Kent Park Easterly Water Shed Pond and Wetland Project
By Larry Lovetinsky, Operations Manager

Since Iowa was first settled it has lost more than 95% of its wetlands, ranking third in the U.S. behind California and Ohio for percent of wetlands lost per state. After several years of planning on a long awaited project, the Johnson County Conservation Board has begun construction of a series of wetlands and ponds in the easterly water shed area of Kent Park. This project will give us the opportunity to regain some of Iowa's lost wetlands for their ecological benefit and for the enjoyment of the residents of Johnson County.

The wetlands and ponds, which are being constructed, have the potential to serve a variety of ecological purposes including soil conservation, wildlife habitat, aquifer regeneration and flood control of the Clear Creek watershed area.

The wetland sites are being developed, in a cooperative effort with the Johnson County Secondary Roads

Department, as wetland mitigation for some of the county's road construction projects. The Secondary Road Department has taken a leading role in establishing wetland projects on public lands. This is important for wetland preservation. In addition, the public will have access to these valuable areas. This cooperative project will result in a major cost saving for both departments and for taxpayers.

If the weather cooperates, construction of the first sites will be completed by the beginning of September. These sites, consisting of two wetlands and one pond, are projected to have a combined water surface area of 1.3 acres with 1.9 acres of wetland area at  completion. Hopefully they will exceed those numbers. We are working hard to optimize the amount of wetland and water surface area during construction so that the finished product will have the maximum wildlife value. After a few years growth of more than 70 species of native plants, both seeded and transplanted, these areas should be quite eye catching and attractive to a large diverse wildlife population.

It will take several years to complete all seven sites. The trail system in Kent Park will be interrupted in the areas of construction but the public can look forward to trail changes. They include new trails intersecting the wetland and pond system and the addition of more bridges. This will allow access to all of these areas when they are completed as well as serving as a perfect environmental education site for naturalist programs.