Brenton Slough to open for public use after family sells land
Right now, 32 members of the Brenton family share the over 1,000 acre property, so it made sense to get someone else involved in preserving it.
Right now, 32 members of the Brenton family share the over 1,000 acre property, so it made sense to get someone else involved in preserving it.
Right now, 32 members of the Brenton family share the over 1,000 acre property, so it made sense to get someone else involved in preserving it.
The Brenton Slough near Grimes is one of only fifteen designated sloughs — bodies of water smaller than lakes but larger than wetlands — in the state of Iowa.
Right now, 32 members of the Brenton family share the over 1,000-acre property, so it made sense to get someone else involved in preserving it.
That's when the Iowa Natural Heritage Foundation (INHF) decided to make a deal with the family.
"Ultimately, we reached an agreement, and we're going to sign a deal," said Joe Jayjack, the communications director of the INHF.
The total project costs $8 million. After receiving funding from Polk County Conservation and a generous $500,000 donation, the INHF must fundraise the remaining $4.5 million.
"We've set an interim goal to raise $3 million by Labor Day of this year, and then we'd really like to raise the remaining funds by the end of this year," Jayjack said.
The deal would open both the wetlands and woodlands to the public.
"It's hiking, birdwatching, just being with nature in this place that's really wild and has been really well stewarded for generations," he said.
Even if the INHF doesn't hit its fundraising goal in time, the deal will still proceed.
They've made arrangements with the county to hold the property.