Living Land: Big Hollow Lake needs a diet
By Chris Lee Executive Director of Des Moines County Conservation
What happens when you consume more calories than you burn?
What happens when you drink more alcohol than your body can process?
And what happens when you add more nutrients to a lake than it can process?
The first answer is you gain weight. The second is you get drunk. The third is that you get massive algae blooms. What’s constant is that in all the above scenarios is the system is put out of balance.
We can understand weight gain and inebriation pretty easily. Consume too much and your body weight and blood alcohol levels rise. Fix it by consuming less. Maybe forego that second piece of cake or that next drink.
Introducing The Hawk Eye s Citizen Scholar Class of 2021
The Hawk Eye
Each year, The Hawk Eye asks schools in southeast Iowa and west central Illinois to nominate three students for the Bill Mertens Citizen Scholar Award.
While eachnominee is worthy of the Citizen Scholar title, only one from each school can be selected for a chance at a $1,000 scholarship, named for The Hawk Eye s late publisher who established it in 2001, the third year of the Citizen Scholars program.
The winner will be announced May 30.
The minimum requirement for consideration was a 3.5 grade-point average. Nominees also were expected to demonstrate a four-year career of active engagement in the life of their school and community through participation and leadership in extra-curricular activities, as well as participation in events and organizations beyond their classroom walls in the places where they live.
Find your southeast Iowa campsite this weekend
Numbers are as of 10 a.m. April 15
Big Hollow Recreation Area, 152nd Avenue, Sperry
Camper spots: 8
Welter Recreation Area, Skunk River Road, Wever
Camper spots: 11
Camper spots: 20
How to reserve a camping spot
Reserving a camping site at Big Hollow costs $25 per night. Buddy site cost is $50 and must be done on the conservation s camping registration website at mycountyparks.com/County/Des-Moines.aspx.
Reservations are nonrefundable and must be made 5 days in advance. Weekend reservations must be for both Friday and Saturday nights, except for Memorial Day and Labor Day which require reservations for Sunday night as well.
The Hawk Eye
Assuming all goes according to plan, Des Moines County 99 will get a lot of tender loving care over the next five years.
County Engineer Brian Carter s $22 million roads plan for Fiscal Years 2022-26 includes $6 million in road projects just on DMC 99 and $2.5 million for a bridge over Dry Branch Creek, which is located about a mile north of Flint Creek. It s a major project, Carter said of the Dry Branch Creek bridge.
Iowa Code 309.22 requires the board of supervisors must submit a plan for road construction for the upcoming fiscal year, as well as the proceeding four fiscal years. According to Carter, years one through four of the plan are expected to represent a realistic representation of what the county expects to spend in the proceeding fiscal years. In year five, the county generally can put any projects that need to be considered in the following years on their radar.