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IVRM reports extensive roadside spraying, revegetation projects and kestrel‑box nesting success
Summary
Ty of IVRM told the Story County Board of Supervisors on Aug. 26 that crews sprayed about 729 centerline miles this summer, began revegetation projects funded by the Iowa DOT, installed 33 kestrel boxes (27 were active nests this season), and plan to seed the rolling debris site by late fall.
Ty, representing IVRM, told the Story County Board of Supervisors on Aug. 26 that the agency completed wide roadside maintenance and habitat work over the summer, including roughly 729 centerline miles of spraying, revegetation projects funded by the Iowa Department of Transportation, and a kestrel‑box monitoring program with substantial nesting activity.
"We got close to 729 centerline miles sprayed this, this summer," Ty said, summarizing the season's spraying effort. He said the program focused first on heavily trafficked blacktops and then moved to secondary roads and bridle/lesser roads to "get our head above water." Ty added that guardrail sites (48 this spring and a couple dozen more added this year) are being managed to improve roadside safety.
Ty described a revegetation effort to convert areas turned from right‑of‑way into prairie, with seed funded by the Iowa DOT and county labor providing planting and preparation; the plan was to seed at least 10 acres this fall and an additional 10 acres if weather and time allow. He said contract spraying for the south half of the county would start in the coming days and that contracted crews will alternate north/south areas to improve efficiency.
On wildlife projects, Ty said IVRM installed 33 kestrel boxes last fall and monitored them through the season: 27 boxes were active nests, six had no nests, and one box had a robin nest on top. He said Audubon Society partners will receive a fall update on results.
Ty also described work at the county rolling debris site — grading, spraying and plans for a first seeding in late fall — and fielded questions from supervisors about seeding timing. He noted phragmites (reed canary grass/reed canary species) as a problem in some ditches and described local patches, including a large stand under I‑35 at Thirteenth Street, that impede drainage and create monocultures.
There were no formal board actions tied to the report; Ty said IVRM will provide an update on the rolling‑debris site and revegetation progress on a future quarterly report.
