Eagle Point Park Restoration Plan Copyright 2014
City of Dubuque Consent Items # 12.
ITEM TITLE: Eagle Point Park Restoration Plan
SUMMARY: City Manager recommending approval and adoption of the
Eagle Point Park Environmental Restoration Management
Plan.
SUGGESTED DISPOSITION: Suggested Disposition: Receive and File; Approve
ATTACHMENTS:
Description Type
Eagle Point Park Environmental Restoration City Manager Memo
Management Plan-MVM Memo
ERMP Approval Memo Staff Memo
Environmental Restoration Mgmt. Plan Supporting Documentation
THE CITY OF Dubuque
DUB E i"
Masterpiece on the Mississippi 2007.2012.2013
TO: The Honorable Mayor and City Council Members
FROM: Michael C. Van Milligen, City Manager
SUBJECT: Eagle Point Park Environmental Restoration Management Plan Approval
DATE: January 27, 2017
Leisure Services Manager Marie Ware recommends approval and adoption of the Eagle
Point Park Environmental Restoration Management Plan.
I concur with the recommendation and respectfully request Mayor and City Council
approval.
v
Mic ael C. Van Milligen
MCVM:jh
Attachment
cc: Crenna Brumwell, City Attorney
Cindy Steinhauser, Assistant City Manager
Teri Goodmann, Assistant City Manager
Marie L. Ware, Leisure Services Manager
THE CITY OF Dubuque
UBgkE 111-America III
I.
Masterpiece on the Mississippi 2007-2012-2013
TO: Michael C. Van Milligen, City Manager
FROM: Marie L. Ware, Leisure Services Manager
SUBJECT: Eagle Point Park Environmental Restoration Management Plan Approval
DATE: January 26, 2017
INTRODUCTION
The purpose of this memorandum is to recommend approval and adoption of the Eagle
Point Park Environmental Restoration Management Plan.
BACKGROUND
In May of 2016 City Council approved the selection of Applied Ecological Services
(AES) to create an Environmental Restoration Management Plan for Eagle Point Park.
In July of 2016 the contract with AES to create the plan was approved.
The City has an agreement with the Iowa Department of Natural Resources for a
Resource Enhancement and Protection (REAP) Grant #16-R4-CZ in the amount of
$200,000 for the project. The Management Plan development cost was $46,100 and is
covered 100% by the REAP grant. Remaining grant funds will be used for the
environmental restoration work based on the Management Plan once adopted.
DISCUSSION
Throughout the summer and fall of 2016, AES staff met with City staff to develop the
Eagle Point Park Environmental Restoration Management Plan. The City review
committee members included Park Division Manager Steve Fehsal, Planning Services
Manager Laura Carstens, Assistant Planner David Johnson, Assistant Planner Wally
Wernimont, Engineering Assistant Dean Mattoon and Natural Resources and
Sustainable Practices Specialist Jeff Ahlers.
The Environmental Restoration Management Plan (ERMP) takes an enhancement
approach, building on the existing native plant communities at the park. This
incremental approach will increase native plant and animal diversity, improve
ecosystem functions, invite safe and enjoyable visits, and reduce long-term
1
maintenance costs of the park. Major restoration and management activities will
include:
• Removal of invasive trees, shrubs, and herbaceous species
• Thinning of young, aggressive native trees from the understory
• Increasing the diversity of native trees, shrubs, and herbaceous plants
• Installing stormwater best practices to better manage runoff
• Stabilizing eroding ravines
A monitoring program is an additional part of the ERMP. Monitoring is recommended to
measure progress and practice adaptive management. Adaptive management is a
feedback loop where field observations are compared to the expected outcomes of
restoration, and the next year's restoration work is modified as needed to keep the
restoration work on track towards the project vision.
The ERMP is a phased plan over the course of 10 years. First year priority projects
include addressing some stormwater runoff and erosion issues, converting some turf
areas to natural prairie as well as beginning soil quality restoration and enhancement of
the existing woodlands/forest.
Once the plan is approved and adopted City staff will begin the RFP process. The RFP
will be to contract with qualified professionals to perform the work as outlined in the
ERMP. The approximate remaining funds of$150,000 of the REAP grant and an
existing CIP in the amount of$79,000 for stormwater erosion at Eagle Point Park will be
used to begin implementation of the ERMP.
There are also future opportunities to apply for additional grant funding to assist with the
continuation of the ERMP. A Land and Water Conservation Fund (LWCF) grant may be
applied as well as another REAP grant.
The City review committee approved the final draft and forwarded the plan along for
approval from the Park and Recreation Commission. The final draft of the plan was
reviewed and approved by the Park and Recreation Commission on January 101h, 2017.
RECOMMENDATION
I, along with the Park and Recreation Commission recommend approval and adoption
of the Eagle Point Park Environmental Restoration Management Plan.
attachment
prepared by Steve Fehsal, Park Division Manager
Cc: Laura Carstens, Planning Services Manager
Dave Johnson, Assistant Planner
Jeff Ahlers, Natural Resources and Sustainable Practices Specialist
2
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TABLE OF CONTENTS
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . IV
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1
1 INTRODUCTION . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3
1.1 Reasons for Environmental Restoration Plan 3
1.2 What is Ecological Restoration? 3
1.3 Benefits of Ecological Restoration 3
1.4 Restoration Management Approach 3
2 SITE ASSESSMENT METHODS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4
2.1 Existing Data Review 4
2.2 Field and Desktop Assessment Methods 5
2.3 Ecosystem Model for Restoration and Management 5
2.4 Cultural Features and Avoidance Rating 5
3 ECOLOGICAL CONDITIONS & ASSESSMENT . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6
3.1 Location,Size and Context 6
3.2 Geology,Soils and Historical Vegetation 6
3.3 Site History,Cultural Resources,and Contemporary Uses 7
3.4 Water and Hydrology 9
3.5 Land Cover and Vegetation 9
3.6 Wildlife 15
3.7 Rare Natural Features&Ecological Sites 17
4 SUMMARY OF FINDINGS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17
4.1 Cultural Resources 17
4.2 Water and Hydrology 17
4.3 Vegetation 17
4.4 Wildlife 18
5 ECOSYSTEM MODEL FOR RESTORATION & MANAGEMENT . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18
5.1 Ecosystem Model 18
5.2 Conditions of the Distant Past(before 1800) 18
5.3 Recent Historical and Present Conditions(1800-2016) 19
5.4 Anticipated Future Conditions(2050 Without and With Intervention) 20
6 VISION, PRINCIPLES & GOALS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 21
6.1 Background 21
6.2 Vision Statement 21
6.3 Planning Principles 21
6.4 Project Goals 22
January 20, 2017
TABLE OF CONTENTS (CONT.)
7 ECOLOGICAL RESTORATION & MANAGEMENT. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 23
7.1 Restoration and Management Stages and Approach 23
7.2 Invasive Vegetation 23
7.3 Proposed Native Plant Communities 23
8 CULTURAL RESOURCE PROTECTION . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 26
9 STORMWATER BEST PRACTICES . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 26
9.1 Best Practices for Eagle Point Park 26
9.2 Prioritization of Stormwater Best Practices 27
10 MONITORING, ADAPTIVE MANAGEMENT & TRAINING. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 28
10.1 Ecological Monitoring and Adaptive Management 28
10.2 Specialized Training 28
11 RESTORATION & MANAGEMENT TASKS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 29
11.1 Prescribed Burning(Park-Wide) 29
11.2 Enhanced Mesic Forest,Dry-Mesic Forest/Woodland 29
11.3 Woodland with Natives, Prairie 31
11.4 Bluff Prairie/Savanna 32
12 RESTORATION & MANAGEMENT PHASING & COSTS. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 33
12.1 Management Units 33
12.2 Restoration and Short-Term Management Phasing(Years 1-3) 33
12.3 Restoration and Management Phasing&Costing(Years 1-10) 33
13 PUBLIC OUTREACH & INTERPRETATION . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 37
14 PARTNERING & FUNDING OPPORTUNITIES . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 38
14.1 Partnering 38
14.2 Funding 38
15 CONCLUSION . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 39
16 REFERENCES & RESOURCES CONSULTED. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 40
II Eagle Point Park I ERMP I Dubuque, IA
TABLE OF CONTENTS (CONT.)
TABLES
Table 1: Existing Land Cover Types 9
Table 2: Incidental Wildlife Observations at Eagle Point Park 15
Table 3:Summary of Habitat Preferences of SGCN Statewide by Habitat Class(Iowa DNR 215) 16
Table 4:Changes from Existing to Proposed Plant Communities 24
Table 5:Cultural Resources Avoidance Ratings for Eagle Point Park 26
Table 6: Prioritization of Stormwater Best Practices at Eagle Point Park 28
Table 7:Generalized Schedule for Restoration&Short-Term Management of a Given Project Area 34
Table 8: Restoration and Management Phasing&Opinion of Probable Cost(OPC) 35
EXHIBITS
Exhibit 1:Regional Context
Exhibit 2:Topography&Soils
Exhibit 3:1930s Aerial Photograph
Exhibit 4:2015 Aerial Photograph
Exhibit 5:Stormwater Issues
Exhibit 6:Existing Land Cover
Exhibit 7:Core Habitats
Exhibit 8:Pre-1900 Vegetation
Exhibit 9:Proposed Land Cover
Exhibit 10:Cultural Resources Avoidance
Exhibit 11: Recommended Stormwater Best Practices
Exhibit 12: Prioritization of Stormwater Best Practices
Exhibit 13: Ecological Management Units
APPENDICES
Appendix A:Glossary and Acronyms
Appendix B: Eagle Point Park-Flora by Land Cover Type and Stratum(Including Cover Class)
Appendix C: Iowa DNR"Environmental Review for Natural Resources"Response
Appendix D:Minnesota Department of Natural Resources Identification and Description of Practices to Avoid
the Introduction or Movement of Invasive Species
Appendix E: Native Species Lists and Seed Mixes for Ecological Restoration&Enhancement of Eagle Point Park
Appendix F: Eagle Point Park-Ecological Monitoring Program
January 20, 2017 III
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
Applied Ecological Services gratefully acknowledges City of Dubuque staff, which directed and
contributed to this Environmental Restoration Management Plan. City of Dubuque contributors
include:
Steve Fehsal Park Division Manager
Jeff Ahlers Natural Resources and Sustainable Practices Specialist
Denise Ihrig Water Plant Manager
Wally Wernimont Assistant Planner
David Johnson Assistant Planner
Dean Mattoon Engineering Technician
Eric Schmechel Urban Conservationist
Laura Carstens Planning Services Manager
Jean Nachtman Finance Director
PLAN PREPARED FOR:
City of Dubuque
50 W. 13th Street
Dubuque, Iowa 52001
563.589.4100
PREPARED BY:
Applied Ecological Ayres Associates Inc
Services, Inc.
21938 Mushtown Road 101 E Badger Road
Prior Lake MN 55372 Madison,WI 53713
952.447.1919 608.255.0800
AES Project#16-0320 Ayres Project#27-1058.10
Kim Alan Chapman, PhD Jacob Blue, PLA
Doug Mensing, MS Caitlin Blue, MLA
Genesis Mickel, MS
Susan Lehnhardt, BS, BA
Cecily Cunz,AICP
Citation Applied Ecological Servicesand Ayres Associates.2017.Eagle Point Park Environmental
Restoration Management Plan. Report for the City of Dubuque, IA.
IV Eagle Point Park I ERMP I Dubuque, IA
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
Eagle Point Park is a unique and important amenity A vision statement and planning principles for Eagle
for the City of Dubuque. While the Park is most known Point Park were developed with the City to meet the
for its cultural history, spectacular views, and modern aspirations and goals of the community.Thisestablished
uses(playgrounds,picnicking,photography,etc.),it also the foundation on which recommendations were made
represents a significant area of natural habitats within to restore and manage native plant communities
the City. and improve human access, use, and enjoyment of
The City of Dubuque recognizes the unique nature and the Park. To achieve the City's goals for the Park, it
value of Eagle Point Park, the expanded educational was decided that ecological restoration should take
and recreational opportunities it could provide,and the an enhancement approach, building on the existing
multiple benefits of ecological stewardship, especially native plant communities at the site. This incremental
making the site more resilient over the long term, approach will increase native plant and animal diversity,
which is an important sustainability goal. This plan improve ecosystem functions, invite safe and enjoyable
supports the restoration of native plant communities visits, and reduce long-term maintenance costs of the
at Eagle Point Park; work that will improve the health Park. Major restoration and management activities will
of the site's ecosystems and enhance its ecological include:
functions, such as water purification, groundwater • Removal of invasive trees, shrubs, and herbaceous
recharge, and pollinator support. Restoring a greater species;
variety of native plant species in the Park's forests, • Thinning of young,aggressive native trees from the
savannas,and grasslands will positively affect migrating understory;
and breeding birds; insects such as butterflies,bees and • Increase the diversity of native trees, shrubs, and
other pollinators; small mammals; and other wildlife. herbaceous plants;
In order to complete this Environmental Restoration • Install stormwater best practices to better manage
and Management Plan, the consulting team: runoff, and
• Gathered and reviewed existing site data from • Stabilize eroding ravines.
numerous reports, maps and data sets;
• Conducted field assessments focusing on the site's Ea ecological monitoring program was developed for
Eagle Point Park.Monitoring is recommended to measure
vegetation and erosion features; and progress and practice adaptive management—a
• Solicited information and ideas from the City of feedback loop where field observations are compared
Dubuque regarding their goals for the project. to the expected outcomes of restoration, and the next
The upper/central portion of Eagle Point Park is year's restoration work is modified as needed to keep
dominated by manicured parkland (mostly turf the restoration work on track towards the projectvision.
beneath mature oak trees). The park's perimeter During perpetual management after establishment,
can be characterized generally as sloping downward activities generally follow a routine schedule. This
(moderately steep to vertical) and covered with plan also presents project priorities, implementation
forest vegetation. Invasive plants (trees, shrubs, and phasing, and opinion of probable cost.
herbaceous plants) were scattered throughout much of By implementing the Eagle Point Park Environmental
the park. Restoration and Management Plan, the City and
A wildlife survey was not conducted as part of this surrounding communities will over time see an already-
project, but incidental observations indicated the cherished public property become a healthier and more
presence of wildlife species that would be expected in engaging place for people and nature.
a small urban natural area. However, the abundance
and diversity of wildlife in the Park has the potential
to increase as ecological restoration and management
moves forward.
January 20, 2017 1
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2 Eagle Point Park I ERMP I Dubuque, IA
ENVIRONMENTAL RESTORATION PLAN
1 INTRODUCTION 1.3 Benefits of Ecological Restoration
1.1 Reasons for an Environmental The City of Dubuque recognizes the importance and
Restoration Plan value of Eagle Point Park —for both its active park use
This Eagle Point Park Environmental Restoration as well as its natural resource values on the bluffs of the
Management Plan (ERMP) was developed to guide the Mississippi River. The Park offers a refuge for wildlife,
City's efforts to restore the Park's ecological integrity, as well as City residents and visitors, and it provides
improve native plant diversity, enhance wildlifeeducational and recreational opportunities that benefit
the entire community. Restoration of native plant
habitat, address erosion features, improve stormwater communities improves the health of ecosystems and
management, maintain the park's natural and passive enhances ecological functions. This in turn supports
settings, and control long-term maintenance costs. the delivery of ecosystem services, mentioned above.
