T-R PHOTO BY ROBERT MAHARRY  - Members of the Clarence and Sharon Mann family pose for a photo at the conclusion of a dedication ceremony for the Mann Wetlands Wildlife Management Area just south of Albion on Saturday morning. Because of rain, the event was moved from the wetlands to the Grimes Farm Conservation Center.

Although inclement weather conditions threw a wrench in the plan to host the event onsite, a sizable crowd still gathered to celebrate the dedication of the Mann Wetlands Wildlife Management Area during a brief program at the Grimes Farm Conservation Center on Saturday morning.

The acquisition of the Marshall County’s newest public lands, located just south of Albion near the Iowa River and across the highway from the north entrance to Timmons Grove, came about through a host of funding sources including grants from the Iowa Natural Heritage Foundation (INHF) and the Resource Enhancement and Protection (REAP), private donors and, of course, the generosity of the Mann family, who previously owned 144 of the 216 total acres. The other 72 were acquired from the Mount family.

Marshall County Conservation Board (MCCB) Director Emily Herring, who led the program on Saturday morning, joked that the only two things she’s learned she can’t control are “people and the weather,” but nonetheless, she was excited to dedicate the wetlands area in front of an enthusiastic audience.

“I want to thank the people that made it possible and also the people that helped with the restoration process. There were so many positive things that came out of this and so many people that supported it,” Herring said. “It was just a really awesome experience for me as a director to have in my first year on staff. It really got me excited for all the things to come.”

There were plenty of thank yous to go around, as Herring shouted out the Manns, who were well represented during the event, for their idea that the area could be a public property for anyone to enjoy, and they received a lengthy ovation. As Herring explained, the land was owned by Clarence and Sharon Mann, and after Clarence passed, his descendants collectively made the decision, in part as a result of how much they enjoyed visiting it during their younger years.

T-R PHOTO BY ROBERT MAHARRY – A sign now welcomes visitors to the 216 acre Mann Wetlands Wildlife Management Area located south of Albion, just across Highway 330 from the north entrance to Timmons Grove.

The INHF helped to hold the land while the MCCB fundraised for the purchase, and ultimately, the $1,147,640.53 acquisition did not require any expenditures from the county’s general fund.

“If they weren’t there, that wouldn’t have happened. It is a key component in helping protect these areas that families want to go to — natural areas. Without them, we couldn’t do it,’ Herring said.

The MCCB also received a REAP grant for over $900,000, which Herring said had members of her team doing “victory dances” when they received the news. Other major contributors included several Pheasants Forever county chapters, Friends of Marshall County Conservation, Jim Dworzak, the Artis Wansley Memorial, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, the Iowa Department of Natural Resources (DNR), the National Wild Turkey Federation, Dick and Susan Breed, Garry and Bobbi Brandenburg, the Marshalltown Area Chamber of Commerce, Dr. William Wessel, the Howard Stegmann Memorial, the Franklin E. Polley Memorial, the Dr. Russell Watt Memorial, the Randy Hartwig Memorial, the Eleanor Handorf Memorial, the Judith Rundall Memorial, the Tom Ford Memorial, the David Roe Memorial and the Marilyn Rhodes Memorial.

In addition to acquiring the ground, extensive work was undertaken to restore 159 acres of wetland at a cost of $71,570.72 — once again, Herring and her team were able to do so “at a very low cost” through grants and the generosity of other agencies and organizations. She was also sure to give credit to her two most recent predecessors: Mike Stegmann started the process before retiring as conservation director, and the tireless and “encyclopedic” Garry Brandenburg provided aerial photographs and water level data.

“This has just been a really amazing experience, and I’m so grateful to everybody who supported it,” Herring said.

Ross Baxter with the INHF spoke next and described this project as “the epitome” of the organization’s mission — to protect and restore Iowa’s land, water and wildlife. He shared a bit of history on how it all came to be and the “curveball” they were thrown when the Mount family offered to sell the adjacent 72 acres once the INHF had already closed on the Mann family’s 144 acres.

“With the partners in this room, many of whom Emily mentioned, we were able to take the Iowa River floodplain, add prairie diversity, restore wetlands and protect a remnant wetland on the northeast corner of the property, which is pretty rare,” he said. “Because of that, we were able to take a floodplain habitat, which, I think over 85 percent is in the two-year floodplain, and provide water quality benefits of slowing down sediment and also providing that wildlife habitat in the floodplain that many of those species need. And so because of the work of a lot of folks in this room, we were able to make that protection happen for those species that will go out and enjoy and recreate in that area.”

Andrew DiAllesandro from the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service was the last speaker of the morning and touted the strong spirit of collaboration that made the project possible.

“Nothing really happens in a vacuum. This is a product of partnership. This is a product of trust, and it’s what my program does,” he said.

He recapped some of the assistance his agency provided along with cost sharing to enhance the overall scope of the project and was especially complimentary of Brandenburg’s historic aerial imagery. DiAllesandro added that he was happy to see that prairie plants are already blooming, and the wetlands are holding water.

After members of the Mann family and other supporters congregated for a picture at the outdoor amphitheater, Clarence Mann’s three sons, Arlis, Lawrence and Merle, reflected on the decision to turn the area into a wetland.

“It’s a legacy for our parents, and it’s right along the Iowa River. There’s all kinds of birds and trees and everything in there,” Arlis said.

At first, there was uncertainty over whether the MCCB would receive the necessary funding to complete the kind of project they envisioned, but all’s well that ends well. Lawrence, who resides in Marshalltown, said he can’t wait to take his grandkids there. Arlis, who lives on the edge of Albion near the area, recalled the land being used for row crops and cattle.

“It wasn’t the easiest farm to farm, and my dad was a very patient man,” he said. “You put two crops in or no crop, so it’s kind of nice to see it just settle back down and be a (prairie).”

While more work remains to be done, a sign marking the Mann Family Wetlands can now be found along Highway 330 just south of Albion near the Iowa River bridge.