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DNR News > Iowa Outdoors
 March 16, 2010
New Green Valley State Park Nearly Complete CRESTON, Iowa - Introductions will most likely be necessary to reacquaint the frequent campers and anglers with the all new Green Valley State Park after the park and lake emerge from a 20-month-long facelift, later this spring. "In the campground, we left the trees, but basically started over," said Jim Lawson, supervisor for Iowa State Parks whose district covers Green Valley. "There won't be much resemblance to the old park." The facelift included adding full hook-up sites, removing a number of campsites to increase the size of each site, redesigning all the camping pads, a new electrical system upgrading from 30 amps to 50 amps, and each site will have a new picnic tables and fire grills. The campground will have a new shower building installed this spring. New pit latrines were added at the campground, the cabins and the north picnic area. A third camping cabin was built. Green Valley will also have a new playground that was donated in part, by the family of Greg Haley, who was the park manager when he passed away in January 2009. It was built by volunteers. The park was connected to the City of Creston by a paved bike trail in 2009 that allows park visitors easy access to the amenities in town. While the campground renovation was underway, the DNR took the opportunity to improve the quality of the lake. The lake was lowered 12 feet in late summer 2008 and the fishery was renovated to remove carp and yellow bass. The spillway was reconstructed; the fishery was rebuilt with bluegills, largemouth bass and channel catfish. A few adult crappies from ponds in the watershed will serve as the source for all future crappies for the lake. While the lake was down, the DNR added fish habitat to bring fish close to shore anglers. The dry dredge project began in February that will deepen the north ends of the two arms and other areas along shore. Digging out the sediment will also remove the nutrients trapped in the sediment and improve water quality. In fact, the water is already noticeably clearer. The dredging is scheduled to be completed by July 1 then the spillway will be closed to refill the lake. Once the lake refills, there should not be a delay when anglers should catch keeper sized fish - 2 pound catfish and 7 to 7-1/2 inch bluegills. "Those fish will have been growing in the lake for nearly two years," said Gary Sobotka, area fisheries biologist for Green Valley. "Everything is setting up to be a nice fishery." Green Valley will not be part of the DNR campsites reservation system for the foreseeable future because once the renovation is complete, the park will be remapped and all the sites photographed and other information on the park updated for the online system so camping will be allowed on a first come, first served basis. Green Valley State Park has been one of the ten busiest parks in the state and will likely resume its place among the most popular places to fish, camp and play. It also serves as a launching point for Three Mile Lake and Twelve Mile Lake. Popular Summer Camp Makes Lasting Connection WAVERLY, Iowa - Chelsie Thompson says it was the Outdoor Journey for Girls camp she attended with her mother as the point when they found a shared interest in canoeing and kayaking, and that they likely would not have discovered it without the camp. "It's something we wouldn't have done before," Thompson said. Thompson, 20, of Waverly, has gone from camper to camp councilor at the popular summer camp. She draws on that experience as a way to break the ice with the current group. "I tell them five or six years ago I was in your shoes," she said. As a 12 year old camper, Thompson, who had experienced the kick of shooting her father's 12 gauge shotgun, conquered her nerves on the trap shooting skill and hit both of her clay targets. She went on to start a trapshooting team in high school and participated in state competitions. OJ introduces 12 to 15 year old girls to the outdoors through its innovative three day program. The program began in 1993 with the purpose of offering girls a similar experience to outdoor camps already in place for boys, and so far, more than 2,000 girls have gone through the camp. The three day, two night workshop was first held at Springbrook Conservation Education Center, near Guthrie Center, and taught a variety of outdoor skills, including canoeing, orienteering, fishing, archery, shooting rifles/shotguns, conservation, water safety, camping, game care, trapping, fish identification and fish cleaning and cooking. The second day is devoted to certifying the girls in Iowa's hunter education program. A second camp was added in 1995 at Springbrook, and a third program was added in 2007 at Black Hawk County's Hickory Hills Park. In 2009, Thompson, a sophomore majoring in earth science secondary teaching at the University of Northern Iowa, served as a counselor for one camp and as a counselor and instructor for survival skills. "I heard from one of my girls who checked in to tell me her latest hunting story," she said. "I hope to stay involved as long as possible." In 2010, she will be helping with the OJ camp at Hickory Hills in whatever capacity is needed. The 2010 camps are scheduled for June 16 to 18 at Springbrook, July 13 to 15 at Hickory Hills, and Aug. 4 to 6 at Springbrook. The July and August camps fill rather quickly so early registration is encouraged. More information is available on the Web at www.iowadnr.gov, then click on Camps and Workshops under Additional Information on navigation bar on the left side of the page. Then scroll down to OJ - Outdoor Journey for Girls. Avoid Boating on Swollen Rivers DES MOINES - A combination of late winter rain, snowmelt and still frozen ground that cannot absorb the moisture has sent many Iowa rivers out of its banks. For anglers who are itching to go boating on rivers searching for early season walleyes and catfish, state officials recommend that they allow these swollen rivers to fall back to more seasonal flows before launching their boat back on the water. "Give these rivers time and they will be closer to normal levels once we have more consistent dry weather," said Susan Stocker, boating law administrator/boating education coordinator for the Iowa Department of Natural Resources. "I know spring fever is rampant right now, but the risk from boating on rivers at flood stage this early in March is simply not worth it." Stocker said obstacles in rivers can change drastically over the winter and combined with near freezing water temperatures, these early season outings can be even more dangerous. "Streams are often muddy after spring rains wash in all kinds of stuff from crop fields, and city streets and parking lots making it difficult to see downed trees or rocks that can cause a boat to capsize," she said. "People forget that it is still technically winter and there is the possibility of ice chunks and ice jams moving downstream. My best advice is to stay off these rivers until conditions improve." Stocker said if the boating itch is too strong to ignore, there are a number of things boaters can do to prepare for the season without getting on the water. "Go through your safety equipment. Make sure the lifejackets are in good condition and that the fire extinguisher is full. Check your lights, horn and other equipment so when the time does come, you are ready to hit the water safely," Stocker said. The Iowa DNR has a boating safety handbook on-line at
www.iowadnr.gov, then click on Safety Education in the navigation bar on the left, then on the Boating Safety/Education link.
Iowa Fishing Report: For current information on fishing conditions for your lake or area, contact the office in that district. Phone numbers are listed with each district report. |
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