Specific issues considered, researched, and discussed
with the City during the development of this ERMP Restoration of a diversity of native plant species in
the Park's forests, woodlands, and prairies will also
include: problematic invasive plant species, desirable enhance populations of breeding birds, insects and
native plant species and wildlife habitats, erosion other invertebrates, amphibians, mammals and other
features and causes, stormwater management wildlife.
opportunities, short- and long-term restoration and
maintenance costs, and human access, use, and public 1.4 Restoration and Management Approach
safety within the park. The focus of ecological restoration is to create healthy
This ERMP describes the existing ecological condition and sustainable ecosystems, often in the context of a
of the Park and recommends site-specific natural developed or disturbed landscape. The composition,
resource management goals and actions to be carried structure, and function of restored ecosystems are
out over the next decade. The management goals and similar to that of native ecosystems. As a result, a
actions are aimed at enhancing the site's biodiversity, moderate level of managementis necessaryto maintain
improving human access for enjoying the site, and these ecosystems in perpetuity. Restored ecosystems
placing the Park on a trajectory that will help sustain arerecognizable bya diversityof native plantand animal
its ecological and community values into the future. A species and an increase in functionality and resilience.
glossary of technical terms and acronyms is provided in Eagle Point Park's regional context, its position on the
Appendix A. bluffs of the Mississippi River, the pre-1800 vegetation,
1.2 What is Ecological Restoration? and current conditions and functions were all considered
Simply defined, ecological restoration is the art and during the development of this ERMP. This plan is
designed to restore and enhance plant communities
science of improving the natural environment by native to the region and project area. However
,changes
stabilizing and enhancing its diversity, resiliency, and in the larger landscape and in local conditions often
natural functions. Using a scientific understanding of
the make-up and form of ecologically healthy plant Prevent the full re-creation of natural conditions from
150 years ago. Those historical conditions provide
communities and ecosystems, restoration ecologists insight into what natural conditions are possible at the
describe current conditions and lay out a program of site, and no more. More importantly, the goals for the
activity to alter conditions for the better. This is to the project area will dictate the level of effort expended
benefit of plant and animal species that need high and the eventual condition of the ecosystems. Not all
quality or large habitats. Moreover, people benefit of the Park will be restored to exceptional native plant
from the improved functioning of ecosystems, spinning communities, but all will be restored and managed
off "ecosystem services' in the form of air and water to meet City goals. As more healthy and sustainable
regulation and purification, stormwater management,
groundwater recharge,erosion control,pollination,pest ecosystems are restored here, ecological functioning,
control, soil building, wildlife and tree regenerationwildlife populations, and human enjoyment will be
, enhanced.
climate moderation, scenery, and chances to learn
about and experience a healthy natural world.
January 20, 2017 3
Restoration and management plans need to be 2 SITE ASSESSMENT METHODS
flexible. Restoration programs experience variability 2.1 Existing Data Review
in implementation due to the timing of funding,
adjustments due to the response of the ecosystems to Toassessthe Park's regional contextaswell as itsexisting
restoration work, and changing management needs. At ecological conditions, opportunities, and constraints,
times programs need to respond to new scientific data AES reviewed previous studies and other existing data
and insights. For these reasons, this ERMP should be including, but not limited to:
viewed as a starting point in a process of restoring the Natural Resource Data From City
biodiversity and natural processes of the Park. It should • 2015 Resource Enhancement and Protection (REAP)
guide major restoration and management efforts and grant
projects. As more detailed data are gathered, it is Restoration
application ct (Cit ofDu Point Dubark uque
2 Environmental
expected that restoration and management activities Restoration Project (City of Dubuque 2015)
will be refined. The most successful restoration • Urban Forest Evaluation (Dubuque Leisure Services
programs use regular monitoring and reporting as Department et al 2011)
feedback on the program's effectiveness. Monitoring • Sustainability Progress Report 2012 (University of
also generates information to justify changes in the Iowa et al. 2012)
restoration and management program. Adaptive
management (a cycle of implementation, monitoring, Cultural Resource Data From City
evaluation, adjustment, and implementation) is central • Phase I Intensive Archaeological Survey of Eagle
to the best restoration programs and should begin with Point Park (Wapsi Valley Archaeology 2016)
the restoration work and continue indefinitely as part Vegetation,Soils,Geology—Other Data
of the stewardship of the project area. Mutual benefit
can be gained by engaging "citizen scientists' and also • *Natural and Cultural History of the Mines of Spain
universities and schools to assist with observations, (Iowa Natural History Association and Geological
data collection,and analysis,whereby the site becomes Society of Iowa 1991)
a "living lab" for research and study as well as public • Mines of Spain Vegetation Study (Blewett et al.
education and engagement. 1983)
• Catfish Creek State Preserve (Iowa DNR no date)
• Iowa Department of Natural Resources (Iowa DNR)
"Landform Regions of Iowa" (Iowa DNR 2016a)
• Ecoregions of Iowa and Missouri (Chapman et al.
2002)
• Custom Soil Resource Report(USDA/NRCS 2016)
• General Land Office(G LO)original land survey notes
(State Historical Society of Iowa 2016)
Rare Species—Other Data
• Iowa DNR Natural Heritage Information System
(NNIS) rare features data and bat guidelines (Iowa
DNR 2016b)
• Known Northern Long-eared Bat Hibernacula and
Roost Trees in Iowa (USFWS 2016a)
• Securing a Future for Fish and Wildlife: A
Conservation Legacy for Iowans (Iowa DNR 2015)
• Final 41 Rule for the Northern Long-Eared Bat
(USFWS 2016b)
• Northern Long-Eared Bat Final 41 Rule, White-
Nose Syndrome Zone Around WNS/Pd Positive
Counties/Districts(USFWS&PA Game Comm. 2016)
4 Eagle Point Park I ERMP I Dubuque, IA
A ES also compiled and reviewed existing City geogra ph ic 2.3 Ecosystem Model for Restoration and
information system (GIS) and other digital mapping Management
data including: Based on a review of existing data, augmented with
• Eagle Point Park boundary, infrastructure, utilities, field assessment findings, AES developed an ecosystem
amenities model for Eagle Point Park.The purpose of an ecosystem
• Dubuque County parcel data and City limits model is to guide restoration and management plans
• Elevation data from LiDAR such that the resulting environmental conditions are
• USDA/NRCS SSURGO digital soils data appropriate for the Park and resilient over the long
term despite environmental change.
• National Land Cover Dataset (NLCD)
The model has three components: vegetation, animals,
• Aerial photography (historical and current) and disturbance and future change. Vegetation is
• Cultural resource mappingfor the park(confidential central to the model and the component restoration
data) and management affects directly. Animals will respond
• Original Vegetation of Iowa (General Land Office to the vegetation and to activities targeting individual
mapping) species,such as special habitat structures. Less direct in
• Geologic mapping the ecosystem model are disturbance and the response
of the Park's ecosystem to future environmental
• Hydrography data change. The City will intentionally use disturbances to
2.2 Field and Desktop Assessment Methods alter vegetation and animal populations over time,with
On July 19, 2016, AES ecologists, accompanied by City the goal of increasing the diversity, functionality and
of Dubuque Parks Department staff, conducted a field resilience of the Park's ecosystems.
review of the park. All major use areas were visited, AES validated the Park's ecosystem model by comparing
and additional areas of interest were assessed and itto AES's past work in the region(including in the Catfish
documented.On August 5,2016,AES ecologists returned Creek Watershed and at an Iowa Natural Heritage
to the Park with City staff to collect more detailed data Foundation easement) and visiting and assessing
regarding existing vegetation communities, erosion nearby natural areas, including the Mines of Spain.
features, and stormwater management opportunities. 2.4 Cultural Features and Avoidance Rating
Field maps, data forms, and digital photography were
Afield assessment of cultural resources was completed
used to document existing conditions and incidental
wildlife observations. Attention was focused on by Wapsi Valley Archaeology and incorporated into
the species composition and habitat structure of the GIS project in order to understand the spatial
existing plant communities, indications of past and relationship between cultural resources and the
current disturbances, evidence of soil erosion and potential restoration and stormwater best practice
sedimentation, indications of wildlife use, and the projects. AES and Ayres Associates developed an
needs and opportunities for ecological restoration, avoidance rating system for cultural resources in the
enhancement,and management. Park. This rating system provides important guidance
to help ensure the appropriate application of ecological
Vegetation data were collected in plots that were restoration and improvements throughout the Park
placed to represent the plant communities of the Park; while protecting the most sensitive cultural resources.
the abundance of plant species in plots was noted. The
general distribution of weedy and invasive plant species
was recorded in relation to plant communities. Runoff
flow paths and areas of soil erosion were mapped in the
field based on visual indicators (slope, sediment, bare
soil). Local watersheds were mapped in the Geographic
Information System (GIS) project file using elevation
data.
January 20, 2017 5
3 ECOLOGICAL CONDITIONS & sites provide abundant cool,moist and wooded habitats
ASSESSMENT rich in diverse communities of plants and animals.Seeps
and springs are common features along valley sides
3.1 Location, Size and Context where strata of varying permeability are exposed and
Eagle Point Park is located in Section 7 and the southwest signify subterranean drainage systems. Ice caves and
corner of Section 6,Township 89N, Range 3E, Dubuque cold-air (algific) slopes are unique to this area. Unusual
County, Iowa (Exhibit 1).The 108-acre park is located in microclimates associated with these features support a
a mixed residential and commercial portion of the City particularly rare and sensitive biological habitat in Iowa.
of Dubuque. An active railroad track, the Mississippi The steep rocky slopes are unsuited for agriculture and
River, and Lock & Dam #11 are located to the east of remain heavily forested. Remnant prairies occur on
the site, residential development to the west, and south and west facing slopes. Ecologists believe these
commercial and residential development to the south. prairies were more extensive before the suppression of
Public Conservation and Recreation Lands extend along naturally occurring fires following European settlement.
the Mississippi River upstream and downstream from According to a custom Web Soil Survey report prepared
the Park. The Mississippi River flyway also follows the for the site (USDA/NRCS 2016), the central, summit
river and is an important annual migration corridor of the park is dominated by Fayette silt loam (ranging
for dozens of bird species and tens of thousands of within 5 to 25 percent slopes). This loess-derived soil
individual birds. The Mines of Spain State Recreation is classified as well drained and rated to have a runoff
Area is located approximately four miles down river class of"medium" on slopes<18 percent and "high"on
from the Park, and the Effigy Mounds — Yellow River steeper slopes (suggesting moderate runoff infiltration
Forest Bird Conservation Area is located about 10 miles potential). On moderate slopes, when vegetation is
upriver(Iowa DNR 2015). removed or this soil is disturbed by excessive runoff,
While Dubuque is located in a landscape having the soil's fine particles are susceptible to erosion. The
extensive natural areas, Eagle Point Park stands out remainder of the park, including its steeper slopes
because it represents a large and important natural around the perimeter, is mapped as Nordness-Rock
area within the City limits,providing wildlife habitatand outcrop complex (18-60 percent slopes). This soil
opportunities for recreation and outdoor education. unit is typified by either silt loam over silty clay loam
Exhibit 1 illustrates the site's regional ecological context, and bedrock, or by exposed bedrock outcrops. The
surrounding land uses, and City- and County-owned runoff class of this soil unit is "very high" due to the
public lands. imperviousness of the underlying bedrock.
3.2 Geology, Soils and Historical Vegetation The site is located in an historically fire-influenced
The Park's topographic setting is unique — a high bluff region. Fires were often ignited intentionally by Native
Americans for many purposes and consequently are
overlooking the Mississippi River to the north and documented to have occurred annually to every few
east, with an historical river channel valley to the west years in the region's larger open landscapes (Stewart
and south (Exhibit 2). Illinois and Wisconsin are both 2002 and Pyne 1982).The extensive fires often reached
visible from the park. According to ecmapping and ignited most of the dry south- and west-facing
conducted for Iowa and Missouri (Chappmanman n et al 2002), slopes, such as those found in the Park. Plant species
Section of the Driftless Area. The Driftless Area was
the Park is located within the Paleozoic Plateau/Coulee
requiring moderate to full sunlight (e.g., prairies and
savannas) inhabited the ecosystems that burned
untouched by glaciers during the last Ice Age, hence these frequently. Areas in the Park that were moister, such
approximately
10,ndforms originate fs ago) andore arthundme ending as ravines and north- and east-facing slopes, were
approximately ars of years ago) and are hundreds of less prone to burning. Steep topography and water
thousands ) years old and quite weathered. The Iowa bodies also protected areas from fire. These moist and
DNR(2016a) describes this region as follows. protected areas were characterized by woodlands and
The Paleozoic Plateau (Prairie to Hardwood Transition) forests of nearly continuous tree canopies. Section 5.2
is the most distinctive of Iowa's landforms because of its of this report provides further discussion of the site's
abundant rock outcroppings, karst topography, a near historical vegetation.
absence of glacial deposits, many deep narrow valleys,
cool-water streams, and heavily wooded uplands.
Numerous gorges and ravines cause abrupt local
changes in the direction of slopes and exposures.These
6 Eagle Point Park I ERMP I Dubuque, IA
3.3 Site History, Cultural Resources, and oak, another name for chinquapin oak (Quercus
Contemporary Uses muehlenbergh),with stems up to 16 inches in diameter.
This is an oak of dry rocky settings and is not commonly
Summary of General Land Office Survey Records found today in the Park. The surveyor noted a wagon
The early nineteenth century environmental conditions road and the dwellings and fields of Mr. Ham and Mr.
along the Mississippi River blufFlands can be inferred McCraney,encountered on or near this section line.The
from maps produced by the federal government as smelting furnace of Mr. McKnight was located not far to
township and section boundaries were laid out to the northwest of the Park,suggesting some local cutting
document suitable farmlands and timber resources. of timber resources to supply this operation. The area
Field journals and maps are housed in the State was served by a Territorial Road west of the Park.
Archives of the Iowa Department of Cultural Affairs.
