Yellow River State Forest
Encyclopedia
Yellow River State Forest is partly forested land owned by the Iowa Department of Natural Resources
. It is located in the southeastern corner of Allamakee County
, the most northeasterly of Iowa's counties. It is adjacent to the Upper Mississippi River National Wildlife and Fish Refuge
and is just north of Effigy Mounds National Monument
in the bluff region of the Upper Mississippi River
.
with land at the mouth of the Yellow River
. It has six sections: Luster Heights, Paint Creek North, Paint Creek South, Paint Rock
, Waukon Junction and Yellow River, collectively aggregating 8,503 acres (34 km²). Notwithstanding the forest's name, the majority of the land is in the catchment of Paint Creek
. Some of the forest is reclaimed farmland, but much of it was never farmed because of the steepness of the terrain.
The State and the various Federal agencies actively cooperate in the management of the lands under their care, particularly in the use of fire to maintain goat prairie
s, which are found "on steep, thin soils with a south-southwest exposure. The best examples occur in northeast Iowa’s Paleozoic Plateau, but similar prairie can be found in other parts of the state."
. The geology of the region shows ancient Silurian
period formations. The Yellow River and Paint Creek have rugged, steep walled canyons, showing millennia of erosion, where glacial action would have otherwise smoothed out the features.
, the first sawmill in Iowa was also located in Yellow River, which was built in the 1800's. About 150,000 board feet (350 m³) lumber of is annually harvested in the forest and processed by inmates at the minimum-security Luster Heights Prison Farm
. The prisoners do other work in the forest as well. The lumber produced at the sawmill is used for state-related projects and can be produced for private orders. The type of wood produced at the sawmill depends on the type of wood that grows in the forest (mainly oak and hickory).
sold to the Iowa Department of Natural Resources from the U.S. Forest Service. It was acquired in 1950 and rebuilt on the current site in 1962. Today it is in poor condition, most of the window sashes have been broken out, all the window glass is gone, some of the cab roofing is gone, and the wood on the stairs and in the cab has rotted away, most of this is due to vandalism. So for that and safety reasons, the tower was fenced in and is currently closed to the public.
Iowa Department of Natural Resources
The Iowa Department of Natural Resources is a department/agency of the U.S. state of Iowa charged with maintaining state parks and forests; protecting the environment; and managing energy, fish, wildlife, land resources, and water resources of Iowa.The Mission Statement: To conserve and enhance...
. It is located in the southeastern corner of Allamakee County
Allamakee County, Iowa
-2010 census:The 2010 census recorded a population of 14,330 in the county, with a population density of . There were 7,617 housing units, of which 5,845 were occupied.-2000 census:...
, the most northeasterly of Iowa's counties. It is adjacent to the Upper Mississippi River National Wildlife and Fish Refuge
Upper Mississippi River National Wildlife and Fish Refuge
The Upper Mississippi River National Wildlife and Fish Refuge is a . 261 river mile long National Wildlife Refuge located in and along the Upper Mississippi River. It runs from Wabasha, Minnesota in the north to Rock Island, Illinois in the south....
and is just north of Effigy Mounds National Monument
Effigy Mounds National Monument
Effigy Mounds National Monument preserves three prehistoric sites in Allamakee County and Clayton County, Iowa in the midwestern United States.-Mounds:...
in the bluff region of the Upper Mississippi River
Upper Mississippi River
The Upper Mississippi River is the portion of the Mississippi River upstream of Cairo, Illinois, United States. From the headwaters at Lake Itasca, Minnesota, the river flows approximately 2000 kilometers to Cairo, where it is joined by the Ohio River to form the Lower Mississippi...
.
History
The forest was established in 1933 by the Civilian Conservation CorpsCivilian Conservation Corps
The Civilian Conservation Corps was a public work relief program that operated from 1933 to 1942 in the United States for unemployed, unmarried men from relief families, ages 18–25. A part of the New Deal of President Franklin D...
with land at the mouth of the Yellow River
Yellow River (Iowa)
The Yellow River is a tributary of the Mississippi River in northeastern Iowa. It originates in southwestern Winneshiek County and flows through southern Allamakee County, receiving tributaries from northern Clayton County, before joining the Mississippi near Marquette and Effigy Mounds National...
