Iowa DNR Plans Spring Prescribed Burn at Pickerel Lake This Season

Pickerel Lake in Buena Vista County is among the wildlife management areas slated for a controlled burn this spring as part of the Iowa Department of Natural Resources' annual prescribed-fire program, according to the DNR's published list of sites targeted across northwest and north-central Iowa.

The DNR's Prairie Lakes Wildlife Unit schedule names Pickerel Lake as the sole Buena Vista County site on a list that spans Clay, Palo Alto, Emmet and Kossuth counties. Clay County alone accounts for nine units, including Dewey's Pasture, Hawk Valley, Tom Tuttle Marsh, Little Sioux, Fen Valley, Elk Lake, Barringer Slough, Dan Green Slough and Ocheyedan. Palo Alto County's scheduled sites include Blue Wings Marsh, Dewey's Pasture, West Fork and Fallow Marsh. Emmet County carries the longest list, with nine units: Ingham-High, Bur Oak, Anderson Prairie, Birge Lake, Tuttle Lake, West Swan Lake, Eagle Lake, 4 Mile Lake and Twelve Mile Lake. Kossuth County's scheduled sites are Goose Lake, Burt Lake, Seneca and Iowa Lake Marsh.

According to the DNR, prescribed burns are used to improve wildlife habitat, control invasive plant species, restore and maintain native plant communities and reduce wildfire potential. Burn units vary in size from a few acres to several hundred acres and are typically on a four-to-five-year rotation.

Burns are expected to begin mid to late morning and wrap up by late afternoon or early evening, running from mid-March through mid-May. Scheduling depends on conditions: burns will be conducted on a day that meets the objectives and weather parameters defined in the individual burn plan. Any burns not completed this spring will be considered for the fall schedule.

The program extends well beyond northwest Iowa. KCCI reported that the DNR is also preparing controlled burns this spring across Boone, Dallas, Greene, Guthrie, Hamilton, Polk, Story and Webster counties, with burns set to begin within the next couple of weeks and continue through mid-May during favorable weather. KCCI also noted that 14 active burn bans are currently in place across the state, a factor that could affect timing.

Questions about the Prairie Lakes Wildlife Unit burns can be directed to Iowa DNR wildlife biologist Rob Patterson at 712-330-2563. The DNR's central office is located at 6200 Park Avenue, Suite 200, Des Moines, Iowa 50321.