PRAIRIES are grasslands by definition. And within this broad brush stroke label, botanists refine that definition into three categories; mesic, dry and wet. Marshlands and savanna plant communities are often associated with the three named prairie types. Specific unique plant communities can be found in each type. They can blend from one form into another. The change over can be stark or subtle, but always interesting.

If one was to travel across Iowa in the early 1800s you would have seen a sea of tall waving grasses and colorful flowers. Before settlement, 30 million acres of Iowa was prairie. Forests and woodland were found along major watercourses and in the almost continuous forests of northeast Iowa. In this tall grass prairie segment of the Midwest, big and little bluestem, Indiangrass, prairie cordgrass, switchgrass and others dominated. Forbs, the flowers of the prairie were just as abundant. The mix of grasses and forbs created over many millennia a rich and diverse landscape. From time-to-time, these plants tickled the bellies of bison who grazed here.

The Marietta Sand Prairie falls into a unique sub-set of prairies, where plants took root on wind blown sand deposits in contrast to most of Iowa’s former native grasslands on loamy soils. The sand at the Sand Prairie was primarily deposited by wind. And the sand came off the floodplains of the Iowa River and Minerva Creek. These sand sources were exposed and bare each late fall and winter as glacial ice thawing ceased further to the north. This was taking place in a long geological time frame during the retreat, or melting phases, of the last glacial system.

Even at this mostly dry land site, water and wet areas are always present. Buried under the sands at the public parking lots, about 30 feet down, an old buried soil surface exists. As the topography gently slopes to the east, this old soil surface becomes less and less deep. Water that filters into the sands reaches this old soil surface and cannot penetrate it. But it can move laterally downslope to become the water of the bog areas. The dominant grasses of the sand prairie are Sand lovegrass, Indiangrassa, some bluestem, sand reedgrass, Junegrass, tall dropseed and neddlegrass. Flowers may include partridge pea, sage, dotted mint, blazing star, birdfoot violet, Misssouri goldenrod and savory leaf aster.

During his travels through the eastern half of Iowa during the 1830s, Lt. Albert Lea described the Iowa landscape in summer and fall. He wrote, “Nothing can exceed the beauty of Summer and Autumn in this country where, one one hand, we have the expansive prairie strewed with flowers still growing, and on the other, the forests which skirt it, presenting all varieties of color incident to the fading foliage of a thousand different trees.”

An early settler visiting northwest Iowa during the winter months described the prairie this way, “… I could only imagine how different things must be in the summer when thick, soft carpets of green grass appear dotted with flowers of all colors; but even so, despite the barrenness, wildness, and monotony of the scene, yea by reason of these, there is something grand and awe-inspiring in the landscape. Nothing impedes or interrupts the view, whithersoever one looks. No hill or rock, not even a house or tree, not a single sharp line. Nothing, absolutely nothing but the vast, broad prairie.”

Sand prairies are not at all well suited to cultivation farming. Extreme dryness, light sandy soils subject to wind and water erosion, and a low content of organic matter combine to make these sites best left in grass. In the case of the Marietta Sand Prairie, it is the combination of native grasses and forbs that set it apart. Most of the 30 million acres of original Iowa prairie was destined to become agriculturally rich producers of row crops. The black soils created by thousands of years of prairie growth and decay built one inch of topsoil per century. That soil is now the most productive in the world. Prairie remnants now serve as biological and botanical “bench marks” of history, telling the story of how the land is what it is.

q q q

Two hundred and twelve years ago, explorers Meriwether Lewis and William Clark were commissioned to begin the Voyage of Discovery as envisioned by President Thomas Jefferson. Jefferson made an offer to Napoleon of France, who needed the money, and the Louisiana Purchase brought vast tracts of land west of the Mississippi River into U.S. ownership. It contained those lands drained by the Missouri, Mississippi and parts of the Ohio river watersheds. This land had to be explored, scientifically and from a cultural and land opportunities point of view. Jefferson wanted to know if there was a water route that connected the Pacific Ocean to America’s east coast. No one really knew at the time what kind of landscapes lay to the west of the Mississippi.

