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5 IA 3. Dewey's Pasture and Smith's Slough. Acreage: 692 (401 in Dewey's 



O 



Pasture). 



Location: Clay County; Fairmont 1:250,000; 4 miles NW of Ruthven; reached 

 viaRt. 341. 



Description: Smith's Slough and Dewey's Pasture are abutting properties di- 

 vided by Rt. 341. They represent a remnant of the prairie pothole habitat that 

 once occupied a large part of northern Iowa. The upland prairie has never been 

 plowed, but has been heavily grazed and is now bluegrass-dominated. There are 

 many native prairie plants, however. It may represent the best remaining piece 

 of kettlehole prairie in Iowa. It is also unique because it is the southernmost ex- 

 tension of the "Coteau de Prairie," which is the glacial moraine running 

 northward into Saskatchewan. From an ornithological viewpoint, it is an out- 

 standing area. All the usual prairie marsh bird species are present. It is probably 

 the finest Blue-winged Teal nesting area in North America. Extensive studies 

 have been conducted on the area from 1932 to the present. 



References: Bennett, L. J. 1935. A comparison of two Iowa duck nesting 

 seasons. Trans. 21st Am. Game Conf. 1935, p. 277-282; Bennett, L. J. 1937. 

 Grazing in relation to the nesting of the Bluewing Teal. Trans. 2nd N. Am. Wildl. 

 Conf. 1937, p. 393-396; Bennett, L. J. 1938. The 1934 spring migration of 

 some birds through Clay and Palo Alto counties, Iowa. Iowa Bird Life 8:2-6; 

 Bennett, L. J., and G. O. Hendrickson. 1939. Adaptability of birds to changed 

 environment. Auk 56:32-37; Bennett, L. J. 1938. The Blue-winged Teal (Its 

 ecology and management). Collegiate Press, Inc., Ames, la. 144 p; Bennett, L. 

 J. 1938. Redheads and Ruddy Ducks nesting in Iowa. Trans. N. Am. Wildl. Conf. 

 3:647-650; Errington, P. L. 1937. The breeding season of the muskrat in 

 Northwest Iowa. J. Mammal. 8:333-337; Errington, P. L. 1938. The decline of 

 a mink population. J. Mammal. 19:250-251; Errington, P. L. 1939. Reactions 

 of muskrat populations to drought. Ecology 20:168-186; Errington, P. L. 1943. 

 An analysis of mink predation upon muskrats in North-Central United States. 

 Iowa State Coll. Agr. Exp. Sta. Bull. No. 320; Errington, P. L., F. 

 Homerstrom, and I. N. Homerstrom, Jr. 1940. The Great Horned Owl and its 

 prey in North Central United States. Iowa State Coll. Agr. Exp. Sta. Res. Bull. 

 277:759-847; Glover, F. A. 1950. Spring waterfowl migration through Clay and 

 Palo Alto counties, Iowa. Iowa State Coll. J. Sci. 25(3):483-492; Glover, F. A. 

 1953. Nesting ecology of the pied-billed grebe (Podilymbus podiceps) in 

 Northwestern Iowa. Wilson Bull. 65:32-39; GloveR, F. A. 1956. Nesting and 

 production of the Blue-winged Teal in Northwest Iowa. J. Wildl. Mgmt. 

 20( 1 ):28-46; Hayden, A. 1943. A botanical survey in the Iowa Lake Region of 

 Clay and Palo Alto counties. Iowa State Coll. J. Sci. 17:277-416; Low, J. B. 

 1941. Nesting of the Ruddy Duck in Iowa. Auk 58:506-517; Low, J. B. 1945. 

 Ecology and management of the Redhead Nyroca americana in Iowa. Ecol. 

 Monogr. 15:35-69; Travis, B. W. 1939. Duck brood counts in Iowa. Iowa Bird 

 Life 9(4):46-50. 



Encroachments: The area is now owned by the State Conservation Commission 

 and the present policy is to leave it as a "natural area." There has been some 

 management. 



Ownership: State Conservation Commission, 300 4th St., Des Moines, la. 

 50308. 



