In 2019, a private land owner agreed to sell a multi-parcel addition to Falcon Springs Wildlife Management Area located between Bluffton and Decorah. A thirty-two acre parcel included a section of Ten Mile Creek, which has a growing population of wild brown trout and has been a “Put and Grow” trout stream for many years. These streams are entirely on private property and the landowner must grant permission before each fishing trip. The Iowa Natural Heritage Foundation will be applying for a REAP grant to assist with this purchase and to expand permanent public access for fishing. This grant has a 25% match, which is approximately $40,000 and must be raised from private funding sources. As of mid-April, (13) private organizations, including Iowa’s Coldwater Conservancy, have contributed a total of $37,750. Additional grant requests are pending. If successful in securing this grant, the property should transfer to the Iowa DNR in 2021.
