County Conservation Board preps for holidays
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by Jeff Snyder
MOUNT AYR, Iowa —The Ringgold County Conservation Board held its regular monthly meeting on November 12 where they covered a variety of topics specifically those related to the upcoming holiday events planned throughout the area.
Also on the agenda was an update to the planned silt pond being added to the south side of the Liberty Lake complex. The proposed silt pond is an environmental update that will help to filter incoming water flow into Liberty Lake basin. Silt ponds allow for an additional filtration process to help limit the number of chemicals and fertilizers that typically enter the lake thereby causing excessive algae and plant life growth in the lake. These intrusions often create oxygenation deprivation issues depending on rainfall and water temperatures.
Another project in the planning stages for the Liberty Lake area is the addition of a walking trail that will go all the way around the lake. The trail will be made of fine gravel and measure roughly a mile in circumference.
According to Travis Scott, the Conservation Board Director, he has been in contact with the Mount Ayr Community School track and field coaches discussing the use of this trail as a training site for the teams. In the mean time, Scott will be winterizing the park facilities in preparation for colder weather.
The work on the silt pond has been pushed back to fall of 2026 to allow for funding and construction planning to fully develop. The Conservation Board has already been granted $25,000 to help defray the cost of the walking trail.
The annual holiday light show is being prepared which allows area businesses and community members to sponsor individual lighting displays set up throughout Poe Hallow Park on the east side of Mount Ayr. Each year residents are invited to experience the drive through holiday event which helps to generate funds for ongoing projects.
The fee for the auto tour is $10 per vehicle. A portion of the proceeds go back into the funds to replenish lights and displays. The show will run starting three weeks before Christmas and be held Friday and Saturday nights from 5:30 to 9:30 p.m. starting December 6 and running through December 20.
There will also be holiday crafts making programs to be held at The Dragoon Trace Nature Center (space is limited). Wreath making supplies will be provided at the nature center for a $10 fee to cover materials. Two dates were available, at 5:30 p.m., 5:30 p.m. and at 3 p.m., November 23.
NOTE: The November 23 session is full. Contact the Conservation office at 641-234-1519 to make a reservation for the remaining dates.