The following summarizes the journal entries extracted Site History and Cultural Resources
from this information for the Eagle Point Park vicinity Eagle Point Park is scheduled to be submitted for listing
(State Historical Society of Iowa 2016). by the National Registry of Historic Sites by February
In the mid to late 1830s,at the time of the local General 2017. The following summary was derived from a
Land Office survey,the landscape of Dubuque Township detailed Phase I Intensive Archaeological Survey of
was described by the surveyor of record: Eagle Point Park conducted on behalf of the City in
2016 (Wapsi Valley Archaeology 2016) and the City of
The southeasterly part of this Township is a rich mining Dubuque website (City of Dubuque 2016).
district, & no doubt other portions of the same may
prove equally as rich when as thoroughly examined. Eagle Point Park's summit setting is the type of
The Township is generally uneven & some parts hilly landscape used by prehistoric Native Americans for
& broken, the soil 1st & 2nd rate prairie except the burial mounds. Evidence of burial mounds has been
northern & westerly parts where are scattering White, found in the surrounding region, but archaeological
Black, & Bur oaks. It is doubtful whether the diggins [a investigation of Eagle Point Park has yielded no extant
term used at that time for small mining operations] are evidence of any burial mounds within the Park itself.
all noted, as part of the same may have escaped my Mathias Ham settled in what was to become Eagle Point
observation. in 1833 and purchased over 25,000 acres immediately
A closer look at the journal entries along the section west of the Mississippi River. By 1837, much of that
lines near Eagle Point Park and the landscape beyond acreage had been platted as the Town of Eagle Point,
underscore the prevailing open prairie and variable which was incorporated into Dubuque in 1840. Ham's
savanna conditions at the time, with reference to original cottage was later expanded in 1857 into a large
"groves'(islandsofoaktreesinasea ofprairie),"uneven Italian Villa-style residence, which still exists just south
prairie with some scattering oaks"'
aks", "thinly timbered of the park and has been added to the National Register
land", and occasionally land more "thickly timbered of Historic Places. The estate surrounding the Ham
with white, black, buck, & bur oak, with undergrowth House is thought to have had a number of outbuildings
of oak (low grub-form oak produced by fire) & grass". which are no longer present on the site. It is thought
These latter areas were generally west of the Park. that Mathias Ham was at least partially responsible for
Hazel is also noted as a shrub component of timbered lead mining on the site of Eagle Point Park. To date no
areas. White oak is the predominant oak species noted known evidence suggests that lead was ever found on
in most journal entries, with mention of stumps and the site, though physical evidence of lead mining is still
suckered individuals indicating past land clearing. The present in some areas of the park.
already settled condition of the land was also evident Eagle Point Park was established in 1908. Streetcars
by occasional fields, fence lines, and wagon roads began serving the park in 1912. Mostof the existing park
encountered on section lines.Adjacent Mississippi River facilities were built in the 1930s under the direction of
bottomlands and bayous are characterized variably as then Park Superintendent Alfred Caldwell with the help
open to timbered, with reference to "wet prairie" and of a Works Progress Administration grant. Caldwell was
"low timbered islands subject to inundation", featuring a well-known and respected landscape architect heavily
elm(some reaching 24 inches in diameter),cottonwood, influenced by the prairie-style architecture of Frank
black walnut, bur oak, white ash, basswood, butternut, Lloyd Wright, and the buildings at Eagle Point Park are
maple, hackberry, and willow, with timbered islands in reflective of that style. The structures were primarily
some cases being "mostly cut off". Near the southern built from locally quarried dolomite and limestone
end of the Park, along the rugged east-west boundary sourced from the steep bluffs throughout the adjacent
line between sections 7 and 18, the surveyor recorded Mississippi River Valley.
large white oak and a significant number of "yellow"
January 20, 2017 7
The 1930s aerial photograph of the park (Exhibit 3) Contemporary Uses
shows major park facilities (e.g, roadways, buildings, Eagle Point Park currently is a popular urban park
Trolley Line Trail) and a quarry southeast of the Park. enjoyed by City residents and visitors of Dubuque. Park
This aerial photograph also shows that only limited features, including several historic buildings, picnic
portions of the park contained a closed tree canopy at pavilions, recreational facilities, and rock garden (see
that time, supporting the theory that the Park used to inset map). Popular uses include picnicking, use of
be more sparsely wooded. the park's playgrounds, photography, and gathering
on the bluff to observe Fourth of July fireworks over
the Mississippi River. Exhibit 4 shows a 2015 aerial
iphotograph of the Park, which is considerably more
wooded than in the 1931 photograph. The Park is
owned and managed by the City of Dubuque, with the
City's Parks Department responsible for its operation
and maintenance. The City has a Parks Department
San lity just south of the site. A "Friends of Eagle Point
Park" group does not currently exist. Such a group could
be established to improve volunteer opportunities and
to assist the City with park maintenance, restoration,
_ monitoring, and community outreach.
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8 Eagle Point Park ERMP I Dubuque,IS
3.4 Water and Hydrology 3.5 Land Cover and Vegetation
The only true water feature in the park is a small Exhibit 6 shows the site's existing land cover and
constructed fish pond in the rock garden in the northern vegetation. The Park's summit is fully developed with
portion of the park. The pond is drained each winter. roadways, parking lots, buildings, recreational facilities,
There is a small depression in the Park's east-central and maintained turf and landscaping. Additional
forest; however, it is believed to contain water only impervious surfaces are found on the paved access
intermittently. The primary water resource issue in the roads leading to the summit from the west and north,
Park is runoff management due to its large effect on and the paved Trolley Line Trail near the western park
slopes and ravines. edge. A few natural surface footpaths exist, but most of
Situated atop a bluff (Exhibit 2), runoff from the Park perimeter and slopes are inaccessible or not
precipitation and snowmelt flows away in all directions often used by people.
from the Park's central summit. Areas of concentrated Existing data and AES's 2016 field assessmentwere used
flow have deepened ravines, which were historically to map land cover types (Exhibit 6) and facilitate plans
more gentle drainageways; some have become for restoration and management. Table 1 summarizes
unstable and are actively eroding. Exhibit 5 illustrates the Park's land cover types, and a description of each
the Park's stormwater management issues, including type follows. Appendix B presents a matrix of plant
impervious surfaces, existing stormwater management species observed in natural and semi-natural land cover
infrastructure (e.g., inlets and culverts), drainageway types.
flow paths,and local watershed boundaries.
PI Table 1-Existing Land Cover Types
Land Cover Type Acres Percent of
Site
Mesic Forest 11.93 11%
Dry-Mesic Forest 30.78 29%
Dry-Mesic Forest(Young) 12.56 12%
Bluff Woodland 3.75 3%
Woodland with Turf 28.97 27%
Wide roadway and parking areas impervious Tu rf 4.52 4%
shunted . .
Landscaped 1.37 1%
rainageways, causing erosion
Play Area 0.39 0%
Water 0.04 0%
Impervious Cover 12.65 12%
Building 0.82 1%
Total 107.78 100%
Ak
fNIRu�
Erodine ravine in central portion
January20, 2017 9
Mesic Forest
Eagle Point Park's Mesic Forest consists of a mature
closed-canopy forest that occupies Nordness-Rock
outcrop complex soils on steep northeast and east-
facing bluffs above the Mississippi River. A small patch
of Mesic Forest exists in a valley located in the east-
central portion of the Park (see photo). This area may
represent a temporarily flooded,forested wetland, and
if so, it may provide vernal pool habitat, important to
some amphibians.
The Mesic Forest canopy has been more or less
continuous over the past 75 years or more, based on
1930s aerial imagery (Exhibit 3). Bluff-top slopes have "
been cleared in some locations to open views of the "Tooded iL&9gL1&j1L
Mississippi River and of the Wisconsin bluffs to the east,
including at the popular overlooks.An extensive portion
of the bluff face is sheer exposed rock and unable to Dry-Mesic Forest and Dry-Mesic Forest(Young)
support dense vegetation. Most of the Park's southeast-, south-, and west-facing
Today the Park's Mesic Forest canopy is dominated slopes were dominated by Dry-Mesic Forest. These
by white oak (Quercus alba) and basswood (Tilia forests developed on dry Nordness-Rock outcrop soils
americana), with red oak (Quercus rubra), black maple and adjacent well-drained Fayette silt loams. Shortly
(Acernigrum), hackberry (Celtis occidentalis), shagbark after European settlement, in the absence of fire due
hickory(Carya ovata),and black oak(Quercus velutina). to its suppression, these slopes filled in with woody
These latter trees were likely present in lower numbers growth. Aerial imagery from the 1930s(Exhibit 3)shows
at the time of the GLO survey. southeast-facing slopes as largely open and dominated
by herbaceous cover, presumably due to past
Today, the understory is denser than 75 years ago disturbances including burning, logging, grazing, and
and before, with saplings, shrubs, and vines, including clearing for crops or pasture. Early park maintenance
several non-native invasive species. The invasive plants activities may also have maintained open conditions.
are white mulberry (Morus alba), Asian honeysuckles Similar open areas and broken tree canopies used to
(Lonicera morrowii,L.xbella,and L. tatarica),multiflora exist on some of the Park's west-facing slopes as well.
rose (Rosa multiflora), common buckthorn (Rhamnus These areas that were more open in the 1930s have
cathartica),Oriental bittersweet(Celastrus orbiculatus), been classified as Dry-Mesic Forest (Young) due to the
and Japanese barberry(Berberis thunbergh).The native forest succession occurring in them over more recent
Virginia creeper (Parthenocissus quinquefolia) and decades (Exhibit 6).
poison ivy(Toxicodendron radicans)a Iso grow prolifically
in the understory. Dense shade here suppresses growth Today, a few year old white and red oaks
of native grasses, sedges, and forbs, exposing soil that are widely scatttteredered in a younger tree canopy that
is vulnerable to erosion. The steep bluff face could not casts heavy shade and contributes to a low-diversity
be accessed safely to document herbaceous understory understory, largely dominated by woody vines and
species. However,species growing at the top of the bluff tree seedlings. Other ecological stressors in Dry-Mesic
indicate the presence of a diverse native flora of both Forest include: abundant invasive species such as Asian
mesic and dry-mesic forest and savanna. Pale leafcup honeysuckle, Oriental bittersweet and garlic mustard
(Polymnia canadensis) was observed in this area; this (Alliaria petiolata); erosion caused by unmitigated
species is locally abundant in calcareous habitats and runoff from impervious surfaces and compacted mowed
is a close associate with chinquapin oak (Quercus lawns; and the use of non-biological materials such
muhlenbergh) in dry rocky woodlands, including the as broken cement to stabilize eroding ravines. A few
Mississippi River blufFlands. Other understory species small concentrations of invasive Japanese knotweed
include zig-zag goldenrod (Solidago flexicaulis), yellow (Polygonum cuspidatum) were observed along the east
jewelweed (Impatiens pallida), purple joe pye weed side of the Trolley Line Trail, just south of the hairpin
(Eupatorium purpureum), golden alexanders (Zizia turn and information kiosk. A stand of invasive tree of
aurea), bottlebrush grass (Elymus hystrix), and wild heaven (Ailanthus altissima) was observed near the
columbine (Aquilegia canadensis) bottom of the Trolley Line Trail.
10Eagle Point Park I ERMP I Dubuque, IA
Another stressor on the Park's Dry-Mesic Forests is the
practice of blowing the Park's abundant oak leaf litter
into the forest edges. The resulting wide and deep leaf
piles smother groundlayer vegetation and reduce native
plant diversity harbored in these important transition
zones.Where forest and woodland are adjacent to more
open and sunny plant communities, the understory has _Ic
higher ambient light levels than more heavily-shaded,
closed-canopied forest. Higher ambient light levels can
stimulate the germination, growth, and reproduction
of a number of native grasses, sedges, ferns, and
wildflowers not found in the shady forest. Until the ModerateForestqua
Park's larger forest systems are restored to a better
ecosystem health, these narrow forest edges maintain
an important part of the Park's biological diversity, and ;{ -
also are a source for seed and other propagules that ,
could aid restoration efforts elsewhere.
One young stand of Dry-Mesic Forest, just west of
the tennis courts in the northwest Park, occupies
well-drained Fayette silt loam soils on steep slopes.
The 1930s aerial imagery (Exhibit 3) shows this area
consisting of entirely herbaceous vegetation, possibly a
pasture.. By the 1990s the canopy had closed up and
today is composed of invasive black locust (Robinia
pseudo-acacia), likely planted in the 1950s or 1960s '
to deter erosion. Other canopy trees include American maple seedlings
elm (Ulmus americana), hackberry (Celtis occidentalis), ,
wild black cherry (Prunus serotina), and a few very
large cottonwood (Populus deltoides). The understory
{i
is dense with saplings, shrubs, and vines, including <
several non-native invasive species (multiflora rose, di
common buckthorn, Oriental bittersweet, Japanese k
barberry). The native Virginia creeper and poison ivy
also grow prolifically. Dense shade suppresses the
growth of a continuous herbaceous layer, leaving soils
bare and vulnerable to erosion. The highly invasive
garlic mustard and creeping Charlie (Glechoma I(
hederacea) are widespread in the understory. Common
disturbance-tolerant native species are also present,
such as enchanter's nightshade (Circaea lutetiana), dense vine cover
white snakeroot (Eupatorium rugosum), wood avens
(Geum canadense), clearweed (Pilea pumila), clustered '
black snakeroot (Sanicula gregaria), and stickseed ,.' tP {
(Hackelia virginiana). Remnants of the former, less
shady conditions are still visible, as indicated by the
occasional bottlebrush grass (Elymus hystrix), common
wood reed (Cinna arundinacea), short-headed bracted - n-
sedge (Carex cephalophora), lady fern (Athyrium fi'lix- K
femina), elm-leaved goldenrod (Solidago ulmifolia), I
late figwort(Scrophularia marilandica),and Jack-in-the-
pulpit(Arisaema triphyllum).
Leaves failing on turf areas are collected and
vegetation in the forest-to-open transition zone
January 20, 2017 11
Bluff Woodland common buckthorn and Asian honeysuckle. However,
Bluff Woodland exists on the xeric (dry) Nordness- several small patches of limestone bluff prairie persist in
Rock outcrop soils and bluffs of the Park's south- and the Bluff Woodland.These still sustain dozens of prairie
southwest-facing blufFlands. The 1930s aerial imagery species, including blazing star (Liatris cylindracea), lead
(Exhibit 3) shows an extensive, largely open area plant(Amorpha canescens), purple prairie clover(Dalea
along the blufFline, with large trees and woody growth purpureum), little bluestem (Schizachyrium scoparium),
primarily lower on the slopes. Again, past disturbances and porcupine grass (Stipa spartea). These prairie
from burning, logging and clearing for agriculture, and patches represent the Park's least disturbed native
early park maintenance practices likely maintained the plant communities, due to the extreme environmental
open conditions until relatively recently. Since then, conditions and limited use by people.
however, the dry conditions promoted by the thin soils During a September field assessment, AES ecologists
have slowed the growth of trees and shrubs, such as confirmed the presence of approximately a dozen great
common buckthorn and the native red cedar(Juniperus plains ladies tresses (Spiranthes magnicamporum), an
virginiana). Iowa special concern plant species. Special Concern
Today, in the absence of disturbance, the Bluff means any species about which problems of status
Woodland is dominated by trees and shrubs, including or distribution are suspected, but not documented.
stunted bur oaks (Quercus macrocarpa), paper birch Special concern plant species are not protected by law,
(Betula papyrifera), native (but invasive) red cedar, and as are Endangered and Threatened species.
VT a X:
hANISMI
AV-
tL
Bluff Woodland overtaken by invasive common buckthorn
Bluff Woodland containing
V
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and infrequent human L
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The uncommon and fragile
grass is easily damaged by foot traffic
L
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12 Eagle Point Park I ERMP I Dubuque, IA
Woodland with Turf river bank grape (Vitis riparia), poison ivy, and Virginia
The bluff summit along the Park's central spine is creeper.Several invasive woody and herbaceous species
characterized as Woodland with Turf.This area contains also find a home here, including common buckthorn,
many of its oldest, most majestic oaks, growing on Oriental bittersweet, Japanese knotweed, and thistles
well-drained Fayette silt loam soils. In the 1930s aerial (Cirsium spp). City staff believe that some of the Park's
photograph (Exhibit 3) this area is dominated by large- Woodland with Turf is under-utilized by people and
crowned trees, which create a broken canopy that could be transitioned to more natural landscapes.
allows a moderate amount of light to reach the ground. Turf
Eagle Point Park is defined largely by this broken While the vast majority of the developed Park is
canopy of mature oaks. Other native trees and planted wooded, several small patches of maintained turf exist
specimens include conifer species such as Norway without a tree canopy.These areas receive full or nearly
spruce (Picea abies) and shade-producing deciduous full sun, which provides an opportunity to introduce
trees such as sugar maple (Acer saccharum) and sun-requiring plants.
invasive white poplar (Populus alba). The understory is
maintained as mowed lawn. The mowed area extends Landscaped
downhill to the steep upper ravine slopes and bluff The Park contains several formal and informal landscape
edges, where the risk of erosive runoff increases. The areas. The largest is the rock garden, located in the
sunny perimeters of the mowed lawn at the forest northern Park. Many of the Park buildings have some
edge favors native brambles and vines, such as bristly landscaping, and other more naturalized, informal
cat briar (Smilax hispida), common blackberry (Rubus plantings also were observed.
allegheniensis), black raspberry (Rubus occidentalis),
WOMAN 111i",
and oak leaf removal in the fall
5
e
exposed to full sun
. . . . . ..
