Big Wall Lake Duck Hunters Should Find Alternative Marsh for 2006 Waterfowl Season

DOWS - Big Wall Lake may look like it is ready for the upcoming waterfowl season, but do not be fooled by its appearance. Big Wall Lake, near Dows in north central Iowa, is in the process of a major renovation project to eliminate a carp population and return to being one of the premier waterfowl marshes in the state.

"Today, it looks deceptively inviting," says Doug Janke, wildlife biologist for the Big Wall Lake area. "But, Big Wall's renovation has left the lake dewatered. Aside from three very small pockets of 12-inch water, the shallow lake has two to three inches of water over mud-flats."

Thanks to a cooperative effort between the Wright County Soil and Water Conservation District, the Prairie Winds RC&D, the Environmental Protection Agency and the Iowa Department of Natural Resources, Big Wall Lake is being restored. The cooperation of adjacent landowners and sportsmen was critical, too.

Water levels above historic crest elevations plus an introduction of carp into this lake led to an environmental decline over the past 25 years. What was once a pristine 900-acre marsh with diverse plant and animal life has degraded to a mud-hole with a narrow band of cattails along the shoreline.

"My kids loved to explore the marsh with me in the early 1980s. The water was so clear you could see a dime on the bottom through four foot of water. Now you can't see down six inches," said Janke.

The restoration work requires installing a new outlet structure for Big Wall Lake to allow the lake to be drained and carp eliminated so natural vegetation can be reestablished. By removing the carp, the bottom feeding fish will no longer uproot the aquatic vegetation; and, the water will clear. Outlet construction, carp removal, and revegetation will be completed by early June 2007.

This will allow the DNR to begin refilling the lake, hopefully in time to provide some water for the 2007 waterfowl season. Meanwhile, this is a great place to see shallow water birds like sandpipers and plovers.

"The lake has two foot of muck under the shallow water. Getting out in boats or waders is nearly impossible this fall, says Janke. " I would strongly suggest you hunt ducks elsewhere this fall."