Whiterock Resort
Resort Habitats
The resort covers 4300 private acres on both sides of the Middle Fork of the Raccoon River. Many beautiful and unique habitats can be found in the valley, including Oak Savanna, various kinds of Prairies, Wetlands, Timber, the River, Ponds and Crop and Hay Ground. These grounds are actively managed, with a view towards sound conservation. Learn more detail about Management of Prairies, Wetland and Timber.
The original habitat of the higher parts of the valley was probably oak savanna. In burr oak savanna, the trees are scattered with park-like spacing. Prairie plants, many shade tolerant, grow underneath. Burr oaks are resistant to fire damage since they have a thick dense bark. Other species were thinned by prairie fires.Burr oaks are still scattered along the ridge lines, although the original prairie plants underneath them have largely been replaced with brome grass and row crops, and many original trees have been cut. A three acre reconstructed Burr Oak Savanna can be seen in the valley. In recent years, prescribed fires of our timber areas has really improved the quality of the understory plants.
The native prairie plants of this area have been hurt badly by row crop agriculture, improved pastures planted to brome grass and alfalfa and herbicides. However, there are still many, many patches of native prairie in the valley. The lower points of many ridge lines which fall from the crests to the river still have traces of prairie species. Many parts of the river bottom land were too wet to cultivate and the native species are staging a comeback. There are also many areas of the timber, where cattle pressure has been light, filled with native woodland wildflowers each spring. Ask us for some hot spots. (Please do not gather wildflowers).
The valley is actively managed for wildlife and native habitat, with a host of tools including no grazing or controlled grazing by cattle and burning. We have also established several experimental reconstructed prairies, including a sandstone prairie, a wetland prairie and a seed stock prairie. See Management of Prairies for more information.
A few original wetlands lay along the river in the valley; a good example is on the bottom land north of the box culvert. The major tracts of original wetland were drained for cropland. The bottom land just east and south of the Home Farm, which has been cropped for the last 15 years, was entered into the government’s Wetland Reserve Program in the spring of 1998. ( The Garst Family gave the government a permanent easement to prohibit future drainage or row cropping of this land. ) We are looking forward to seeing a lot more wildlife, especially ducks and geese, as this native habitat is restored.To restore the wetlands, we are breaking the tile lines and terraces and placing very shallow dams in a few areas to block the shallow ditches which drain the land to the river. We are planting wetland species and also letting Mother Nature provide other species such as cattails and bulrushes. To reduce soil erosion on the river banks, we are planting riparian buffer of trees and shrubs. The wetland north of Highway 141 is fed by the City Sewer System, giving the waste water a final scrub before it enters the River.
Much of the Whiterock River Valley is covered with second growth timber. Early settlers logged the valley for building materials and fire wood, and to clear land for row crops. However, as the row crop culture left the valley, the timber again took over. There are still groves of hickory in the valley, burr oak trees, and cottonwood and walnut on the bottom lands. Other common native species are red, white and black oak, red elm, basswood, hackberry, serviceberry, wild gooseberry and wild black raspberry.On the more degraded and thin soils and where heavy grazing occurred, you can see thickets of honey locust trees which are regarded locally as a noxious weed. They are distinguished by their long thorns which cause endless flat tires for those who try to drive near them. Cedar trees have also established themselves in cleared areas but they cannot compete with the canopy of a mature forest. One of our management techniques is Timber Stand Improvement
The Middle Fork of the Raccoon River has its source in northwest Carroll County near Breda. It meanders southeast, past Maple River and Carroll, past thousands of acres of prime farm ground. From Coon Rapids, it flows southeast to Springbrook State Park, Lake Panorama, and Redfield where it joins the South Fork. It meets the North Fork of the Raccoon River at Van Meter, and flows from there on to Des Moines. Just to the west of the Middle Raccoon River is Brushy Creek and its watershed can be seen from the west ridge line of the valley. The Brushy has been channelized; therefore, the soil erosion problems are much more severe. The Brushy eventually flows into the South Raccoon River near Guthrie Center.
In the Coon Rapids area, during summer, the Raccoon River is typically three feet deep with one shallow portage very close to the River House. There are numerous sandbars along the river, which make nice spots to stop and fish, or enjoy the scenery on canoe trips. Several gorgeous sandstone bluffs, wildlife (especially birds), wetlands, pastures and timbers line the banks. In spring, the river floods. Flood water fills the River House barn basement to a table-top level about once every three or four years. In 1993 the flood reached to the floorboards of the second floor of the barn, in a so-called 500 year flood.
There are a few canoe put-in/take-out spots along the river. Riverside Park on the northeast edge of Coon Rapids has a nice place to put in canoes. There is also a brand new boat ramp in Roadside Park, on the west side of the river just north of Highway 141. The River House is about four miles downstream from Coon Rapids and there is a take-out spot just south of the bridge. An all day trip, only in relatively high water, would take you to Springbrook State Park.
Soil sedimentation and nitrates are the significant pollutants in the Middle Fork of the Raccoon River. Liz Garst has found that the mud left on the barn floor has been a good marker for progress in soil erosion control. When she moved to the River House in 1982, a spring flood left several inches of thick mud on the concrete floor of the barn. In recent years, spring floods have deposited only an inch or so of mud (1993 excepted!).However, soil erosion, and sedimentation remain serious problems in the watershed. Neighbor Jon Judson volunteers as the director of the Middle Raccoon Regional Watershed Foundation, which strives to reduce soil erosion in the watershed. (Liz Garst is a director of that organization).
Stephen Garst built more than 60 ponds in his life, and 10 excellent fishing ponds are located in the valley, open to the public. Many of the ponds in the valley are filled from springs. The sandstone ridge lines absorb the rain water, then leak it out along the lower slopes. The ponds attract a resident population of geese and ducks, and turtles are common. The second pond east of the River House has silted in and is now a wetland. Others, with more suitable drainage areas, have remained deep and clean for many, many years. The ponds are actively managed for fishing.
A few small parcels of ground in the valley are still planted to row crops of corn and soybeans. These small pieces, on the better flat ground, provide a small cash flow to finance fence repair and property taxes. (Unfortunately, the property tax exemption for forest land does not extend to prairies in Guthrie County.) The owners do not manage these crop strictly for income; some corn is usually left standing for wildlife, in numerous game food plots. To see highly productive agriculture, look elsewhere on the Garst Farms.Other parts of the valley are planted to improved brome grass pasture. Brome grass has good nutrient value, especially when fertilized with nitrogen or higher-value manure. The pastures near the Home Farm receive a fair amount of manure from the farm cattle lots. We do cut and bale some brome grass for hay, and sell it to the Garst Company and other area farmers. One place we bale is on the big ridge on the Long Farm.
[ Guest Comments ] [ Whiterock Conservancy ] [ Map Whiterock Conservancy ] [ History ] [ Geology ] [ Habitats ] [ Wildlife ] [ Neighbors ] [ Self-Guided Tour ] [ Bird Survey ]
[ Home ] [ Accommodations ] [ Activities ] [ What's New? ] [ Directions ] [ Prices ] [ About Us ] [ Contact Resort ] [ Search ] [ Special Groups ]
Contact Information
- Telephone: 712-684-2964
- FAX: 712-684-2299
- Whiterock Resort
- 1390 Highway 141, Coon Rapids, Iowa 50058
- whiterock@iowatelecom.net