Maintained turf and rock structures at the rock Naturalized landscape planting, including some
'�9 4
garden plants
January 20, 2017 13
Play Area Impervious Cover
Several small play areas exist in the developed portion The Park's impervious cover consists primarily of roads
of the Park. These areas contain play equipment with and parking areas. According to City staff, some of the
slides, swings and other structures. Park's parking areas are under-utilized and could be
converted to some form of vegetation, especially at
Water locations where excessive runoff from impervious cover
The sole open water in the Park is the constructed fish is causing erosion downslope. An outdoor storage
pond in the rock garden. This artificial pond contains area and landscaping debris dumping area, located
koi (Asian fish), which are overwintered inside park in the southwestern portion of the Park is mapped as
facilities when the pond is drained. A small stand of impervious cover due to the compacted, bare soils
emergent wetland vegetation exists at the edge of the there. A patch of invasive Japanese hop (Humulus
rock-rimmed pond japonicus) was observed near this dump/storage area.
Building
The many buildings in the Park include the Terrace
Room, Veranda Rooms, Indian Room, Bridge Complex,
East Room, Annex, Band Shell, Open Air Pavilion,
Riverfront Pavilion, Eagle's View Pavilion, Shiras
Memorial Pavilion, Tri-State Pavilion, and Log Cabin
Pavilion. Roof runoff from these buildings did not
appear to be causing conspicuous erosion problems at
the Park because most runoff flows to turf on relatively
level ground. Nevertheless, where building rooftops
drain to a ravine, the situation could be improved by
managing runoff near the building using rain gardens,
which can be designed to not clash with the formal
One of several play structures in the Park aesthetics of the building.
17
..ppic� _ __ r
Fish pond water feature in rock garden Landscape
Historic Caldwell building Historic Log Cabin Pavilion
ZQ Eagle Point Park ERMP Dubuque, IA
3.6 Wildlife Exhibit 7. These can be thought of as core habitats for
the more sensitive wildlife species, depending on the
Incidental and Nearby Observations animal group. Insects, small mammals, reptiles and
Wildlife surveys were not conducted at Eagle Point Park. amphibians are more likely to find core habitat for
Incidental wildlife observations during AES's fieldwork breeding here,while larger mammals and many species
and discussions with City staff indicate the following of sensitive birds may not.
species used the park
Species of Greatest Conservation Need
Table 2 - Incidental Wildlife Observations at Eagle Species of Greatest Conservation Need (SGCN) is a
Point Park wildlife classification for regional conservation purposes;
Mammals Birds Amphibians many of these species are classified as specialists, and
Reptiles they are commonly found in higher quality or large
White-tailed Bald eagle Western rat core habitats. SGCN include state-listed species and
deer snake non-listed species that are regionally rare or in decline,
Fox Turkey vulture often as a result of habitat loss. While most are not
yet endangered, they may become so in the future
Gray squirrel American robin unless people become aware and manage for them.
Chipmunk House wren The Sustainable Dubuque plan supports conservation
White- of biodiversity. This would be accomplished through
breasted wildlife habitat restoration at Eagle Point Park.
nuthatch The Iowa DNR publication,Securinga Future for Fish and
Wild turkey Wildlife: A Conservation Legacy for Iowans (Iowa DNR
Eagle Point Park is a migratory stopover for birds using 2015) presents a statewide analysis of SGCN, including
the Mississippi Flyway,a continental migration corridor. their major habitat types. Table 3 lists statewide
Forty-seven species of birds have been recorded at SGCN species by habitat class. Not surprisingly, SGCN
Eagle Point Park(Iowa Ornithologists' Union 2016), and of grasslands and wetlands exceed those of other
at the nearby Mines of Spain 213 species of birds have habitats due to the disappearance of native grassland
been reported (Friends of the Mines of Spain 2016a). and even pasture and hay meadow from much of Iowa.
While the Park is likely used by a variety of bird species, Forest birds likewise are experiencing disproportionate
the invasive shrubs and trees that have colonized decline, as are creatures of rivers and streams.
portions of the park reduce the habitat value of the Eagle Point Park supports habitat that SGCN species
plant communities here. The nearby Mines of Spain may occupy. The Park's natural areas are dominated
is reportedly used by a moderate diversity of wildlife by forest. The steep, forested, northeast-facing slopes
species not detected during AES's surveys, including appear to have characteristics of maderate cliffs,
mammals, reptiles, and amphibians (Friends of the which are defined by the Minnesota DNR (Minnesota
Mines of Spain 2016b). Some of these species may DNR 2005) as, "cool, moist, moss-dominated plant
use Eagle Point Park, but a wildlife inventory would be communities on shaded northwest-to northeast-facing
necessary to determine which ones. cliffs in karst landscapes... The community supports
Based on AES's incidental observations and familiarity northern plants... and Pleistocene land snails." In the
with the region,there appears to be a moderate variety context of SGCN, the Park's Woodland with Turf would
and abundance of wildlife using Eagle Point Park. be considered "Forest" due to the almost continuous
However,many are considered"generalists."Generalists canopy cover. The Park's Bluff Woodland harboring
are wildlife that persist and even thrive in a variety of small patches of limestone bluff prairie would be
environments, including cities, suburbs, farmland, and considered "Shrubland." Other SGCN habitats of
degraded natural areas.Generalists do not have narrow Wetlands, Agricultural Lands, and Aquatic Habitats are
habitat and dietary needs provided by high quality essentially absent from the site.
or large natural areas, which allows them to build up Although current forest is the dominant habitat at the
large populations. By contrast, "specialists" are wildlife Park, other habitats exist today or could be restored
species that have specific environmental needs,such as with management.The Iowa DNR(2015) provides SGCN
particular habitat, dietary, or breeding requirements. lists for "Open Woodlands and Savannas,' "Maderate
Specialistsare lesscommon than generalists,moreoften Cliffs and Algific Talus Slopes,' and "Goat and Bluff
found in largerand higherquality habitats,and are more Prairies." Although only small areas of the Park harbor
sensitive to environmental change. Large, continuous such habitats, these SGCN could serve as indicators of
wildlife habitats in and around the Park are shown in the success of restoration. For example, during AES's
January 20, 2017 15
August 2016 field review, a 3-4 foot long adult western A primary strategy to conserve SGCN is to, "Protect
rat snake (Elophe obsolete, see photo) was seen. This and enhance existing habitats that benefit SGCN."
SGCN is one of our native arboreal constrictors that Implementing the recommendations in this ERMP is
suns and prowls on tree limbs and rock outcrops where expected to significantly improve the park's natural
it feeds on birds, bird eggs,and small mammals (Phillips habitats and in turn attract and support more of the
et al. 1999). region's terrestrial SGCN.
Table 3:Summary of Habitat Preferences of SGCN Statewide by Habitat Class(Iowa DNR 2015)
28 55 149 56 2 8 2 35 0 5 340
• - 7
• 1 3 14 - - - - 2 - - 20
• 8 21 34 26 1 - - 11 - - 101
• 8 13 47 13 1 8 2 6 - - 98
• • 4 8 25 6 - - - 4 - - 47
23 47 88 5 9 46 126 10 54 0 408
4 13 34 - 3 - 48 5 34 - 150
5 10 29 5 5 17 38 5 14 - 128
• • • 6 8 23 - - 6 18 - 2 - 63
• • 2 7 - - - 1 16 - - - 26
'• • 6 1 9 1 2 - 1 1 13 1 6 - 4 - 41
51 102 237 61 11 54 128 45 54 5 748
Note: Individual species are assigned to more than one habitat type if appropriate,so the total number of species
exceeds the total number of SGCN
�• ` h`' `am�. ty � I µ-
Park's Bluff Woodland
a
16 Eagle Point Park ERMP Dubuque, IA
3.7 Rare Natural Features & Ecological Sites 4 SUMMARY OF FINDINGS
AES requested an "Environmental Review for Natural 4,1 Cultural Resources
Resources" from the Iowa DNR's Sovereign Lands • Cultural resources are found primarily on the
& Environmental Review Coordinator. The request summit of the Park.
included a general description of Eagle Point Park and • Eagle Point Park National Register of Historic Places
a statement of the City's intent to plan and implement
ecological and stormwater enhancements. No records Historic District nomination is in progress.
of rare species or significant natural communities • Cultural resources could constrain the location and
were identified by the Iowa DNR search; however, type of restoration and stormwater best practices
the need to protect Northern Long-Eared Bat (Myotis work in a few areas on the summit.
septentrionalis) was mentioned. This federally 4,2 Water and Hydrology
threatened species has the potential to use the Park. • A single aquatic habitat is the artificial fish pond in
The Iowa DNR's response is provided as Appendix C. northern park.
As of May 2016, the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service • Concentrated runoff from roads, parking,roofs,and
(USFWS) did not have any records of NLEB roost trees turf is causing mild to severe erosion.
or hibernacula in Dubuque County (USFWS 2016a).
White-nose syndrome, a fungus that kills hibernating • Best approach to control or eliminate erosion is to
bats in North America, has been spreading rapidly reduce the surface area of impervious cover and
across the U.S. Eagle Point Park is within the white- turf, to capture and slow runoff before it reaches
nose syndrome zone (USFWS et al. 2016). USFWS NLEB the Park's slopes, and to repair ravines on case-by-
guidelines recommend against tree removal during the case basis,as follows:
pup rearing season (June 1 through July 31) within the o Some will self-heal simply by reducing the
white-nose syndrome zone (USFWS 2016b). runoff reaching them;
In addition to USFWS guidelines, the Iowa DNR's o Some near human activity areas are dangerous
referenced bat guidelines (Iowa DNR no date) identify or unsightly and should be repaired;
suitable summer habitat for Indiana bat (and NLEB) o One ravine harms a downhill landowner and
as having the following within a one-half or one mile should be addressed.
radius of a location: 4.3 Vegetation
1. Forest cover of 10 percent or greater within one- • Woodland with Turf on summit, Mesic and Dry-
half mile. Mesic Forests on slopes, and Bluff Woodland
2. Permanent water within one-half mile. (former Bluff Prairie&Savanna)are important plant
3. The potential roost trees ranked as moderate or communities in the Park.
high for peeling or loose bark within one mile. • Invasive plants harm the Park's plant communities
Use of Eagle Point Park by NLEB cannot be ruled out. and wildlife by displacing native plants in
The Park meets criteria 1 and 2, and likely contains groundcover; reducing pollinator nectarand pollen;
trees that meet criteria 3. The guidelines recommend reducing fruit and seed foods; preventing native
that tree-cutting in suitable habitat should not occur tree regeneration in forest, and contributing to soil
from April 1 through September 30, with the shorter erosion on slopes.
pup-rearing season being critical. This federal guidance • Leaf disposal smothers plant life,especially at forest
suggests that tree clearing at Eagle Point Park, even edges.
for ecological restoration, should be restricted to early • Lack of regular disturbance over several decades
October through March. This is the typical period has significantly reduced the area of former Bluff
for tree removal in ecological restoration projects. Prairie &Savanna.
The presence or absence of NLEB in the Park can be
determined following USFWS summer survey guidance • Turf, roads, parking areas, and buildings have
(USFWS 2016c). reduced the size of contiguous natural areas,
The abandoned mine shaft opening on the Park's shrinking wildlife habitat.
northeast cliff face has the potential to be a bat
• The Park supports at least one uncommon plant
hibernaculum. Bat use of this mine shaft should be (Great Plains ladies tresses).
investigated. If a hibernaculum is present, the Park
could be an important foraging area in the fall and
spring before and after emergence of hibernating bats.
January 20, 2017 17
4.4 Wildlife The ecosystem model developed for Eagle Point Park
• The most abundant species in the Park appear to considers the distant past, conditions in the recent
be generalists. past and current time, and predicted future scenarios
• The Park supports, or has the potential with considering disturbance regimes and other factors that
restoration to support, core habitat for Mesic influence the Park's plants and animals. This informs
the general restoration approach and the long-term
Forest, Dry-Mesic Forest/Woodland, and Bluff management needed to replace natural disturbances
Prairie/Savanna. that formerly maintained the biodiversity of the Park,
• The Park supports at least one SGCN (black rat stabilized the soils and slopes, and allowed for plants
snake) and animals to gradually change as the environment
changed—ensuring resilience despite future changes.
5 ECOSYSTEM MODEL FOR 5.2 Conditions of the Distant Past (before 1800)
RESTORATION AND MANAGEMENT The early settlers of European descent, arriving in
northeast Iowa and the Eagle Point Park area in the
5.1 Ecosystem Model early 1830s, came into a landscape inhabited and
Ecosystem models are useful planning tools, which modified by indigenous peoples for thousands of years.
consider pastconditions,influences overtime,projected Those original indigenous inhabitants, integrated into
future conditions, and the implications for ecological the workings of the ecosystems, continually modified
restoration and management. Elementsof an ecosystem their environment by deliberately using fire, building
model include plant species composition and structure, dwellings and ceremonial structures such as mounds,
associated wildlife, natural disturbance regimes, plant mining and farming, and transporting from distant
successional pathways, responses to human use, and locations plants for food, medicine, and ceremonies.
predicted future conditions given different restoration In short, the indigenous people were an active force in
and management activities as well as environmental shaping what we today term original, native, historical,
changes, such as increasing temperature and rainfall. or pre-settlement vegetation.
Most of these conditions are represented by, or The early Archaic culture peoples (circa 6,000 years
reflective of,the site's plant communities. BCE) included the tribe known as Meskwaki (Sac and
Without regular disturbances, plant communities lose Fox) as well as those who occupied the area closer in
species and become less resilient(i.e.,less able tochange time to western settlement. They lived in a complex
as environmental conditions change). Conserving bluff landscape, a mosaic of prairie and savanna, with
biodiversity depends on retaining plant species and thus more persistent and denser forests in ravines,on north-
making plant communities more resilient. By restoring facing slopes,and on the alluvial floodplain soils.
native ecosystems and establishing a sustainable The General Land Office (G LO) notes from the 1830s
management regime (including disturbances such as to 1860s on vegetation and bearing trees also reveal
prescribed fire), program goals can be achieved. a much more open landscape than today, recording
Wildlife species also respond to plant community prairies, glades (i.e., prairies on bedrock), grassy
biodiversity, persisting or disappearing as plant sloughs, rivers, brushy areas and forests. The Native
communities change. Numbers of pollinators, for Americans used fire to clear woodlands and brush,
example,rise and fall with the amount of flowering that open up land for cultivation, create habitat for game
happens. Where few plants flower from April through species and berry- and nut-producing plants, and clear
October,few pollinators find sufficient nectarand pollen sight-lines for self-defense and security. The coarse-
to sustain populations. Even with disturbances that
sustain them, ecosystems can change if overwhelming
change happens, such as the loss of species due to a
northward shift in species ranges (e.g., see Chen et al.
2011). On the other hand, when new plants migrate
into a plant community that is losing species, resilience
may be improved. Fortunately, the Park has a variety
of plant communities,which may allow plant species to
move within Park boundaries, instead of depending on
migration from distant natural areas,such as the Mines
of Spain. Frederic Remington's painting, "The Grass Fire"
(Wikipedia Commons)
1$ Eagle Point Park I ERMP I Dubuque, IA
scale pre-settlement vegetation map shows Dubuque 5.3 Recent Historical and Present Conditions
to be "heavily timbered." The actual GLO notes, (1800-2016)
however, state that most treed areas were described Since the early 1800s, European settlement and fire
with phrases such as "thinly timbered" or "uneven suppression eliminated the critical disturbance of
prairie with some scattering of oaks." This suggests regular burning. By the late 1800s, forests in the Park
a more open landscape than forest. In the 1838 GLO had increased dramatically with an equal decrease in
survey,the most sizable trees available in the vicinity of prairie and savanna. Tillable prairies were immediately
section corners (used as bearing trees to mark section converted to cropsand others on steeperslopes became
lines and corners) included white ash, maple, elm, bur pastures. Prairie that was not cropped or grazed was
oak, hackberry, and willow—trees that grew in a range colonized by early successional trees and shrubs, such
of sunlight,from forest to prairie and grassy marsh. as red cedar, cherries, hackberry, sumac and dogwood.
