.

Buena Vista County Conservation Park

Elk Wildlife Area

Linn Grove Wildlife Area

AREAS AND FACILITIES PROVIDED BY THE BUENA VISTA CONSERVATION BOARD

.

Brooke Wildlife Area

Located 5 miles west of Linn Grove on  (440^th Street)

Approximately 60 acres

Maintained as wildlife area, rough terrain, access at the east end of the property only.

Hunting (upland and forest) and trapping allowed, rules apply according to Iowa DNR laws.

Buena Vista County Conservation Park

Headquarters for Conservation Board

Located 5 miles west of Linn Grove on C-13 (440^th Street)

Approximately 308 acres

Two enclosed heated shelter houses-electrical outlets and refrigerator. User fee: $25 per day per reservation first day. $10 for second day when used by the same party. Call 712-295-7985 for reservations

Metal picnic shelters, fire rings and grills

Pit toilets

Drinking water

Playground equipment

Two one-goal basketball courts

Lighted horseshoe court

Nature trails for hiking

12 acres seeded prairie grasses and wildflowers - Arboretum

Camping:

Modern campground (open mid-April to mid-October, weather permitting): 

-$12 Per Night

-18 electrical hookups

-shaded 

 -flush toilets and hot shower 

-firerings

-sewage dump                                                                                                                                                

Primitive camping allowed in areas around small metal picnic shelters, firerings and grills ( not part of modern campground) $6.00 per night.

Winter activities:

Cross Country skiing (skies available for rent - contact naturalist at 712-749-2563) - Snowmobiling allowed if conditions are suitable in areas designated by Conservation Board Director - Tubing Hill (Unsupervised), inflatable devices only.

Handicap facility

Buena Vista County Swan Restoration Refuge

Located 6 miles north and 2 miles east of Storm Lake (located on Hwy 71 near 550th Street)

10.88 acres

Formerly DOT borrow pit area

Pond and Area is used for a local swan restoration project

Bur Oak Wildlife Area

 Located 2 miles south of Peterson (intersection of 30^th Avenue and 430^th Street)

40 acres

Maintained as wildlife area

Hunting (upland and forest) allowed. Rules apply according to DNR laws.

Elk Wildlife Area

Located 8 miles north of Alta (intersection of 510th Street and 60th Avenue)

65.08 Acres

Maintained as wildlife area

Hunting (upland) and trapping allowed, rules apply according to Iowa DNR laws.

Gabrielson Park-Gustafson Lake

Located on south edge of Sioux Rapids on Highway 71

Approximately 36 acres - including a 7 ½ acre man-made lake

Fishing, swimming beach,  picnicking, boating (canoes and electric motors)

No camping allowed

Enclosed, heated shelter house, electrical outlets and refrigerator. Use by reservation only. User fee: $25 per day per reservation first day. $10 for second day when used by same party. Call 712-295-7985 for reservation.

Flush and pit toilets - drinking water

Open picnic shelter

Playground equipment

Approximately 7 acres seeded to native prairie grasses and wildflowers

Handicap facility

Linn Grove Dam Area

Located in Linn Grove on the Little Sioux River.

12 acres

Primitive camping allowed. $6.00 per night

Metal picnic shelters, firerings, water, pit toilets

Two boat ramps-downstream (county owned) and upstream (state owned) of the dam. Ramps included in Inkpaduta Canoe Trail

Fishing, boating, (canoe and motor) camping, picnicking

Playground equipment

Handicap facility

Linn Grove Wildlife Area

Located on southeast edge of Linn Grove

9 ½ acres

Wildlife refuge -  no hunting allowed

Newell Catholic Prairie Cemetery

1 mile west of Newell (intersection of 190th Ave and 630th St.)

3 acres

Maintained as a prairie cemetery with many native grasses and wildflowers

One of the oldest cemeteries in Buena Vista County, established in 1893

Donated to the Conservation Board by St. Mary’s Catholic Church, Storm Lake

Pheasant Ridge Wildlife Area

Located 3 miles south of Newell on  (660^th Street near 210th Avenue)

6 acres of wooded fenceline

Maintained as wildlife area

Hunting (upland ) allowed. Rules apply according to Iowa DNR laws.

Raccoon River Heritage Wildlife Corridor

Begins 2 miles west of Newell and continues south 4 miles intermittently (begins at 620th Street)  along the Raccoon River, contact the Conservation Board office for the exact legal descriptions.

330 acres

Maintained as wildlife area

Boating (canoe and motor).

Hunting (uplands and wetlands), trapping and fishing allowed, rules apply according to Iowa DNR laws.

South Cove Park

Located on south edge of Storm Lake

3 acres

Open picnic shelter - pit toilet - grills - playground equipment

Fishing (3000 acre Lake) - Boating (canoe, motor) (no boat ramp)

No camping allowed

Handicap facility

Sturchler Pit Area

One mile north and west of Newell (190th Avenue and 620th Street)

120 acres

5 acre gravel pit - parcel's west boundary, Raccoon River

Fishing, boating (canoes and electric motors)

Open picnic shelter- grills - pit toilet - playground equipment

Areas seeded to  prairie grasses

Handicap facility

Three Waters Wildlife Area

 5 miles northwest of Newell (intersection of 600th Street and 180th Avenue)

85 acres - 14 acres seeded to prairie grasses

Contains three bodies of water: creek, Raccoon River and small lake

Maintained as wildlife area

Boating (canoe and electric motor) 

Hunting (upland and wetland), trapping and fishing allowed. Rules apply according to Iowa DNR laws.

Wildlife Display

Located in the lobby of the Buena Vista County Courthouse at 215 east 4th in Storm Lake, Iowa

The display was constructed in 1998 by Lance Christensen of Spencer Iowa and Steve Brauhn of Sioux Rapids, Iowa. The glass enclosed display consists of (2)  20' long sections, 10' high. The display is a panoramic wildlife scene. A detailed painted mural by artist Steve Brauhn depicts the fall season of a prairie merging into wetlands that merge into an upland/forest area. Animal mounts and those included in the mural are native to Northwest Iowa.

Lance Christensen, taxidermist completed mounts including a full size deer, squirrel, chipmunk, bald eagle, bager,fox,pheasant, hawk, raccoon, mink, muskrat, wood duck and song birds.

In 2004, a wild turkey and river otter were added to the display by Storm Lake taxidermist, Todd Felton. Todd will be completing a coyote also.

The wildlife display is an important teaching tool that allows school students and the public to see and learn firsthand about many of the animals that live in the area.

.