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Lovells create a Clear Lake legacy
These are just some of the joys Tom and Jan Lovell of Clear Lake feel while reflecting on the land they restored. The nearly 300-acre farm on the south side of the lake has been family-owned since 1886. “Generations of our family have wonderful memories of picnicking and exploring outside at Lone Tree Point Woods,” said Tom. Facing pressure to develop their land, the Lovells instead looked to a study that showed that restoring their land, located in a key part of Clear Lake’s watershed, would significantly improve water quality by holding back soil from surrounding farmland. With this in mind, the Lovells placed a conservation easement on the property, to guarantee it would never be developed, and donated the easement in 1992 to the Iowa Natural Heritage Foundation. INHF allows them to maintain and manage the land, and the Lovells allow public access for activities like bird and wildlife watching, hiking, cross-country skiing and photography. Once the land was protected, the Lovells began restoration. USDA-NRCS and INHF assisted by selecting prairie and wetland sites and hand-clearing undesirable vegetation. According to Tom, prairie and wetland areas now filter 60 to 80 percent of nutrients and sediment from runoff before it drains into Clear Lake. “Whatever needed to be done as far as restoring wetland and wildlife habitat, they were more than willing to do. They understood the priority, and reached out in every way they could,” said USDA-NRCS District Conservationist Tony Moore, who helped with the Lovells’ projects. Wanting to share their preservation success, the Lovells encouraged the development of a public biking and hiking trail through the prairie. “We figured, what a great opportunity to get bicyclists off the heavily traveled roads along the lake and have them experience everything about the land. We also wanted to teach people about the role of prairies and wetlands and how they contribute to a healthy environment,” said Jan. Although work to improve the land and watershed is never quite finished, Jan and Tom said they feel their efforts have made an impact. “The most rewarding part has been the peace of mind of knowing that this special area will always be protected,” said Jan. “It’s also satisfying to know this helped prevent the degradation of such an important natural resource to the area — the lake.”
Learn more about the Clear Lake Enhancement and Restoration Project Learn more about organizing your own watershed improvement effort Future successes: learn about current improvement projects Read brochures about watershed improvement projects DNR Contact
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