A site's vegetation pattern at any moment is dictated Prairies with oak grubs and shrubs grew, over 20-30
by its geomorphology, the greater landscape context, years, to oak forest, which lacked a prairie groundcover
and disturbance, both human (farming, tree-cutting, because of the dense shad. If livestock were allowed
grazing, construction and natural (wildfire, windthrow, to graze, many prairie plants persisted among the
wildlife grazing). The type and depth of bedrock, the tree and shrubs. Overall, however, the landscape was
aridity or moisture of soils, and a site's topography also transformed to a forest ecosystem with sun-requiring
come into play. Vegetation is profoundly influenced prairie and savanna plants retreating to the driest or
by topography—the steepness and aspect of slopes regularly—though not severely—disturbed places.
(aspect is the direction a slope faces). With the establishment of Eagle Point Park in 1908, the
The Park lies in the Driftless Area, a region defined by summit's former prairies and savannas, then pastures
extremely limited evidence of direct glaciation, the and meadows, were brought into park maintenance
ages and composition of bedrock, and certain flora and landscaping work. At some point soon after, the
and fauna. Within this geomorphological framework, pastures and meadows were converted to turf in which
today's forested landscape still echoes the pre-1830 maturing trees persisted but understory saplings,
vegetation patterns. Before 1800, extensive prairies shrubs, and native groundcover was eliminated. Exhibit
covered blufftops and summits where wind had picked 3 shows the 1930s aerial photograph where more open
up then deposited fine-textured loess from glacial river tree canopies and clearings than today are evident.
valleys to the west. Depending on the frequency and
timing of fires over many years, some prairies would r `
have scattered trees and brush; today such areas would
be called savanna. In frequently burned areas bur and
otheroaks would continuously sprout from roots,known
to the white settlers as "oak grubs.' and if fire did not
return for a decade or more, rapid colonizers such as
red cedar,pin cherry,and choke cherry would establish.
To the GLO survey crews such areas would appear as
brush—neither forest nor prairie nor even scattered
trees. For example, one early vegetation map of the
Dubuque region classes the vegetation as "hardwoods,
p
prairie, or brush," suggesting a complicated mixture ,
of plant communities. On slopes facing south, west
>r
and southwest, drier conditions and thin soil allowed
the long-term persistence of grassy plant communities "=
termed bluff or goat prairies. Scattered small bedrock « r
exposures throughout the region also harbored prairie, "S
which came to be called glades. These prairie locations
still remain, sometimes supporting herbaceous plant
species that are rare in the state if not the nation.As they
do today, the dense forest areas would have occupied
slopes facing north to east, protected from intense fires
by steep topography and moister conditions. Exhibit 8
shows a conceptual rendering of the Park's pre-1800
vegetation. 2016)
January 20, 2017 19
The following excerpt was taken from the on-line dry, southerly to westerly exposures. These would
resource Encyclopedia Dubuque (2016). be species of prairies and savannas – both native
The development of the forestry stage of Eagle Point and invasive species.
Park has been credited to P. L. Phelps,a forestry
expert from Rockford,Illinois, and former supervisor With Intervention
ofnationalforestsinthe Pacific Northwest. Under • Species diversity will be higher than today in all
his direction,dead timber,trees stunting the growth plant communities.
of other trees,and trees blocking road construction • Nectar and pollen resources will be more abundant
were removed. The park is noted for its diverse native than today due to the provision of continuous
trees. These include red oak black oak white oaky blooming from April to October, providing nectar
burr oak, white birch,black cherry,pin cherry,choke
cherry, hawthorne crab apple, cotton wood,gray and pollen during the entire growing season.
poplar,linden, white elms,red elms,juneberry,aspen, • Sensitive and specialist wildlife species will find
willow,plum and sycamore. Trees planted in the park more acres of habitat.
include pines,spruce,juniper and sugar maples. Native . Migratory habitat for passerine birds will be of high
shrubbery include gray dogwood, red dogwood,red
sumac,staghorn sumac,bittersweet,sheepberry,and quality.
roses. • Erosion and associated infrastructure damages will
Other changes at Eagle Point Park include the be reduced,and therefore more affordable,despite
establishment and spread of invasive shrubs,especially precipitation trends.
common buckthorn and Asian honeysuckles. Brought • Plant communities will be more open in canopy and
by horticulturists and gardeners as hedgerow and understory, especially if predicted drought patterns
decorative shrubs, these fire-intolerant species have occur.
invaded the site's forests and woodlands,competed with Restoration Potential
native shrubs and saplings, inhibited oak regeneration,
and extirpated many ground layer species by casting Fortunately, the Park is largely vegetated with plant
dense shade. Other aggressive plants have also invaded communities that already contain a significant native
the Park, changing species composition, structure, and element. This considerably reduces the effort required
ecological functions. Exhibit 6 illustrates the Park's to achieve the restoration and management goals of
existing conditions. this ERMP. Rather than beginning a restoration with
cropland or parking lot, most of the Park's restoration
5.4 Anticipated Future Conditions (2050 Without will involve"enhancement". Existing plant communities
and With Intervention) will be enhanced, with seeding and planting needed in
What will Eagle Point Park look like in 2050?We explore small areas, or using low-cost and low-diversity native
two possible scenarios. seed mixes as a cover crop.The Park's plantcommunities
Without Intervention targeted for restoration follow.
Without ecological restoration and management at the Mesic Forest. The restoration potential of the Park's
Park,and assuming current climate trends continue,the Mesic Forest is very high due to the oak-dominated
following changes would be expected over the coming canopy and the diverse native understory flora,
decades. together with a presumed seedbank which may
be intact. Steep bluff slopes, however, make access
• Invasive and shade-tolerant woody plants will difficult to safely and efficiently carry out management
increase in dominance in all plant communities activities, and steep, bare slopes may have lost their
in both the tree canopy and understory, reducing seedbank, requiring more aggressive restoration
overall plant species diversity through shading and efforts to bring back a diverse native groundcover.
root competition.
Dry-Mesic Forest and Dry-Mesic Forest (Young). The
• Sensitive &specialist wildlife species will decrease. restoration potential here is moderate due to the past
• Forests may be less suitable for migratory passerine disturbance history, a shade-suppressed and low-
birds. diversity understory, and the presence of invasive
• Erosion will worsen given sparse groundcover, species. West of the tennis courts the challenge is
trends of increasing precipitation, resulting in especially great because of the dense growth of
greater damages to Park infrastructure. invasive black locust, the lack of stabilizing ground
• If future climate predictions are realized, the cover, and existing severe erosion. There is virtually
site will experience more droughts, possibly no fuel for a surface fire—no flammable grass or oak
encouraging drought-resistant plants, especially on leaf litter. This will severely limit the ability to use
20 Eagle Point Park I ERMP I Dubuque, IA
prescribed burning as a management tool until the proposed land cover map)for Eagle Point Park assuming
canopy is opened slightly,the understory thinned,and ecological restoration and management interventions.
grasses begin to grow. Black locust readily colonizes
prairies and savannas, so its removal is highly
recommended,despite the fact that this will open the 6 VISION , PRINCIPLES & GOALS
canopy and encourage the growth of invasive shrubs 6.1 Background
and ground layer plants. For this reason, restoration
of the area west of the tennis courts will require a Eagle Point has for centuries been a Mississippi River
carefully-considered plan. landmark. Its cultural history dates back millennia to
mound-building Indians, French miners and traders,
Bluff Woodland. This area has high restoration steamboat pilots, and renowned architects. It has
potential due to the existing native plant diversity been a showcase for Prairie-style park architecture and
and presumed native seedbank. The great challenge quiet respite for hundreds of thousands of Dubuque's
here is to safely and carefully remove woody plants— townspeople over the decades. Dubuque has decided
the thin soils are highly susceptible to compaction, that the Park's natural resources should become just as
damaging plant roots, and the vegetation is easily noteworthy as its cultural and architectural resources.
broken off and trampled, reducing its cover and
potentially reducing the size of plant populations.The 6.2 Vision Statement
lady's tresses orchid warrants particular care because Vision statements are created to convey lofty, aspiring
it is easily broken off during the growing season. goals for a specific endeavor. The following vision
Opening the area up may also attract visitors who statementwas developed for environmental restoration
could damage the soil and vegetation. Consequently and management at Eagle Point Park.
the restoration and management of this area should Eagle Point Park is Dubuque's premier park for engaging
be carried out with foot traffic control measures and with the rich natural and cultural history of Iowa's
a public education campaign. Mississippi River bluffs. Local residents and visitors
Woodland with Turf. Select portions of Woodland from far away come to the Park to learn about the
with Turf are proposed to be converted to Woodland site's heritage, to appreciate its unique architecture
with Natives.The restoration potential here is unclear and spectacular views, to enjoy active and passive
due to the frequent mowing. The oak canopy is recreation, and to escape the city by immersing
intact, which is a huge benefit to restoration. Here themselves in natural landscapes.
and there AES ecologists detected tiny native plants 6.3 Planning Principles
which, if released from mowing, could expand and Planning principles are truisms,established for a specific
develop into a diverse native ground cover.This could project and useful in the development of project goals.
be helped along by planting a native cover crop of The following planning principles have been established
grasses and sedges to compete with the weedy and for environmental restoration and management at
invasive plants which are certainly in the seedbank Eagle Point Park.
and will be released when mowing is stopped.
Conversion to a native ground layer would have Overall
several advantages: greater runoff infiltration; • Identify and protect the park's sensitive natural
slowing surface runoff into bordering natural areas, resources
especially the steep ravines; and providing habitat . Understand historical and current conditions
for pollinators and other wildlife. Naturalized areas to describe a future ecological path for natural
also would become locations to collect oak leaves in resources
the fall, where they could be burned during regular 0 Design within the limits of existing soil, hydrology,
prairie and savanna prescribed burning. This would and vegetation conditions
reduce the effort to manage leaf fall on mowed turf. 0 Create attractive and resilient plant communities
Turf.Several relativelysmall areasof Turf are proposed that can be managed economically
to be converted to Prairie. While this represents a
' Tell the ecological story of the park to inspire people
true conversion as opposed to "enhancement", this
is a common practice with a high degree of success through its restoration
when implemented and managed appropriately. • Bring people into the park's ecosystems while
Based on the site's natural and cultural history, its protecting biodiversity and ecosystem resilience
specific environmental conditions,and the goals for the • Set up a monitoring program, using indicators, to
Park, Exhibit 9 illustrates a future vision(in the form of a documenttrends in natural resourcesand determine
the success of restoration and management efforts
January 20, 2017 21
Soil &Hydrology 6.4 Project Goals
• Preserve stable soils and natural hydrology Based on the preceding Vision and Principles, the
• Identify and design solutions to eroding soils and following goals were identified for this ERMP.
natural hydrology 1. The summit's former open character of wind-
• Use bioengineering and a natural ecosystems swept limestone bluff prairies, and oak savannas
approach before hardscape and gray infrastructure and woodland will be restored to a diverse array of
• For impervious cover, use a treatment train, native pollinator-friendly plants and stable soils.
beginning with reducing runoff at its source 2. On steep slopes the forest shade will be dappled
• Design soil and hydrology solutions in the most and support a variety of native herbs, shrubs, and
cost-effective way possible trees.
3. Tall,dense invasive plants all are under control.
Vegetation 4. Signs of severe erosion from bygone days are
• Identify and restore the rare ecological land cover replaced by gently-sloping ground in ravines; this
types to prevent their disappearance is despite parking lots and rooftops on the summit
• For common land cover types, generally maintain and the region's rising rainfall.
existing forest,savanna, and grassland S. The park's natural resources will be on a self-
• Promote a natural variety of native flowering plants sustaining, resilient path to the future, despite
across the growing season environmental change.
• Control the invasive or aggressive native plants that 6. The diverse plant life will support hundreds of
reduce biodiversity and ecological resilience species of birds, small animals, butterflies, and
• Establish a vegetation structure that requires the pollinators.
least effort to maintain 7. People will understand and appreciate the park's
ecosystems, which enhance the property of park
Wildlife neighbors while preserving the park's cultural
• Identify and protect habitat for all wildlife heritage.
• Create the largest, most round as possible, habitats g, The City easily maintains the natural resources
for forest, savanna,and grassland species using techniques that cost less than maintaining
• Identify and design to reduce wildlife-damaging turf and other manicured landscapes;infrastructure
edge effects from adjacent properties repairs are minor because soil is stable. In ten years,
• Install special habitat features (nest boxes,etc.) restoration and management pays for itself in lower
• Identify and seek to make connections to similar maintenance and repair costs.
habitat on nearby conservation lands
Human Use
• Identify and protect cultural resources
• Define management units and access points to
make management easier
• Identify natural areas for minimal use,and locations
that can accommodate higher use
• Monitor trail and off-trail use to detect problems
early
• Conductanannual walkabouttoprepare the annual
work plan for natural resources
• Recruit organizations, experts and volunteers to
help maintain and monitor natural resources
22 Eagle Point Park ERMP Dubuque, IA
7 ECOLOGICAL RESTORATION AND 7.2 Invasive Vegetation
MANAGEMENT Invasive plant species often become established and
7.1 Restoration and Management Stages and thrive in disturbed habitats, often dominating and
outcompeting native plants. Invasive plants typically
Approach possess the following characteristics:
Ecological restoration and management occurs in two 0 Tolerant of a variety of habitat/environmental
stages.
conditions (e.g., soils, hydrology)
1. Restoration and Short-Term Management. This 0 Grow and reproduce rapidly, often with good seed
initial stage is the most intensive and costly. dispersion strategies
Significant effort is often necessary to reestablish
native vegetation and plant community structure in ' Compete aggressively for resources (e.g., nutrients,
a short period of time. Actions include tasks such water,sunlight)
as selective woody brush removal,spraying invasive • Lack natural enemies or pests in their new
species with herbicide,native seeding and planting, ecosystem
and using bio-control techniques when available. Invasive plants can lead to low plant diversity, lower
After invasive plants are removed and native seed wildlife habitat quality,and a lower resilience in the face
and plants are installed, short-term management of disturbances and environmental change. Therefore,
is critical. The period of time required to complete the control of invasive plants often is a major issue,
this restoration and short-term management stage foundational to and an early phase of most ecological
varies depending on the condition of the ecological restoration and management programs.
system, its response to restoration efforts, as well During Park activities, including implementation of
as the size of the site and intensity and scope of ecological restoration and management, there are
the restoration work. Typically this initial stage opportunities to inadvertently introduce invasive
requires about three years for a given management species or spread them across a site. Appendix D
unit, after which the perpetual management stage provides guidelines developed by the Minnesota DNR
begins. to avoid such introduction or spread of invasive species.
