shaped State of Iowa land is right on the river and could be a good spot for paddlers to pull off for primitive camping or bow hunters to boat in for a different type of hunt. Checking the hunting atlas can help navigate the area.

“Much of this flood-prone land was enrolled in permanent USDA wetland easements before being purchased by the Corps and State of Iowa, so there are limits to what management we can do,” Dollison said.

Prescribed fire is a major tool used to manage habitat and keep trees in check. “A local farmer partners with the DNR to do a lot of the habitat work through an agricultural lease, which we call a habitat lease,” Dollison said.

Media Contact: Matt Dollison, Wildlife Biologist, Iowa Department of Natural Resources, 712-350-0147.

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