Wildlife & Plants - Flora and Fauna on the Water Trail
Many different species of plants and animals can be seen on the water trail throughout the year.
Common mammals living near the river include squirrels, rabbits, opossums, raccoons, mink, and beavers. Though you likely won't see them, coyotes and bobcats also live near the river. Botna Bend Park in Hancock has a live bison and elk viewing area. which shows some of the large mammals that once called the river valley home.
White-tailed deer are also common, and have some interesting local history. After European settlement, Iowa's deer population was nearly extirpated aside from a few kept in captivity by private owners. Most of the deer in the West Nish watershed likely descend from a herd of deer that escaped from William Cuppy's farm near Avoca in 1885. In 20 years, the escaped herd multiplied from about 35 to nearly 500. Despite efforts to contain the deer, they continued to proliferate. Today, many people across Iowa view deer as overpopulated pests (Dinsmore).
Reptiles and amphibians such as spiny softshell turtles, snapping turtles, and a variety of frogs, toads, and snakes also live along the water trail.
River users will likely see bank swallows, who nest in the eroded streambanks. Cliff swallows nest near some bridges. Other common birds include Baltimore orioles, belted kingfishers, blue jays, brown-headed cowbirds, cardinals, catbirds, cedar waxwings, crows, gold finches, great crested flycatchers, house wrens, indigo buntings, northern flickers, northern rough-winged swallows, orchard orioles, red-headed woodpeckers, red-winged black birds, rose-breasted grosbeaks, song sparrows, and yellowthroats.
Some of the larger birds include bald eagles, barred owls, Canada geese, great blue herons, great horned owls, red-tailed hawks, sharp-shinned hawks, turkey vultures, wild turkeys, and wood ducks. Other migratory birds can be seen during certain times of the year.
Of the 85 birds on Iowa’s Species of Greatest Conservation List, 12 were identified as breeding on or near the West Nishnabotna Water Trail by the Breeding Bird Atlas Project in 2008-2012: Black-billed Cuckoo, Bobolink, Chimney Swift, Dickcissel, Eastern Meadowlark, Field Sparrow, Grasshopper Sparrow, Northern Bobwhite, Red-headed Woodpecker, Sedge Wren, Wood Thrush, Yellow-Billed Cuckoo (Source: Wagner. 2016).
”General fish species maps generated by Iowa DNR in 2010 as a part of the Iowa Dams Plan included 15 species known to occur on the West Nishnabotna Water Trail corridor. More detailed inventory assessments of both benthic macroinvertebrates and fish on the West Nishnabotna Water Trail in Pottawattamie County identified “fair” conditions. Additionally, Iowa DNR mussel survey data from 2013 identified a range of between 5 and 14 living species on the study segment of the river" (Source: Wagner, 2016).
Some fish species present in the West Nish include: Bigmouth Buffalo, Black Crappie, Bluegill, Channel Catfish, Common Carp, Flathead Chub, Green Sunfish, Plains Minnow, Quillback Carpsucker, Red Shiner, River Carpsucker, Sand Shiner, Shoal Chub, Shorthead Redhorse, Stonecat. For more information about fishing, click here.
"Between 5 and 14 species of living mussels were identified at three separate locations on the river in 2013. Iowa’s Breeding Bird Atlas documented 84 bird species breeding or likely breeding near the river in Pottawattamie County. Of these, 16% (13) are included on Iowa’s Species of Greatest Conservation Need list” (Source: Wagner, 2016).
While annual rowcrops border the river in some places, most of the riparian buffer consists of perennial vegetation such as woodlands, grasslands, and wetlands. "Silver maple dominates in many areas near the water, especially where the banks are not steep. Willows dominate on the inside bends of the river, forming a “willow wedge” of increasingly larger (older?) willows as they move away from the water. Cottonwoods are often large and, rarely, a sycamore can be found. Some walnuts, hackberries, and box elders are found on the benches above the steep slopes. Water hemlock and elderberries are often found in the understory, as are both Reeds canary grass and brome grass in the open areas. In wet areas, stinging nettles are often in solid stands and giant ragweed fills in behind. Grapevines and occasional moonseed/green briar vines are found growing up snags and hanging over banks" (Source: Pease, 2014). "Boxelder is also common on the sloped riverbanks, along with mulberries. Some walnuts appear on the bench above the river in a few locations" (Source: Pease, 2014).
Sources:
A Country so Full of Game by James Dinsmore
Jim Pease - wildlife report for the West Nishnabotna River. 2014.