2. Perpetual Management. After achieving initial 7.3 Proposed Native Plant Communities
restoration goals within a management unit,
the restoration process shifts to a reduced- The proposed native plant communities are those
intervention, lower-cost perpetual management largely self-sustaining ecological combinations of
stage. The perpetual management stage is critical species that are expected to develop at the site as a
for maintaining the value of the investment, result of implementing this ERMP. We recommend that
perpetuating healthy plant communities, and the majority of the site's existing plant communities be
maximizing the ecological and aesthetic benefits enhanced, and only limited areas undergo conversion
of the native plant communities. This perpetual to a truly new vegetation community. The relationship
management provides long-term control of invasive between existing and proposed plant communities is
species, remedial seeding/planting as necessary, shown in Table 4.
and maintains necessary disturbance regimes (e.g., For example, existing Mesic Forests will remain as
fire) within the management units. such, but will be enhanced by removal of invasive
To carry out these two stages,work tasks are typically species, selective thinning of aggressive native trees
listed and scheduled over a multi-year period for and shrubs, and with limited plantings to diversify the
each management unit (or sub-unit). Once work canopy, understory, and ground layer vegetation and
begins in a management unit,it is important that all improve wildlife habitat (including for pollinators).
tasks be completed in sequence, or the restoration More aggressive replacement of vegetation will occur
goals for that unit may not be achieved. in select areas of Woodland with Turf, where turf grass
will be replaced by native, short-statured, prairie and
savanna grasses and wildflowers. Complete conversion
of vegetation will only occur in Turf areas where there
are no trees;these will be converted to a short-statured
Prairie in order to not conflict with the aesthetics of
the nearby developed and turf areas. Where native
vegetation abuts pavement,a mowed strip will separate
it from the pavement. Exhibit 9 illustrates the proposed
native plant communities for the Park.
January 20, 2017 23
Section 11 discusses in detail the restoration and species should be used, not cultivars and horticultural
management tasks needed to establish Eagle Point varieties. Substitutions for specified seed and plant
Park's proposed native plant communities. The materials may be necessary in response to availability
following photographs illustrate the proposed healthy and pricing of native plant materials. Every effort
native plant communities as well as some unhealthy should be made to substitute unavailable species with
plant communities. those that match the ecological purpose of unavailable
If possible, native plant materials used in ecological species. Appendix E provides recommended native
restorations should have a source-origin within 200 plant and seed mixes for the Park's natural areas and
miles of the project area, and only native, wild-type turf areas to be naturalized.
Table 4-Changes from Existing to Proposed Plant Communities
ProposedExisting Plant Acres
Community Community
Mesic Forest 11.93 Enhanced Mesic 11.93 Invasive plants removed, understory thinned,
Forest erosion reduced
Dry-Mesic Forest 30.78 Dry Mesic Forest/ 42.23 Invasive plants removed, understory thinned,
Woodland erosion reduced
Dry-Mesic Forest 12.56 Dry Mesic Forest/ - (Acres included above- more effort required to
(Young) Woodland improve quality)
Bluff Woodland 3.75 Bluff Prairie/Savanna 4.85 Invasive and most woody plants removed
Woodland with 28.97 Woodland with 14.87 Turf converted to native herbaceous vegetation
Tu rf Natives
Turf 4.52 Prairie 2.98
Impervious Cover 12.7 Project Amount of Impervious cover reduced for native
Specific vegetation plantings and stormwater best
practices
.j.
ER
0 t''
Healthy Mesic Forest
P' i11
�.
Unhealthy Forest/Woodland, represented by low
native species dove dense Onvasove shrubs- and
other weedy vegetation
Healthy Dry-Mesic Forest/Woodland
24 Eagle Point Park I ERMP I Dubuque, IA
t v _
-;60%
d � _
X'"��
y �,, ,,��. 4 _ y
%Apt
fa "' 7► a
a.%
1 1
+, .;. .. . . . ..
. :.. -
' Unhealthy Savanna, represented by mature oaks
Healthy Savanna (Woodland with Natives) with maintained turf understory
Unhealthy Bluff Prairie & Savanna, mostly due to
buckthorn invasion (photo taken atthe Park)
s.
Healthy Bluff Prairie&Savanna Paved trail through restored Prairie,
(photo taken at the Park) showing mowed strips
8 CULTURAL RESOURCE PROTECTION 9 STORMWATER BEST PRACTICES
The Phase I Intensive Archaeological Survey of Eagle 9,1 Best Practices for Eagle Point Park
Point Park (Wapsi 2016) and discussions with City staff Eagle Point Park has experienced erosion due to
allowed the consultant team to develop the following inadequately managed stormwater runoff. However,
avoidance ratings for protecting the Park's cultural alongwith ecologica I restoration,the many opportunities
resources when implementing the ERMP (Table 5). to better manage runoff will also present attractive and
Avoidance ratings appear in Exhibit 10. educational opportunities in the Park. The Iowa Storm
Table 5 - Cultural Resources Avoidance Ratings for Water Management Manual (ISWMM, Iowa DNR 2009)
Eagle Point Park lists various non-structural and structural strategies
for managing runoff. Structural strategies involve
Avoidance Rating Recommendation education and changes in management practices,
while structural refers to constructed, engineered and
High (confirmed surface No soil disturbance vegetated systems. Based on our field observations
features) and discussions with City staff,AES developed a suite of
Moderate (confirmed Careful/limited soil recommended best practices for improving stormwater
or potential subgrade disturbance management at Eagle Point Park (Exhibit 11).
features) Soil Quality Restoration (SQR)
Low (Caldwell-designed Context-sensitive While often overlooked, soil health is an important
landscape) alteration (soil and component of landscapes. Much of Eagle Point Park
vegetation) consists of maintained turf. Conventional park uses
None (features unlikely) I No restrictions and management practices result in compacted soils
with reduced organic matter and beneficial microbes.
Staff of Wapsi Valley Archaeology recommend that the As stated in the ISWMM (Iowa DNR 2009), "The goal
High-rated areas may requirespecial treatment,butthat of soil quality management and restoration (and other
wherever cultural resources occur,anyvegetation orsoil infiltration-based stormwater management practices)
disturbance for restoration and management should be is for urban landscapes to mimic the hydrologic
done after thoughtful consideration. Following these functionality of the native pre-settlement landscapes,
recommendations represents a prudent approach to at least for the more commonly occurring small storm
avoid impacts to the Park's cultural resources while events. This is achieved through the protection or
implementing ecological restoration and management creation of soil profiles having at least 40% pore space,
activities and construction and maintenance of 2% 1 preferred) organic matter content, and a
stormwater best practices. Applicable federal, state, healthy population of soil microbes and other species of
and local laws should be followed at all times to ensure soil dwellers."Through techniques such as soil aeration
compliance with cultural resources regulations. and thin-spreading compost, soil health is improved,
promoting a significant increase in infiltration. SCR is
a low-cost practice that reduces runoff near its source,
potentially reducing the need (and cost) of other
stormwater best practices.
Convert to Native Vegetation
Converting compacted turf areas to aesthetically-
appropriate native vegetation is an effective strategy
for source reduction of runoff, especially when applied
to large and/or strategic areas that generate significant
runoff. This conversion can significantly increase
infiltration of runoff into the soil, reducing the volume
and rate of runoff reaching downslope receptors, such
as eroding ravines. Infiltration can be further enhanced
with soil aeration (conducted during vegetation
conversion), especially in areas of compacted soil.
Under-utilized turf or paved areas in the Park could
be converted to native vegetation — or to other best
practices, such as rain gardens or bioswales. Exhibit
26 Eagle Point Park I ERMP I Dubuque, IA
9 illustrates areas that can be converted to native possibly refined when designing vegetated stormwater
vegetation (Woodland with Natives, Prairie),and Exhibit best practices.
11 shows additional conversion opportunities (Convert
to Native Vegetation, Infiltration Area), primarily along Permeable Surfaces
the loop road on the summit and in some parking lots. Permeable pavers or other pervious surfaces are
another infiltration technique, with the added benefit
Runoff Diverters of providing driving and parking surfaces. Permeable
One method to minimize "directly connected surfacing could be applied in many of the Infiltration
impervious areas" (a strategy in the Iowa Storm Water Areas discussed above. Exhibit 11 shows a potential use
Management Manual) is to install low barriers (e.g., of a permeable surface near the north end of the Park,
speed bumps)that divert runoff into areas where a best along the north access drive.
stormwater practice can be constructed.Two such areas
have been identified at the Park: Project Area J near the Stabilize Headcuts
bald eagle statue, and Project Area L in the Log Cabin Several eroding ravines were identified at the Park,
Pavilion parking lot. Runoff diverters in these locations most of which are experiencing headcut erosion. A
would direct runoff to "islands" in existing pavement headcut forms when,over time, high flow rates cut into
where rain gardens or other infiltration systems could the bottom of a drainageway. This is called an incised
be installed (see inset maps). drainageway.The downcutting creates a steep orvertical
drop below where runoff enters the drainageway,which
Runoff oiverter then leads to more erosion and even the formation of
- Infiltration Area a deep hole, called a plunge pool. Headcuts tend to
migrate up a drainageway unless a natural obstruction
Runoff Row Path prevents uphill migration, or unless people intervene
Elevation contour to reduce runoff or stabilize the erosion. Headcuts and
(2-ft interval) their downstream ravines should be assessed on a case-
Other convert to by-case basis to determine the stabilization that may
Native Vegetation be warranted. Ideally this should be pursued only after
- Building reducing the volume and rate of runoff arriving from an
- Impervious surface upslope source. Upslope runoff management may allow
passive "self-healing" of some headcuts and ravines
and avoid additional intervention. However, even with
improved runoff management upslope, some ravine
headcuts will likely require stabilization for safety,
infrastructure protection, or aesthetic reasons.
Two locations within the Park identified as Retrofit Existing Basins
opportunities for runoff divertersSeveral small stormwater management basins exist in
the Park. Some of these appeared to be functioning
Infiltration Areas as designed, but some were clogged or constructed
Another method to promote even greater infiltration with limited attention to ecological functioning. While
of runoff than native vegetation is to use rain gardens simple and affordable maintenance and repair would
and infiltration basins. These infiltration systems be a prudent first step in these basins, retrofitting them
are most effective in areas that can easily receive to increase performance may also be cost-effective.
gravity-flow runoff; they should be properly sized and Retrofitting may include a combination of re-grading the
designed to adequately treat the runoff they receive. basin shape,adding soil amendments,and re-designing
Due to the Park's silt loam soils (which are not highly the outlet structure to better control the rate of water
permeable) and shallow bedrock, soil amendments of leaving the basin.
sand and compost may be warranted; underdrains to 9.2 Prioritization of Stormwater Best Practices
keep the receiving area dry may also be advantageous. Stormwater management issues are often best
Vegetated infiltration systems also provide some addressed by combining best practices. Based on the
filtration and evapotranspiration functions, even when severity, safety concerns, infrastructure threats, and
actual infiltration to the soil is limited. Appendix E visibility of the Park's stormwater issues, Exhibit 12
provides an example native seed mix for a rain garden shows a preliminary prioritization of projects. Project
or similar bioinfiltration area, but site-specific factors areas and applicable best practice(s) are summarized in
must be considered and seed lists and live plant lists Table 6.
January 20, 2017 27
10 MONITORING, ADAPTIVE enhancement program, including implementation of
MANAGEMENT AND TRAINING stormwater best practices. As discussed previously,
this "adaptive management" sets in motion a cycle
10.1 Ecological Monitoring and Adaptive of evaluation, adjustment and refinement to make
Management maintenance activities most effective. It is important
Monitoring of vegetation, wildlife, and areas prone that adaptive management begins when restoration
to erosion provides information to evaluate and and enhancement projects begin. It requires upfront
justify proposed changes to the restoration and planning and baseline data collection. Monitoring
should be simple and relatively easy to implement,
Table 6 - Prioritization of Stormwater Best Practices although plant or animal identification skills are usually
at Eagle Point Park required. Ecological monitoring provides an objective
measurement of project-specific performance
Project Applicable Best Practice(s) Priority standards. It feeds data into the adaptive management
Area plan for the site. Monitoring and reporting should
A SQR, Convert to Native High be done more frequently at the onset of project
Vegetation, Infiltration Area, implementation, after which frequency can be reduced
Stabilize Headcut, Retrofit over time to an intermittent level. A detailed, site-
Existing Basin specific Ecological Monitoring Program for Eagle Point
B SQR, Convert to Native High Park is provided in Appendix F.
Vegetation, Infiltration Area, 10.2 Specialized Training
Stabilize Headcut, Retrofit While useful data can be collected by amateurs,
Existing Basin I monitoring protocols often require a moderate level
C SQR, Convert to Native High of expertise to implement accurately and consistently.
Vegetation, Infiltration Area, Implementing the Ecological Monitoring Program for
Stabilize Headcut, Retrofit Eagle Point Park(Appendix F)requires expertise in plant,
Existing Basin bird, and butterfly identification, as well as a working
D SQR, Convert to Native Medium understanding of erosion issues at the site. The City
Vegetation, Infiltration Area, may wish to partner with educational institutions,state
Stabilize Headcut, Retrofit agencies, the Dubuque County Conservation District,
Existing Basin Iowa Ornithologists Union, or other partners to assist
E SQR, Retrofit Existing Basin Low with monitoring and reporting. Consulting ecologists
F SQR, Infiltration Area, Stabilize Low can also be used to provide these services.
Headcut Regarding implementation of field restoration and
management activities, specialized training oversight,
G SQR, Convert to Native Low and guidance often involves licensing or certification
Vegetation where required by local, state or federal law. Personnel
H SQR, Convert to Native High involved in ecological restoration and management,
Vegetation, Retrofit Existing especially prescribed burning, herbicide application,
Basin (if routed to 1) brush control, seed collection, erosion control,
I SQR, Convert to Native Low and ecological monitoring should receive training
Vegetation, Retrofit Existing commensurate with the activity in which they would
Basin be involved. Special training should be provided and
J SQR, Runoff Diverter, Infiltration Low caution exercised when working in Park areas identified
Area to contain or potentially contain cultural resources. If
cultural resources are identified at the Park, proper
K SQR, Permeable Surfaces, Low procedures should be followed, consistent with the
Convert to Native Vegetation State Historic Preservation Office (SHPO). Training is
L SQR, Runoff Diverter, Infiltration Low especially important for those activities that may have
Area risk and safety implications to people, property, and
M Infiltration Area Low sensitive cultural resources.
N SQR, Infiltration Area Low
0 SQR, Infiltration Area Low
SQR=Soil quality restoration
2$ Eagle Point Park I ERMP I Dubuque, IA
11 RESTORATION AND MANAGEMENT subsequent invasion and growth of buckthorn
TASKS and honeysuckle, but thinning the understory
and occasional canopy gaps will allow filtered
11.1 Prescribed Burning (Park-Wide) sunlight to reach the ground and promote
Prescribed burning is an important and cost-effective native plant and pollinator-habitat diversity.
ecological restoration and management tool — and . Woody plant clearing should be done when the
one that is appropriate for more than just prairie. ground is frozen to minimize soil disturbance.
