Report fish and wildlife violations to the Turn in Poachers (TIP) Program by calling 1-800-532-2020. Provide as much information as possible while remaining annonymous. A conservation officer will be dispatched to investigate.
Welcome to the Winnebago County Conservation Board, one of 99 county conservation boards in Iowa.
We are located in the rolling hills of north-central Iowa's prairie pothole region. Our
purpose is to provide outdoor recreational opportunities for
everyone and to protect and conserve our natural resources. Scroll
down for the latest news and browse through our web site often
to see what we have to offer!
Be sure to contact us if you have any comments or questions!
Because of the stormy weather
that rolled through the area on August 30th,
we postponed our Monarch Tagging program
that was scheduled for that evening.
It will now be held on
Saturday morning, September 4th, at 10:00 AM,
at the Thorpe Park shelterhouse.
We apologize for any inconvenience this has caused, but hope to see you on Saturday!
Our Summer newsletter is now available! Click here to read it!
Attention! The WCCB has passed a resolution regarding the importation of firewood into our county parks.
See our Parks and Wildlife Areas page to learn more about it.
Bus Trip a Success!
On Sunday, June
20th, 37 north Iowans joined us on our latest motorcoach excursion,
conducted in conjunction with the Hancock County Conservation Board.
This time, we
headed to Sioux City, IA, to view several Lewis and Clark sites in the
area. The predictions of rain didn't come true and everyone seemed to
enjoy a wonderful, relaxing day!
The day began with an on-board viewing of the National Geographic film, Lewis and Clark--Great Journey West.
The video gave everyone a nice background to the Lewis and Clark
expedition. After arriving in Sioux City and eating lunch, everyone had
a chance to view a unique display of murals at the Southern Hills Mall.
The beautifully-illustrated series of murals depicted the entire Lewis
and Clark journey from start to finish.
We
then headed to the Lewis and Clark Interpretive Center to view their
wonderful displays depicting daily life during the expedition. We were
also able to walk through the "Discovery Garden," a collection of
plants that Lewis and Clark encountered along their journey. We then
visited the Sergeant Floyd River Museum to learn about the history of
Missouri River travel throughout the years.
Our final historic stop was at the Sergeant Floyd Monument, the nation's first National
Historic Landmark. The monument contains the remains of Sergeant
Charles Floyd, the only member of Lewis and Clark's expedition to die
along the journey, and is located very near the spot where he died. The
visit to the monument, overlooking the Missouri River, was an
appropriate ending to a wonderful trip.
After a supper stop, we returned home, much more appreciative of the
accomplishments of Lewis and Clark's expedition and better aware of the
historic role our state played in their journey. Hopefully, we'll be
able to offer another bus trip later this year to another midwest destination.
To keep updated of such events, you can continue to check our web site,
you can subscribe to our free newsletter (either in the mail or
on-line), or join our Facebook page. You can also visit our Facebook
page to see more photos of this trip!
(To download the group photo, click here. To download the monument photo, click here.)
Winnebago River Water Trail Dedicated
On
Sunday, June 13th, the Winnebago River Water Trail, Iowa's newest water
trail, was officially dedicated in a ceremony held at Pammel Park in
Forest City! The day included a float down the river, as well as games,
picnics, music, and a bonfire in the park. In the evening, there was an
official ribbon-cutting with many local dignatariespresent. (See photo to the left.)
The designation means
that the stretch of the Winnebago River between Dahle Park and Forest
City has been approved by the Iowa Department of Natural Resources as an official trail that can be used by the public for canoeing, kayaking, and
rafting. Various criteria had to be met to achieve this designation,
including proper signage, adequate accesses, detailed mapping, and
public education. The WCCB worked with the city of Forest City to
complete all the work necessary for the trail to become a reality and
Robert Schwartz, WCCB Director, accepted the certificate from the DNR
(see photo to the right). It is hoped that the new trail, with its
statewide designation, will attract visitors as well as increase the local public's usage of the river. To view the new Winnebago River Water Trail kiosk, click here. To view a map of the water trail, click here. Then, grab a canoe, a couple paddles and life jackets, and hit the trail!
(Photos courtesy of Carolyn Frakes, Forest City. Thank you, Carolyn!)
What is that loud buzzing sound coming from the trees?
Check out our Wildlife Notes page to find out!
20 Ways You Can Celebrate Earth Day All Year!
--Take a kid camping, fishing, hiking, or just picnicking. Help a child discover the wonders of nature!
--Plant a tree, a shrub, or some flowers.
--Feed a bird.
--Pick up some litter.
--Recycle something.
--Reuse something that you would have thrown out.
--Turn off a light or a TV that isn't being used.
--Ride a bike or walk somewhere instead of taking a car.
--Take a reusable shopping bag on your next shopping trip.
--Replace an incandescent light bulb with a fluorescent one.
--Next time you buy something, make sure it's made from recyclable products.
--Give your old clothes and household items away instead of throwing them out.
--Take a hike and think about how beautiful the Earth is.
--If you go camping, take care of your campsite.
--Don't buy over packaged products.
--Hang your clothes outside to dry, instead of using a clothes dryer.
--Compost.
--Build a bird or bat house and put it up in a good location.
--Create a brush pile for animals.
--Make sure your car is tuned up and your tires properly inflated to save gas. --Only run full loads of clothes or dishes so that you don't waste water.
Welcome to the Winnebago County Conservation Board, 
Because of the stormy weather 
headed to Sioux City, IA, to view several Lewis and Clark sites in the
area. The predictions of rain didn't come true and everyone seemed to
enjoy a wonderful, relaxing day!
We
then headed to the Lewis and Clark Interpretive Center to view their
wonderful displays depicting daily life during the expedition. We were
also able to walk through the "Discovery Garden," a collection of
plants that Lewis and Clark encountered along their journey. We then
visited the Sergeant Floyd River Museum to learn about the history of
Missouri River travel throughout the years. 
Historic Landmark. The monument contains the remains of Sergeant
Charles Floyd, the only member of Lewis and Clark's expedition to die
along the journey, and is located very near the spot where he died. The
visit to the monument, overlooking the Missouri River, was an
appropriate ending to a wonderful trip.
On
Sunday, June 13th, the Winnebago River Water Trail, Iowa's newest water
trail, was officially dedicated in a ceremony held at Pammel Park in
Forest City! The day included a float down the river, as well as games,
picnics, music, and a bonfire in the park. In the evening, there was an
official ribbon-cutting with many local dignatariespresent. (See photo to the left.) 
criteria had to be met to achieve this designation,
including proper signage, adequate accesses, detailed mapping, and
public education. The WCCB worked with the city of Forest City to
complete all the work necessary for the trail to become a reality and
Robert Schwartz, WCCB Director, accepted the certificate from the DNR
(see photo to the right). It is hoped that the new trail, with its
statewide designation, will attract visitor
To view the new Winnebago River Water Trail kiosk, click 
