Horseshoe Bend Division
Horseshoe Bend Division is located in the Iowa River floodplain, Louisa County, Iowa, approximately four miles upstream from its confluence with the Mississippi River. The 2,606-acre tract was purchased fee title by the Service in response to the Flood of 1993. Previously known as Levee District 8, privately owned agricultural fields were protected from the Iowa River by a levee built in the 1920's. Since its completion, the levee had been breached by floodwaters, on an average of every four years.
In 1993, floodwaters broke the levee at two sites, depositing large amounts of sand and debris across the floodplain, and scouring many deep holes, totaling $2.7 million in damages. The landowners decided farming was no longer economically feasible, as their levee district taxes increased each time the levees breached. Due to the severe Midwestern floods, the U.S. Department of Agriculture offered a program to affected landowners entitled the Emergency Wetland Reserve Program (EWRP). The program offered landowners a set price per acre to place a permanent easement on their property. The easement prohibits economic agricultural practices on the land, but can permit the planting of food plots for wildlife. Eleven of thirteen landowners within Levee District 8 participated in the EWRP. The Service then offered each landowner with an EWRP easement, an additional $200/acre (residual value) to sell the land. Ten of the eleven landowners took the "buy-out."
Acquisition of Horseshoe Bend has re-connected the floodplain to the river by maintaining two breeches in the levee. During annual high water periods, floodwaters enter and exit the division, at will. The wetland complex provides flood storage, fish passage, and spawning. The unit receives considerable migratory bird usage, including shorebirds, waterfowl, wading birds and grassland bird species. Several bald eagle nesting attempts have occurred on the division the past two years.
Horseshoe Bend is an unique mosaic of grassland, wet meadow, seasonal and semi-permanently flood emergent wetland habitat. The variable habitat supports a wide range of wildlife species.
Since the property was transferred to the Service in 1995, many changes have been made to Horseshoe Bend's landscape. Approximately 130 acres of wetlands have been restored, 210 acres of former crop lands have been seeded with warm season native grasses and forbs, and 50 acres of mast-producing bottomland tree species have been planted. These acres provide a great deal of diversity to the geographic area which is predominantly crop and pasture land.
Horseshoe Bend Division is open to public use from December 1 through September 14 each year; and serves as a migratory bird sanctuary the remainder of the year. Access to the division is limited, however a public parking area exists on the west side off of F Avenue.
Regulations
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