New addition provides access to west side of Iowa’s Ventura Marsh

A new 70-acre addition to Ventura Marsh’s southwest corner will provide access to the west side of the popular wildlife area and filter runoff from 200 acres of land before entering the popular marsh.

The addition was a donation facilitated by the Iowa Natural Heritage Foundation who worked with private citizens to purchase the property and secure funding for the habitat development projects.

“It’s a good complement to Ventura Marsh,” said Rob Patterson, wildlife biologist with the Iowa Department of Natural Resources (DNR) Clear Lake Unit. “We restored three smaller wetlands on the parcel that will benefit shorebirds, amphibians, and other wildlife.”

The three wetlands cover eight acres and are surrounded by 54 acres of restored prairie that was re-seeded in 2024. The wetlands were finished this spring ahead of the rains and filled almost as soon as construction was finished.

With two parking lots on the west side, this addition provides access to the prairie portion of Ventura Marsh. “It would have been a huge endeavor before, for pheasant hunters and deer hunters to get to the west end,” he said.

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Walking in from the west side, mourning doves and pheasants were flushing from the young prairie.

The Clear Lake Wildlife Unit has been removing trees and brush off the hillside and marsh edge with the goal to continue restoring the prairie and improving the water quality entering the marsh.

“We’re going to keep moving forward on that project,” Patterson said.  “The ground wasn’t farmed so we’re likely to find remnant prairie after we can get fire on it. A few prairie plants have already returned just with brush removal.”

Ventura Marsh encompasses more than 1,000 acres, with the 800-acre marsh being one of the most popular spots for waterfowl hunters, and an important piece in protecting the water quality in Clear Lake.

In 2010, a fish barrier and pump station was installed to prevent rough fish from entering the marsh from Clear Lake to spawn, and provide the ability to de-water the marsh to eliminate the fish and encourage revegetation.

“It’s a key component to Clear Lake,” Patterson said. “There’s a lot of support for these conservation projects from the Association for the Protection of Clear Lake.”

The marsh is popular with kayakers and an adjacent bike trail gets a lot of traffic from walkers and bikers most of the year. Clear Lake is one of Iowa’s highest quality fisheries and walleye fishing has been excellent all summer. The area is a major draw from across Iowa and neighboring states, as well.

“A person could come here to hunt, fish, camp, boat, hike, bike, golf, shop – do about whatever you want to do,” he said.