. It has six sections: Luster Heights, Paint Creek North, Paint Creek South, Paint Rock
Paint Rock Bluff
Paint Rock Bluff was once a major navigational landmark for riverboaters on the Upper Mississippi River. It is located in Allamakee County, Iowa. It is noted for Native-American petroglyphs and paintings; these have been badly damaged by the elements and, unfortunately, by vandalism...
, Waukon Junction and Yellow River, collectively aggregating 8,503 acres (34 km²). Notwithstanding the forest's name, the majority of the land is in the catchment of Paint Creek
Paint Creek (Iowa)
Paint Creek is a direct tributary of the Upper Mississippi River, rising in central Allamakee County, Iowa, in and about the city of Waukon. The catchment measures approximately . It has some still-rural stretches past 9th Street Southwest in Waukon, but most of the actual Waukon portions have been...
. Some of the forest is reclaimed farmland, but much of it was never farmed because of the steepness of the terrain.
The State and the various Federal agencies actively cooperate in the management of the lands under their care, particularly in the use of fire to maintain goat prairie
Goat prairie
Goat prairies, sometimes termed hill prairies, or dry prairies are found mainly along the valley of the Upper Mississippi River in the Driftless Area, but can occur elsewhere. Normally a variant of tallgrass prairie, they are found on south-southwest-facing slopes, which receive considerable winter...
s, which are found "on steep, thin soils with a south-southwest exposure. The best examples occur in northeast Iowa’s Paleozoic Plateau, but similar prairie can be found in other parts of the state."
Geological history
The forest is located in the Driftless Area of Iowa, a region that was not glaciated during the last ice ageWisconsin glaciation
The last glacial period was the most recent glacial period within the current ice age occurring during the last years of the Pleistocene, from approximately 110,000 to 10,000 years ago....
. The geology of the region shows ancient Silurian
Silurian
The Silurian is a geologic period and system that extends from the end of the Ordovician Period, about 443.7 ± 1.5 Mya , to the beginning of the Devonian Period, about 416.0 ± 2.8 Mya . As with other geologic periods, the rock beds that define the period's start and end are well identified, but the...
period formations. The Yellow River and Paint Creek have rugged, steep walled canyons, showing millennia of erosion, where glacial action would have otherwise smoothed out the features.
Lumber production
Yellow River is home to one of only two public-owned sawmills in Iowa, with the other at Shimek State ForestShimek State Forest
Shimek State Forest is an Iowa state forest maintained by the Iowa Department of Natural Resources. Its five units are strung along the Des Moines River a few miles above its confluence with the Upper Mississippi River in Lee and Van Buren Counties in the southeast corner of Iowa...
, the first sawmill in Iowa was also located in Yellow River, which was built in the 1800's. About 150,000 board feet (350 m³) lumber of is annually harvested in the forest and processed by inmates at the minimum-security Luster Heights Prison Farm
Luster Heights Prison Farm
Luster Heights Prison Farm is a satellite facility of Anamosa State Penitentiary operated by the Iowa Department of Corrections. It is located in the Yellow River State Forest near Harpers Ferry in Allamakee County...
. The prisoners do other work in the forest as well. The lumber produced at the sawmill is used for state-related projects and can be produced for private orders. The type of wood produced at the sawmill depends on the type of wood that grows in the forest (mainly oak and hickory).
Yellow River Fire Tower
The forest includes the Yellow River Fire Tower, the only fire tower standing in Iowa. The tower is an Aermotor LS40 model fire towersold to the Iowa Department of Natural Resources from the U.S. Forest Service. It was acquired in 1950 and rebuilt on the current site in 1962. Today it is in poor condition, most of the window sashes have been broken out, all the window glass is gone, some of the cab roofing is gone, and the wood on the stairs and in the cab has rotted away, most of this is due to vandalism. So for that and safety reasons, the tower was fenced in and is currently closed to the public.