The Park's Dry-Mesic Forest and Bluff Woodland are Remove large cut trees from forest where
fire-dependent systems that will benefit from careful removals are dense. In less densely cut areas,
planningand proper execution of prescribed burns. Even trim branches so the trunk lies near the ground
the Park's Mesic Forest would benefit from infrequent surface to promote decay and provide habitat.
low-intensity surface fires; however, burning these . Cut material can be stacked and burned in
areas is more challenging due to steep slopes and less City-approved locations, transported off-site
important in the short-term. The Park's abundant oak for biomass-to-energy burning, or used as
leaf litter dropped annually in most of its forests and firewood. Care should be taken to not spread
woodlands will carry a low-intensity surface fire. These buckthorn berries, seeds, and parts of invasive
surface fires help remove excess leaf litter and duff, plants during removal. Handling and transport
control invasive plants not adapted to fire, and develop of cut wood should follow all state and federal
and sustain a diverse assemblage of native plants,which recommendations to minimize the potential
together provide high quality wildlife habitat. transfer of pests such as Emerald Ash Borer,
To address the problem of leaf litter disposal, which Gypsy Moth,etc.
currently smothers portions of the forest ground layer, . Retain and protect existing desirable native
leaf litter from turf areas should be blown into areas Woody and herbaceous vegetation; this may
of turf converted to native vegetation (Woodland with require avoidingtheuse offorestry mowers and
Natives) or into the Dry-Mesic Forest/Woodland where other general removal machinery.The slopes in
the resulting leaf layer will not be more than three to much of the Park will probably prevent the use
four inches deep. The areas where leaves are blown of mechanized woody plant removal.
can be burned annually as part of prescribed burning,
mimicking the frequent surface fires that occurred here • Treat invasive woody vegetation seedlings and
in the past. re-sprouts with foliar herbicide in the growing
11.2 Enhanced Mesic Forest, Dry-Mesic Forest/ season following cutting.
Woodland B) Control Invasive Herbaceous Plants
Enhancement of the site's existing forests can be
• Use a combination of spot herbiciding, spot
accomplished by removing invasive vegetation, mowing, and prescribed burning to remove
selectively thinning dense or aggressive native woody invasive herbaceous vegetation. Potential
species in the understory,and installing native plantings. species of concern are primarily garlic mustard,
If limited resources require that some areas are treated Japanese knotweed, creeping Charlie, bull
first, invasive vegetation management should focus on thistle, and Japanese hop.
the highest quality areas or areas with the rarest nature • Retain and protect existing desirable native
features; this is because early invasions are more easily woody and herbaceous vegetation by
controlled than dense infestations. Forest enhancement appropriate timing, chemical selection,
and management activities include: application method, and prescribed burning
A) Remove Invasive Woody Species timing and methods. Selective herbicides,
either broad-leaved or grass-specific depending
• Where present, cut and stump-treat with a on circumstances, may be appropriate to
contact herbicide all invasive non-native woody minimize collateral damage to desirable plants.
vegetation, primarily black locust, common . A minimum of two (and likely three) herbicide
buckthorn, Asian honeysuckles, oriental treatments will be required to control most
bittersweet, white poplar, white mulberry,
Japanese barberry, and multiflora rose. of these species and achieve performance
standards (see below).
• Conduct selective thinning of remaining . As these invasive plants havecreated a seedbank
aggressive woody vegetation (mostly young which could produce seedlings for several years,
black maple seedlings) in the understory.
Forest canopy should be maintained to reduce increasing the coverage of competing native
January 20, 2017 29
vegetation is the most effective way in the long healthier ecological community.
term to reduce invasive plant germination. • Direct seeding(e.g.,acorns) may be effective in
C) Optional—Install Native Seed&Herbaceous Plants certain areas, but most woody plantings should
• Following initial removal of invasive species, be bare root or saplings.
and if the native seedbank does not respond • The goal for forest and woodland canopy is
sufficiently in variety or coverage,seed with local greater than 80 percent tree canopy cover
ecotype native plants. At a minimum, a native overall, which will resist colonization by most
grassy cover crop is recommended to create invasive plants. At the same time, to prevent
competition with invasive seedlings to give the excessive shading, woody understory cover
existing native plants time to expand. Virginia by shrubs and saplings should be less than 25
wild-rye (Elymus virginicus), bottlebrush grass percent overall
(Elymus hystrix), and hairy brome (Brom us E) Ecological Monitoring& Management
pubescens) can be used as a low-cost native . Monitor the forest's response to enhancement
grass mix that should establish cover rapidly activities and adjust management activities
and allow follow-up spraying with a broadleaf- accordingly. Special attention should be
specific herbicide, if necessary. Areas seeded given to the Park's eroding ravines, which are
with rye can later be overseeded with other located within the site's forests. Monitoring
shade-tolerantforb species to increase diversity the restoration and management activities at
and habitat quality. The Forest/Woodland the site will help define the best management
Seed Mix in Appendix E provides species and schedule and techniques.
seeding rate recommendations. In addition,
volunteers can collect native seed of shade- • Being fire-dependent ecosystems, the Park's
tolerant grasses and forbs growing on the site forests and woodlands will be most cost-
and hand sow them in sparse or low diversity effectively managed with well planned and
areas. Over time,as the ground layer develops, executed prescribed burns. The Park's forests
it will help stabilize soils, prevent new invasion and woodlands should be burned every two
by invasive and weedy plants, and restore the to four years, depending on their response to
forest's ecological composition, structure, and restoration and management. A longer rotation
function. may be possible after initial restoration work is
done. Prior to any burning, secure necessary
• Seeding is less expensive than installing permissions, issue community notifications,
("plugging") live plant plugs, but seeding and take appropriate precautions to protect
requires more time for establishment. Many desired vegetation and infrastructure.
forest species have poor seed germination and
are best installed as live plants; however, the Enhanced Mesic Forest and Dry-Mesic Forest/
Forest/Woodland Seed Mix species listed in Woodland Performance Standards
Appendix E generally spread well from seed. Performance standards are measurable objectives used
Enhancement plugging can be conducted in to ensure that project goals are being met. Standards
select areas if additional species diversity is are applied after initial restoration work is completed
desired. and during the establishment period.
• The goal for native ground cover vegetation is The performance standards for enhancement of the
more than 75 percent overall. Park's forest are:
D) Optional—Install Native Woody Plants 1. Removal of invasive woody species (including
• Install ecologicallyappropriateand local ecotype aggressive native thinning). Immediately following
native trees and shrubs. Appendix D provides initial removal: 100 percent of stems >W' diameter
species lists for native tree and shrub species have been removed and herbicide-treated; for
appropriate for the Park. These species should stems <y:" diameter, <5 percent cover (assuming
preferentially be planted in light gaps in the tree leaf-off conditions) within any 100 sq ft area.
canopy to promote rapid growth. Protection 2. Follow-up foliar spray (resprouts and seedlings of
from deer browsing may be necessary. Native all invasive woody species). Immediately following
woody plantings will help stabilize and diversify initial foliar spray: 95 percent of all resprouts and
the forest, provide vegetative screening for seedlings have been herbicide-treated within any
sensitive wildlife, and initiate a trajectory 100 sq ft area.
towards a more natural forest structure and 3. Herbicide spot spray invasive herbaceous species.
30 Eagle Point Park I ERMP I Dubuque, IA
Two weeks after each spot spray treatment: 90 C) Install Native Seed and Optional Herbaceous Plants
percent of all target vegetation has been herbicide- • Once turf species are removed satisfactorily,
treated and 95 percent of treated plants are dead/ seed with local ecotype native seed. Appendix
dying within any 100 sq ft area. E provides separate seed mixes for "Woodland
4. Initial management of invasives. For the initial with Natives" and "Prairie."
5-year establishment period, 1) all invasive woody • Seeding is less expensive than installing live
species shall not exceed 1 percent aerial cover for plant plugs, but seeding requires more time
any given 100 sq ft area, and 2) all treated areas for establishment, and some prairie and
of invasive herbaceous species shall be reduced in savanna species are slow to develop. Therefore
cover by 75 percent. some species are best installed as live plants.
11.3 Woodland with Natives, Prairie If additional species diversity is desired,
Some of the Park's existing turf areas will be converted enhancement plugging can be conducted in
to Woodland with Natives or to Prairie. This conversion select areas, such as along roads and paths,
of herbaceous vegetation from turf grass to prairie/ and near buildings, signage, and other park
savanna grasses, sedges, and wildflowers will entail amenities.
multiple herbicide treatments to kill the existing turf D) Ecological Monitoring& Management
grasses prior to installation of native seed. • Monitor response to restoration activities and
A) Remove Invasive Woody Species adjust management accordingly. Restoring
• Where present,cut and stump treat all invasive prairie and savanna species from seed will take
non-native woody vegetation, primarily about three years, during which time patience
common buckthorn, white poplar, and white and ongoing management will be required.
mulberry. Monitoring of the effects of restoration and
management will help define and refine the
• Woody plant clearing should be done when the best management schedule and techniques.
ground is frozen to minimize soil disturbance.
Cut material can be stacked and burned in • Typical long-term management of these areas
City-approved locations, transported off-site will include herbicide spot spraying where
for biomass-to-energy burning, or used as response is poor, but prescribed burning is
firewood. Care should be taken to not spread recommended as the primary management
buckthorn berries, seeds, and parts of invasive tool. The Park's Woodland with Native and
plants during removal. Handling and transport Prairie should be burned every two years. Prior
of cut wood should follow all state and federal to any burning, secure necessary permissions,
recommendations to minimize the potential issue community notifications, and take
transfer of pests such as Emerald Ash Borer, appropriate precautions to protect desired
Gypsy Moth, etc. vegetation and infrastructure.
• Retain and protect existing desirable native Woodland with Natives and Prairie Performance
woody and herbaceous vegetation; slopes are Standards
gentler in these areas, which are primarily on The performance standards for these areas are:
the summit, so mowing machinery may be 1. Broadcast herbicide spray. Prior to installing native
used during the establishment period to control seed and at least 4 weeks after last herbicide
weedy and invasive plants. treatment, germinating turf and other undesired
• Treat invasive woody vegetation seedlings and vegetation shall represent <5 percent within any
re-sprouts with foliar herbicide in the growing 100 sq ft area.
season following cutting. 2. Herbicide spot spray invasive herbaceous species.
B) Remove Turf Grass and other Weeds Two weeks after each spot spray treatment: 90
• Use broadcast herbicide to kill existing lawn and percent of all target vegetation has been herbicide-
other undesired vegetation (including, but not treated and 95 percent of treated plants are dead/
limited to creeping Charlie). A minimum of two dying within any 100 sq ft area.
(and likely three) herbicide treatments will be 3. Native cover and richness. Three growing seasons
required to control the turf species and achieve after seeding, native species shall represent >_75
performance standards. percent cover. Native species richness shall be >_15
• Retain and protect existing desirable vegetation, species,with those well distributed throughout the
especially the Park's mature oak trees. planted Prairie.
January20, 2017 31
11.4 Bluff Prairie/Savanna timing and methods. Selective herbicides,
Enhancement of the site's existing Bluff Woodland either broad-leaved or grass-specific depending
and restoring it to a prairie/savanna system can on circumstances, may be appropriate to
be accomplished by removing invasive vegetation, minimize collateral damage to desirable plants.
selective thinning of dense or aggressive woodyspecies, C) Optional— Install Native Seed & Herbaceous Plants
and installing native plants. Use caution to not harm • As one of the Park's most intact native plant
the uncommon vegetation that has been identified communities, it is likely that a native seedbank
here. The thin soil over shallow bedrock also warrants has been retained in the Bluff Prairie/Savanna.
careful execution of restoration and management work After removal of invasive and aggressive
to prevent compaction and soil erosion. Additional species, the area should be monitored for
protection of this sensitive natural area will be necessary native seedbank response for at least one
as it will attract people to view the City from this point. growing season. If portions of the restored area
An interpretive trail with attractive fencing should be do not have a native seedbank, seed sparsely
located at the edge of the restoration area. The fencing vegetated areas with local ecotype native seed.
could be split rail using recycled red cedars removed Appendix E provides a seed mix for the Bluff
from the area.. Bluff Prairie/Savanna restoration and Prairie/Savanna.
management activities include: • Seeding is less expensive than installing live
A) Remove Invasive Woody Species plant plugs, but seeding requires more time
• Cut and stump treat with contact herbicide all for establishment. Some prairie and savanna
invasive non-native woody vegetation,primarily species are slow to develop, and are best
common buckthorn, Asian honeysuckles, and installed as live plants. Enhancement plugging
oriental bittersweet. can be conducted in select areas if additional
• Conduct selective thinning of remaining species diversity is desired.
aggressive woody vegetation, mostly young • The goal for native vegetation in areas with soil
Eastern red cedar trees, to achieve a maximum is at least 75 percent ground cover overall.
of 20 percent canopy cover. D) Ecological Monitoring& Management
• Woody plant clearing should be done when the • Monitor the area's response to enhancement
ground is frozen to minimize soil disturbance. activities and adjust management activities
All cut material should be removed from the accordingly. Special attention should be given
Bluff Prairie/Savanna. Care should be taken to to monitoring the uncommon vegetation in
not spread buckthorn berries, seeds, and parts this area. Monitoring the restoration and
of invasive plants during removal. Handling and management activities at the site will help
transport of cut wood should follow all state define and refine the best management
and federal recommendations to minimize the schedule and techniques.
potential transfer of pests such as Emerald Ash . Bluff Prairie/Savanna is a fire-dependent
Borer, Gypsy Moth,etc. ecosystem; however, due to the sparse
• Retain and protect existing desirable native vegetation, low fuel loading, and shallow soil,
woody and herbaceous vegetation. prescribed burns will likely notmove completely
• Treat invasive woody vegetation seedlings and through this area. Promoting competition
re-sprouts with foliar herbicide in the growing against woody plants by encouraging native
season following cutting, taking extreme care vegetation is the best long term way to keep
to avoid contact with native vegetation. the Bluff Prairie/Savanna open. Prior to any
B) Control Invasive Herbaceous Plants burning, secure necessary permissions, issue
• Use a combination of spot herbiciding, spot community notifications, and take appropriate
precautions to protect desired vegetation and
mowing, and prescribed burning to remove
infrastructure.
invasive herbaceous vegetation. Potential
species of concern are primarily dandelion and
bull thistle.
• Retain and protect existing desirable native
woody and herbaceous vegetation by
appropriate timing, chemical selection,
application method, and prescribed burning
32 Eagle Point Park I ERMP I Dubuque, IA
Bluff Prairie/Savanna Performance Standards 12.2 Restoration and Short-Term Management
The performance standards for enhancement of the Phasing (Years 1-3)
Park's Bluff Prairie/Savanna are: For illustration purposes, Table 7 shows a typical
1. Removal of invasive woody species (including restoration and short-term management program
aggressive native thinning). Immediately following for the initial three-year establishment of a given
initial removal: 100 percent of stems >W' diam. restoration project. However, restoration within a
have been removed and herbicide-treated; for particular management unit will require a more detailed
stems <%:' diameter, <5 percent cover (assuming scope and will likely follow a slightly different schedule.
leaf-off conditions) within any 100 sq ft area. 12.3 Restoration and Management Phasing&
2. Follow-up foliar spray (resprouts and seedlings of Costing (Years 1-10)
all invasive woody species). Immediately following Table 8 illustrates the recommended restoration and
initial foliar spray: 95 percent of all resprouts and short-term management schedule and opinion of prob-
seedlings have been herbicide-treated within any able cost(OPC) for initial restoration and enhancement
100 sq ft area. of Eagle Point Park, perpetual management through
3. Herbicide spot spray invasive herbaceous species. 2026, SQR in turf areas, and ecological monitoring of
Two weeks after each spot spray treatment: 90 vegetation and wildlife. Costs are representative of
percent of all target vegetation has been herbicide- qualified, private ecological contractors. Changes in
treated and 95 percent of treated plants are dead/ approach, the response of plant communities, funding
dying within any 100 sq ft area. cycles, partnership goals, and emerging opportunities
4. Initial management of invasives. For the initial may justify modification of this scope and schedule. As
5-year establishment period, 1) all invasive woody always, adaptive management should be used to pro-
species shall not exceed 1 percent aerial cover for vide the best, most cost-effective results.
any given 100 sq ft area, and 2) all treated areas Planning and implementing ecological restoration
of invasive herbaceous species shall be reduced in and management requires an understanding of
cover by 95 percent. cost. Many assumptions are embedded in the OPC
presented in the preceding table. These costs should
therefore be viewed as preliminary estimates. Costs
12 RESTORATION AND MANAGEMENT are representative of private, specialized ecological
PHASING AND COSTS contractors and consultants performing restoration
12.1 Management Units and enhancement work. Volunteers, partnerships with
other organizations, donation of materials, and use
Management units are used to organize ecological of City staff time can reduce these costs. Regardless
restoration and management. Based on the Park's plant of the implementation approach, close supervision of
communities and ecological goals, four management all steps (including material acquisition, installation,
units were delineated for the site (Exhibit 13). and management) is prudent to ensure work is done
Management unit boundaries were delineated along properly and restoration and enhancement goals are
existing roads, topographic breaks, areas of similar achieved.
management needs(e.g.,where prescribed fire is used),
and proposed uses. The need to provide refuge for
invertebrates during and after prescribed fires was also
considered. Turf areas (where SQR is recommended)
are not included in Exhibit 13's ecological management
units. Management units have been numbered MU-1
through MU-4 strictly for identification purposes; they
do not represent priorities or a chronological order
for implementation. Dividing these management
units into subunits may be warranted, depending
on funding, scheduling, and other variables. Each
management unit contains a variety of land cover types
and warrants different restoration and management
tasks. Restoration and short-term management tasks
generally include site preparation,brushing and thinning
(in wooded communities),weed control,native seeding
and planting,and ecological monitoring and reporting.
