FOREST CITY — A sprawling Northern Iowa wildlife area assembled in just a few years is turning difficult-to-farm ground into more than 1,000 acres of prairie, wetlands and wildlife habitat while also helping protect water in the Winnebago River watershed.
The Pilot Knob Wildlife Area in Winnebago County includes about 850 acres of highly diverse restored prairie and another 170 acres of restored wetlands, according to the Iowa Department of Natural Resources.
It sits near Pilot Knob State Park, which celebrated its 100th anniversary in 2024, creating an increasingly large block of protected habitat near Forest City.
The wildlife area came together unusually quickly.
Between 2018 and 2022, 11 parcels covering approximately 710 acres of rolling hills and wet ground were acquired from local landowners who enrolled their property in federal Wetland Reserve Easement or Wetland Reserve Enhancement programs.
“Local landowners were open to it — the ground was tough to farm and converting it to wetlands and prairie made sense,” Iowa DNR Clear Lake Unit wildlife biologist Rob Patterson said.
A sizable group of conservation organizations helped make the project happen, including the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Winnebago County Conservation Board, USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service, Iowa Natural Heritage Foundation and Iowa DNR.
The result is a landscape that looks increasingly different from the cropland that once dominated it.
On a rainy August morning, developing wetlands were filling with water while restored prairie covered the surrounding rolling hills.
Patterson said the hills are one of the unusual features of the area.
“This area is in the oak savanna part of the state and we lost the oaks when it was converted to farm ground,” Patterson said.
Managers are even attempting to bring some of that oak savanna character back.
Oak acorns were included with the prairie seed mix when portions of the property were planted. Rather than treating the young oaks differently, wildlife managers plan to watch how they develop under the same management practices used across the property.
“We won’t manage this area any differently and will see what the oaks do,” Patterson said.
Although not every parcel is connected, the overall Pilot Knob complex now encompasses more than 1,000 acres.
The restoration is designed to benefit much more than scenery.
Deer, wild turkeys and pheasants use the area, while its grasslands provide habitat for nesting birds. Restored wetlands attract waterfowl while capturing water and nutrients that otherwise could move downstream.
Similar projects have increasingly become part of conservation efforts around Iowa. NIT recently reported how a large network of restored wetlands and prairie near West Okoboji Lake helps filter runoff while providing important wildlife habitat.
Northern Iowa has seen the same conservation approach used for years. In 2012, wetland and native prairie restoration projects were completed at Lime Creek Conservation Area and Winnebago Oxbow Wildlife Area, adding habitat while restoring pieces of Iowa’s historic landscape.
At Pilot Knob, wildlife managers have developed a landscape-level plan emphasizing grassland conservation and restoration of oak savanna habitat.
Fire is a major part of that strategy.
Prescribed burns help suppress unwanted woody growth, rejuvenate native prairie plants and mimic the natural fires that historically shaped Iowa’s grasslands and savannas.
The nearby Pilot Knob State Recreation Area offers another piece of the habitat puzzle. Unlike Pilot Knob State Park, hunting is allowed in the recreation area.
Patterson said portions of the recreation area contain habitat that was never converted to farmland — something increasingly uncommon in this part of Iowa.
“The state recreation area has remnant habitat on it that has never been farmed, which is pretty unique for this part of the state,” he said.
The area is popular with deer and turkey hunters as well as mushroom hunters.
Wildlife appears to be responding to the broader protected landscape.
During a drive through the area, Patterson encountered two hen turkeys accompanied by roughly a dozen poults of various ages. The birds emerged from the timber and ran down the road before eventually disappearing back into cover.
The Pilot Knob project also includes an Iowa Habitat and Access Program component, with a roughly 500-acre block of public land adjacent to about 360 acres of private land.
For residents around Forest City, what was once challenging agricultural ground is becoming a substantial outdoor destination as the restored prairie and wetlands mature.
“People are noticing this area,” Patterson said. “They like the size and habitat variety and its proximity to Forest City.”