Lewis and Clark set out upon and epic journey from May 14, 1804 until their successful return on Sept. 23, 1806. Their journey of 28 months and 8,000 miles was a tremendous success. Lands never before seen by white man were ventured onto, numerous journal notes made as to the animals, plants and native peoples seen along the way. Great mountains were overcome and extreme hazards met with full confidence for this party of hardy frontiersmen who knew how to work hard as a team, hunt, fish and survive during very trying times. Any reading of their journal entries brings an improved understanding of the work, planning, surveying tasks, and botanical/biological requirements of the Voyage of Discovery. This scribe urges readers to pull out any number of good books on the subject, or listen and watch documentary videos of how Lewis and Clark pulled off one of the most exciting and dangerous explorations of history.

Here are just a few of those journal notes. On June 26, 1804, the expedition had made westward progress of about 400 miles upstream on the Missouri River from St. Louis to the mouth of the Kansas River. They spent four days at this location to repack cargo, make observations, rest and prepare for the next push. Meriwether Lewis’s curiosity was so great, his knowledge of the flora and fauna so impressive, his endurance unmatched, and he was accurate in all his descriptions of what he had seen. He was respected by the entire team for his leadership abilities and dedication to the cause as set out by President Jefferson.

One year later, on June 26, 1805, in what is now eastern Montana, the expedition had seen new species of wildlife. Bison, elk, sheep, pronghorns, prairie dogs and a host of other critters. Grizzly bears were fearful and respected. Deer or elk were a standard fare for fresh meat to eat. And then there were these journal notes: “The musquetoes are extremely troublesome to us. This morning early I dispatched J. Fields and Drewyer in one of the canoes up river to hunt elk. Set Frazier at work to sew the skins together for the covering of the boat. Shields and Gass I sent over the river to such a small timbered bottom on that side opposite to the Islands for timber and bark; and to myself I assign the duty of cook as well for those present as for the party which I expect again to arrive this evening from lower camp. I collected my wood and water, boiled a large quantity of excellent dryed buaffaloe meat and made each man a large suet dumpling by way of treat. Late in the evening the party arrived with two more canoes and another portion of the baggage. Capt. Clarke measured the rout from Camp at the Whitebear Islands to the lower camp – 17 3/4 miles.” Lewis.

Before departing this camp site, a stock pile of kegs of pork, flour and other provisions were buried. This was in anticipation of the return trip one year later when these items would be dug up and used to help sustain the crew who would be going east toward St. Louis.

The winter of 1805 and early 1806 was spent on the Pacific coast. When the time was right, the return journey east began. Indian boys assisted the Voyage expedition with crossing the snow covered ‘trail’ through the rugged mountains. Snow depths had retreated from 11 feet deep to only 7 feet deep. Lewis and Clark were assured that once past these snow fields, areas of good grass for the horses would be found. That is exactly what happened. The horses ate well and regained their strength. So did the people. Urging haste, the party reached what is today called Bald Mountain and soon a rock mound called Indian Post Office, the highest point on the Lolo trail at 7,033 feet above sea level. Lewis wrote “From this place we had an extensive view of these stupendous mountains. We were entirely surrounded by these mountains from which to one unacquainted with them would have seemed impossible to have escaped; in short without the assistance of our guides I doubt much whether we who had once passed them could find our way to Travellers rest.” The date of this journal entry is June 27, 1806.

The way east was much faster due to traveling with the current of the river rather than against it. On August 1, 1806, they crew had to make landfall to allow for a vast herd of bison to cross the river. This was near an island nearly one-half mile wide by itself with the water on either side at least 1/4 mile wide. The journal notes state: “This gangue of Buffalow was entirely across and as thick as they could swim. It took the herd more than an hour to cross.”

We know the rest of the story. Lewis and Clark rejoined the Mississippi River above St. Louis on Sept. 23, 1806. The success of their mission was outstanding in all regards. Survival was possible because of good planning and woodsmanship skills of the crew. In addition a lot of good luck favored them when they were critically in need. Looking back on the task they were assigned to do would make most people today say it was impossible. But Lewis and Clark did not let that attitude get in the way. They did their job and did it well.

—

Garry Brandenburg is a graduate of Iowa State University with BS degree in Fish & Wildlife Biology. He is the retired director of the Marshall County Conservation Board. Contact him at PO Box 96, Albion, IA 50005.