Mimi Wagner et al. - "paddling western iowa: West Nishnabotna Water Trail Plan." 2016
Common mammals living near the river include squirrels, rabbits, opossums, raccoons, mink, and beavers. Though you likely won't see them, coyotes and bobcats also live near the river. Botna Bend Park in Hancock has a live bison and elk viewing area. which shows some of the large mammals that once called the river valley home.
White-tailed deer are also common, and have some interesting local history. After European settlement, Iowa's deer population was nearly extirpated aside from a few kept in captivity by private owners. Most of the deer in the West Nish watershed likely descend from a herd of deer that escaped from William Cuppy's farm near Avoca in 1885. In 20 years, the escaped herd multiplied from about 35 to nearly 500. Despite efforts to contain the deer, they continued to proliferate. Today, many people across Iowa view deer as overpopulated pests (Dinsmore).
Reptiles and amphibians such as spiny softshell turtles, snapping turtles, and a variety of frogs, toads, and snakes also live along the water trail.
River users will likely see bank swallows, who nest in the eroded streambanks. Cliff swallows nest near some bridges. Other common birds include Baltimore orioles, belted kingfishers, blue jays, brown-headed cowbirds, cardinals, catbirds, cedar waxwings, crows, gold finches, great crested flycatchers, house wrens, indigo buntings, northern flickers, northern rough-winged swallows, orchard orioles, red-headed woodpeckers, red-winged black birds, rose-breasted grosbeaks, song sparrows, and yellowthroats.
Some of the larger birds include bald eagles, barred owls, Canada geese, great blue herons, great horned owls, red-tailed hawks, sharp-shinned hawks, turkey vultures, wild turkeys, and wood ducks. Other migratory birds can be seen during certain times of the year.
Of the 85 birds on Iowa’s Species of Greatest Conservation List, 12 were identified as breeding on or near the West Nishnabotna Water Trail by the Breeding Bird Atlas Project in 2008-2012: Black-billed Cuckoo, Bobolink, Chimney Swift, Dickcissel, Eastern Meadowlark, Field Sparrow, Grasshopper Sparrow, Northern Bobwhite, Red-headed Woodpecker, Sedge Wren, Wood Thrush, Yellow-Billed Cuckoo (Source: Wagner. 2016).
”General fish species maps generated by Iowa DNR in 2010 as a part of the Iowa Dams Plan included 15 species known to occur on the West Nishnabotna Water Trail corridor. More detailed inventory assessments of both benthic macroinvertebrates and fish on the West Nishnabotna Water Trail in Pottawattamie County identified “fair” conditions. Additionally, Iowa DNR mussel survey data from 2013 identified a range of between 5 and 14 living species on the study segment of the river" (Source: Wagner, 2016).
Some fish species present in the West Nish include: Bigmouth Buffalo, Black Crappie, Bluegill, Channel Catfish, Common Carp, Flathead Chub, Green Sunfish, Plains Minnow, Quillback Carpsucker, Red Shiner, River Carpsucker, Sand Shiner, Shoal Chub, Shorthead Redhorse, Stonecat. For more information about fishing, click here.
"Between 5 and 14 species of living mussels were identified at three separate locations on the river in 2013. Iowa’s Breeding Bird Atlas documented 84 bird species breeding or likely breeding near the river in Pottawattamie County. Of these, 16% (13) are included on Iowa’s Species of Greatest Conservation Need list” (Source: Wagner, 2016).
While annual rowcrops border the river in some places, most of the riparian buffer consists of perennial vegetation such as woodlands, grasslands, and wetlands. "Silver maple dominates in many areas near the water, especially where the banks are not steep. Willows dominate on the inside bends of the river, forming a “willow wedge” of increasingly larger (older?) willows as they move away from the water. Cottonwoods are often large and, rarely, a sycamore can be found. Some walnuts, hackberries, and box elders are found on the benches above the steep slopes. Water hemlock and elderberries are often found in the understory, as are both Reeds canary grass and brome grass in the open areas. In wet areas, stinging nettles are often in solid stands and giant ragweed fills in behind. Grapevines and occasional moonseed/green briar vines are found growing up snags and hanging over banks" (Source: Pease, 2014). "Boxelder is also common on the sloped riverbanks, along with mulberries. Some walnuts appear on the bench above the river in a few locations" (Source: Pease, 2014).
Sources:
A Country so Full of Game by James Dinsmore
Jim Pease - wildlife report for the West Nishnabotna River. 2014.
Mimi Wagner et al. - "paddling western iowa: West Nishnabotna Water Trail Plan." 2016
