NAHANT
PRESERVE, EDUCATION & RECREATION AREA
The Nahant Marsh area
is a
unique 513 acre urban wetland adjacent to the Mississippi River in Davenport,
IA. In the heart of the urban
community, it is home to many species of flora and fauna. Over
the years the marsh has faced increased pressures of urbanization and
industrialization. Concern about its health has generated much public interest.
This project will improve the water quality and hydrology of the marsh,
protect and improve native plant and animal habitat, teach residents in the
watershed about the importance of wetlands, and provide recreational and
educational opportunities through the development of an educational research
center, public
boardwalk and interpretive signage, curriculum and programming for students, and
further land acquisition.
Chronology of Events:
1995 - U.S. Fish and
Wildlife Service (USFWS) discovered hazardous levels of lead shot on 13 acres of
a 78-acre property owned by the Scott County Sportsmen’s Association. U.S.
Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) testing further revealed concentrations of
over 500 lead pellets per square foot in the top six inches of soil.
1996 - Led by River Action, a steering committee comprised of
representatives from environmental organizations, local colleges, city
officials, and interested citizens, directed the development of the Nahant Marsh
Master Plan.
1998 - City of Davenport adopted the Nahant Marsh Master Plan.
1998 - EPA determined the lead cleanup would cost $2,000,000. In order
to ensure the cleanup, the EPA made a unique agreement with the City of
Davenport and the Sportsmen’s Association in which the EPA would be paid
$86,000, the agreed upon purchase price, in exchange for the cleanup of the
property. The only stipulation was
that the property be sold and maintained as a natural habitat and used for
educational purposes. This is the first time in the nation the EPA has used
Superfund monies for conservation and education only.
1999 - EPA completed the lead remediation. Fundraising and the renovation of the existing clubhouse into
an education facility began.
2000 - Title transfer from the Sportsmen’s Association to the City of
Davenport is pending.
This project will provide
the community and region with a unique wetlands education and research center.
Through education and research opportunities, we hope to develop a sense
of stewardship among residents to help prevent further degradation of the area,
restore existing habitat, educate a voting public about environmental issues,
and improve an underserved area of West Davenport that is pursuing ways to
benefit from its natural resources.
Current
Project Partners
·
River Action (POC: Kathy Wine,
319-322-2969)
·
City of Davenport (POC: Charlie
Heston, Community & Economic Development Dept., 319-326-7756)
·
U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service -
Rock Island Field Office (POC: Brian Wiebler, 309-793-5800)
·
Iowa Dept. of Natural Resources (POC:
Bob Sheets, 319-652-3132)
·
Iowa Natural Heritage Foundation (POC:
Mark Ackelson, 515-288-1846)
·
Quad City Audubon Society
·
Sierra Club - Eagle View Group
·
Scott County Conservation Board (POC:
Bob Bryant, 319-843-2855)
·
Mississippi Bend Area Education
Agency, Bettendorf, IA
·
Quad City Conservation Alliance
·
Local Colleges and Universities:
Augustana College (Rock Island, IL), Scott Community College (Bettendorf, IA),
Blackhawk College (E. Moline, IL), Mount St. Clare College (Clinton, IA),
St. Ambrose University (Davenport, IA), Western Illinois University
(Macomb, IL), University of Iowa (Iowa City, IA)
Cost
Estimate
This project is estimated to
cost $1,321,300. The budget for the project is as follows:
·
$700,000 - Bridge and Trail
Development
·
$482,000 - Land Acquisition
·
$65,000 - Development of
Educational Research Center
·
$74,300 - Educational Programming
and Naturalist Salary
Funds have been contributed from the McKnight Foundation (RiverWay 2000 Grant), Scott County Regional Authority, Anonymous Donor, Carver Charitable Trust, Q.C. Audubon Society, Ralston Purina Foundation, LaFarge Corp., S.J. Smith Welding Supply Co., Designated Fund from Community Foundation of the Great River Bend, Sierra Club-Eagle View Group, Blackhawk Foundry, Poster Sale Funds, Quad City Homebuilders Association, City Carton Co. Inc., and the U.S Fish and Wildlife’s North American Conservation Act Grant Program.
Project planning for the
Nahant Marsh Educational Center is complete. River Action has raised $246,500,
or 16% of the total goal. Currently,
funds are being raised to complete the development of the educational center
scheduled to open in the fall of 2000. Also,
we are working with the City of Davenport and the Iowa Natural Heritage
Foundation to acquire more property in the Nahant Ecological area to increase
wetland protection and develop a public-access trail.
The trail will connect to Credit Island via a bridge and to the Davenport
recreational trail, and will become a segment of the Upper Mississippi River
Trail, as well as the American Discovery Trail.
Both of these national trails were designated by the White House as
Millennium Trails and will receive major media coverage and increased numbers of
users as they are further developed.
·
Federal funding to help complete
the development of the Educational Research Center ($65,000)
·
Federal and non-federal grants
which will fund environmental education programming ($74,300)
·
Federal funding for the purchase of
threatened lands to be converted back to their natural state ($482,000)
·
Federal grant for bike trail to
Nahant Marsh and bridge linking new and existing trails ($700,000)
Primary
Agency Partners
·
Proposed Champion - Environmental
Protection Agency
·
Department of Defense, U.S. Army
Corps of Engineers
·
Department of Interior, National
Park Service and U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service
·
Department of Education
·
Department of Transportation -
Trails
·
Department of Agriculture
·
National Science Foundation
On March 1, 2000, the
Quad City Development Group took our request for Nahant funding to Washington,
D.C, and met with our Congressmen, Jim Leach and Lane Evans, and their staffs.
Both have been very supportive of the Nahant project; all area
Congressmen endorsed the American Heritage Rivers Initiative in February 1998.
·
This project directly supports both
the Partners for Wildlife and Partners in Flight Programs (USFWS) by benefiting
a broad array of diverse fish and wildlife species.
·
The project supports the Bicycle
Transportation and Pedestrians Walkways Program (DOT) by increasing recreation
and public education with the addition of environmentally sensitive trails.
·
The project directly supports the
Cooperative State Research, Education and Extension Science Program (Dept. of
Agriculture) by emphasizing the watershed and water quality.
·
The Nahant project supports the
Quad City River Renaissance.
·
This project directly supports the
Section 319 Program (EPA) by decreasing polluted runoff from nearby tilled
agricultural land.
·
This project directly supports the
Superfund Program (EPA) by drawing attention to a former junkyard near the marsh
that is in need of assessment and cleanup.
·
This project directly supports the
Watchable Wildlife program (DOI, NPS) by contributing interpretive signage about
wildlife program and recreation trails for citizens’ enjoyment.
·
This project directly supports the
White House’s Millennium Trails Initiative by providing critical links in two
separate designated Millennium Trails
Submitted
by:
Owen D. Dutt, Upper
Mississippi River Navigator, 314-331-5450
owen.d.dutt@mvs02.usace.army.mil
View of Nahant Marsh from
the Educational Research Center.
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Nahant Marsh
Educational Research Center.
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