January 20, 2017 33
Table 7: Generalized Schedule for Restoration and Short-Term Management of a Given Project Area
r
Site Preparation(all zones) Broadcast herbicide,till,spot herbicide,
and/or mow
Brushing&Thinning Cut&stump treat invasive woody
(upland zones) plants
LIJ
Remove or selectively thin aggressive
native woody plants 41 1
Weed Control(all zones) Prescribed burn (prep burn either late
Summer, Fall or Spring)
Spot herbicide and/or spot mow
Foliar herbicide non-native woody re-
growth
Seeding&Planting Install native seed
(All zones,where weed Install live woody plants when dormant
control adequate, if weed Install live herbaceous plants
control achieved sooner
plantings can be installed
sooner)
Ecological Monitoring& Assess/document site,and prepare
Reporting(all zones) year-end summary report
34Eagle Point Park ERMP Dubuque, IA
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36 Eagle Point Park ERMP Dubuque, IA
13 PUBLIC OUTREACH & Interpretation Strategies
INTERPRETATION Interpretive signage or interactive kiosks,
Given its location within the City limits, Eagle Point addressing:
Park provides an important opportunity to capitalize o Regional natural history: Mississippi River
on public outreach and interpretation. Many strategies Valley, glacial history of the Driftless Area,
can simultaneously address both of these goals. Some bedrock geology,and watersheds;
strategies that have been used effectively in similar o Site history: Progression from a wild landscape
parks and natural areas follow. to cherished park to enhanced natural area;
Outreach Strategies o Cultural history: Native Americans, early white
• Partnerships. The City's location and goals for the ethnic groups, agricultural communities;
Park present many opportunities for partnering. o Native ecosystems: Specifically those being
Some suggestions follow. restored to the site—forest, woodland,
o Develop a Friends of Eagle Point Park group savanna, and prairie;
o Ecological restoration and management
o Dubuque County Conservation District practices;
o University of Dubuque, other nearby colleges, o Wildlife and their habitats; and
and local schools (use the Park as a living
laboratory,for research,and repeat monitoring) o Naturalized stormwater treatment train.
o Iowa Ornithologists' Union • Tree and plant identification signs
o Iowa Native Plant Society • Raptor and other bird silhouettes and information
o The Xerxes Society (butterflies) at observation points
o The Wild Ones (native plant communities) • Environmental day camp
• Geocaching
• Bioblitz. Many communities have collected valuable
data by sponsoring a bioblitz.A bioblitz is typically a
24-hour period when professionals and volunteers
document all living species within a given area,
such as a public park. A bioblitz helps to gather
important baseline and ongoing monitoring data
on plants and animals in a specific area, while also
engaging people in discovery of the natural world
and scientific research in the company of experts.
Holding a bioblitz at Eagle Point Park could be an
effective way of engaging the community and
collecting valuable baseline data for comparison
with post-restoration data.
• Art.Select artists to install temporary or permanent
works of art celebrating the natural and cultural
history of the Park. Outdoor art (e.g., sculptures)
could be installed in highly visible locations, and
other art (e.g., paintings, photography) could be
displayed inside the Park's protected structures.
Refer to the City's Arts and Culture Master Plan for
additional strategies.
• Internet. The City could expand its Eagle Point Park
web page to include more, and regularly-updated,
content (e.g., "What to see at Eagle Point this
week").
January 20, 2017 37
14 PARTNERING & FUNDING Small Grants Program Funds Available. The Iowa
OPPORTUNITIES DNR, funded by donations from the Fish &Wildlife
Protection Fund (Chickadee Checkoff) and Natural
14.1 Partnering Resource License Plate funds, has small grants
Park restoration and management provide opportun- available for projects directly relating to wildlife
ities to engage with a variety of partners. Several diversity conservation,education,or research.Total
potential partners are identified in the previous annual grant monies available are $10,000 with
section, and some of these may open opportunities for $2,500 being the maximum amount available per
additional technical or financial assistance with project project funding request. A small grants brochure
implementation and perpetual management. can be found at:
14.2 Funding http://www.iowadnr.gov/portals/idnr/uploads/
The City has a $79,000 capital improvement budget for Wildlife Stewardship/small_grants.pdf?amp;
stormwater improvements at Eagle Point Park, as well tabid=1592.
as remaining Resource Enhancement and Protection National Fish and Wildlife Foundation (NFWF)
(REAP) funds($150,000). . Five Star and Urban Waters Restoration Grant. This
Securing financial resources—both for initial restoration partnership grant focuses on water quality issues in
efforts and perpetual management — is critical to the priority watersheds,such as erosion due to unstable
long-term success of any restoration plan. To augment streambanks, pollution from stormwater runoff,
the City's existing financial resources, the following and degraded shorelines caused by development.
entities or programs may provide funds to help the City Given that Eagle Point Park lacks streambanks and
implement thisERMP. shorelines, and its stormwater runoff issues are
Iowa DNR localized, this grant may be difficult to secure for
the Park. More information is available at: htl
• Resource Enhancement and Protection (REAP) wwwnfwf.org/fivestar/Pages/home.aspx
— City Parks and Open Spaces. In 2015, the City
of Dubuque secured a $200,000 REAP grant for ' Pulling Together Initiative. Modest grants to help
Eagle Point Park. The City may wish to re-apply for
local communities effectively manage invasive
another$200,000 in Fall 2017. vegetation. More information is available at: htl
• Land & Water Conservation Fund (LWCF). This is
www.nfwf.org/pti/Pages/home.aspx
a federal program administered by the state. This ' Monarch Butterfly Conservation Fund.
fund requires a 1:1 match,which could be met using Public-Private Initiatives
the City of Dubuque's existing funds ($229,000). • Private Recognition.The City of Dubuque may want
Therefore, the City may wish to pursue a $175,000
to explore opportunities for private individuals or
LWCF grant in Spring 2017.
entities (e.g., corporations) to fund restoration
The Iowa DNR's Wildlife Diversity program has two work in exchange for recognition (e.g., naming
separate non-game wildlife grant programs: 1) Habitat rights, plaques).
Management Grants, and 2) Small Grants. Please • Foundation Grants. The City of Dubuque may want
read below for information about each program and
instructions for submitting applications. o develop a brief fund-raising concept around the
overall rejuvenation of the cultural and natural
• Habitat Management Grants Program. The Iowa resources of Eagle Point Park and approach Iowa-
DNR's Wildlife Diversity Program is making small based foundations for specific elements of that
grants available for habitat management projects concept.
directly related to wildlife diversity conservation.
Projects should be closely related to the goals of
Iowa's Wildlife Action Plan. This is a small program.
Total grant monies available are $15,000 each year,
with $7,500 being the maximum amount available
per proposal request. No match is required for
these funds. More information and management
grant application instructions can be found at:
http://www.iowadnr.gov/portals/idnr/uploads/
Wildlife Stewardship/mgt_grants.pdf?amp;
tabid=1592.
3$ Eagle Point Park ERMP Dubuque, IA
15 CONCLUSION This Environmental Restoration Management Plan,
Eagle Point Park is a highly-valued asset and natural carried out by qualified restoration specialists and
resource for the City of Dubuque. It currently is a evaluated annually through ecological monitoring and
highly used recreational venue for the community, as adaptive management, will help to ensure that the City
well as a provider of important ecosystem services. will create and pass on to future generations healthy
Its history of land alteration, subsequent erosion from ecosystems and wildlife populations for the enjoyment
uncontrolled runoff, and colonizing invasive species of all and the benefit of nature. This experience with
have compromised its functions and values. The the restoration of an urban natural area may be helpful
ecological restoration and management tasks described to move restoration of other urban green species ahead
in this ERMP will help achieve the conservation goals and,overtime,elevate all the green spaces of the City to
desired by the City. greater ecological functionality,community enjoyment,
Next steps in the process of restoring Eagle Point Park and the vitality of nature.
would be:
• Confirm the City's priority projects that will be
undertaken in Phase 2 of this REAP-funded project;
this should include baseline ecological monitoring
(collected as early as possible in a restoration
project), priority ecological restoration,and priority
stormwater best practices;
• Prepare LWCF grant application;
• Prepare REAP grant application;
• Refine the details of priority projects to the extent
necessary to solicit bids;
• Form a bid package development team of the City
and any project partners;
• Identify a City project coordinator in charge of
producing, releasing, awarding, and managing the
bid and subsequent task execution;
• Determine the phases of construction, including
tasks to be performed by City staff, other partners,
low-cost labor,and volunteers;
• Develop and release bid package(s) based on
the tasks, acres, and performance standards
in the ERMP; prime vendors should be sought
with demonstrable and extensive experience in
ecological restoration and stormwater best practice
construction;
• Award the contract(s) and oversee the work;
• After the first year of restoration work, collect
subsequent monitoring data for comparison with
baseline data;
• Conduct an annual walk-about to inspect and
evaluate the restoration work;
• Write a first year restoration monitoring report
at the end of 2018, and compare vegetation and
wildlife data to baseline data collected in 2017;
the report should document all problems, propose
solution, and schedule tasks for the 2019 growing
season; and
• Hold a celebration of progress and initial success.
January 20, 2017 39
16 REFERENCES & RESOURCES Iowa Department of Natural Resources (Iowa DNR).
CONSULTED 2009. Iowa Storm Water Management Manual.
http://www.iowadnr.gov/Environmental-
Protection/Water-Qua I ity/N P D ES-Storm-Wa ter/
Blewett, T.J., J.W. Lehmann, and S.K. Winters. 1983. Storm-Water-Manual (Accessed October 2016).
Mines of Spain Vegetation Study - Dubuque Iowa Department of Natural Resources (Iowa DNR).
County, Iowa - Phase II: Community Analysis. Final No date. Indiana bat guidelines (brochure). In
Report submitted to the State of Iowa Conservation cooperation with US Fish and Wildlife Service, Rock
Commission in partial fulfillment of Project No. Island Field Office, Moline, IL.
MOS-3.
Iowa Department of Natural Resources (Iowa DNR). No
Chapman, S.S., Omernik,J.M., Griffith, G.E., Schroeder, date. State Preserves Guide. Des Moines, IA.
W.A., Nigh, T.A., and Wilton, T.F., 2002, Ecoregions
of Iowa and Missouri (color poster with map, Iowa Natural History Association and Geological Society
descriptive text,summary tables,and photographs): of Iowa. 1991. Natural and Cultural History of the
Reston, Virginia, U.S. Geological Survey (map scale Mines of Spain - Dubuque County, Iowa. Iowa
1:1,800,000). Natural History Association Guidebook 7 and
Chen, I-C., J.K. Hill, R. Ohlemiiller, D.B. Roy and C.D. Geological Society of Iowa Guidebook 53.
Thomas. 2011. Rapid range shifts of species Iowa Ornithologists' Union. 2016. Ad Hoc Datasets.
associated with high levels of climate warming. http://www.iowabirds.org/birds/DataSets.aspx
Science 333:1024-1026. (Accessed October 2016).
Minnesota Department of Natural Resources. 2005.
City of Dubuque. 2016. Eagle Point Park History. http:// Field Guide to the Native Plant Communities of
www.cityofdubuque.org/l149/Eagle-Point-Park-
History(Accessed September 2016). Minnesota: The Eastern Broadleaf Forest Province.
Ecological Land Classification Program, Minnesota
City of Dubuque. 2015. 2015 Resource Enhancement County Biological Survey, and Natural Heritage and
and Protection (REAP) grant application for the Nongame Research Program.
Eagle Point Park Environmental Restoration Project.
St. Paul, MN.
Dubuque Leisure Services Department, Confluence
and Midwest Arbor Image. 2011. Urban Forest Penton, Inc. 2016. Grounds Maintenance for Golf &
Evaluation 2011-Dubuque, IA. Green Industry Professional. http://www.grounds-
mag.com/mag/grounds_maintenance-leaves_
Encyclopedia Dubuque. 2016. www• turn litter/(Accessed September 2016).
encyclopediadubuque.org (Accessed September turn_
2016). Phillips, Christopher A., Ronald A. Brandon, Edward
O. Moll. 1999. Field Guide to Amphibians and
Fort Ward Park and Museum Area Management Plan. Reptiles of Illinois. Illinois Natural History Survey,
2014.Section H: Best Practices-Landscape Cultural Champaign, IL.
Practices.
PyneS.J. 1982. Fire in America: A cultural history
Friends of the Mines of Spain. 2016a. Bird Checklist of wildland and rural fire. Princeton: Princeton
for the Mines of Spain. http://minesofspain.org/ University Press. Princeton, NJ.
birdchecklist.pdf(Accessed September 2016).
State Historical Society of Iowa. 2016. Records request
Friends of the Mines of Spain. 2016b. Wildlife at for transcribed General Land Office(GLO)surveyor's
the Mines of Spain. http://minesofspain.org/ field notes and township maps completed during
WildlifeatMOS.pdf(Accessed September 2016). the period 1836-1848 for selected portions of
Iowa Department of Natural Resources (Iowa DNR). T89N R2E and T89N R3E in Dubuque County, Iowa.
2016a. Landform regions of Iowa (web page). Iowa Department of Cultural Affairs, Government
http://www.iowadnr.gov/Conservation/Wildlife- Records Archive, Des Moines, IA.
Stewardship/Iowa-Wildlife-Action-Plan/Landform- Stewart, O.C. 2002. Forgotten Fires- Native Americans
Regions-of-Iowa (Accessed August 2016). and the transient wilderness. University of
Iowa Department of Natural Resources (Iowa DNR). Oklahoma Press: Norman, OK.
2016b. Natural Heritage Information System (NNIS)
data.
Iowa Department of Natural Resources (Iowa DNR).
2015. Securing a Future for Fish and Wildlife: A
Conservation Legacy for Iowans.
40 Eagle Point Park I ERMP I Dubuque, IA
Telegraph Herald and Times Journal. 1934. "Many Trees
in Dubuque Centuries Old; Some of Them are Older
Than City" (September 16, 1934, p. 3). http://news.
google.com/newspapers?id=CdZBAAAAIBAJ&sjid=
4q k MAAAAI BAJ&pg=2121,3357794&dq=eagle+poi
nt+park+dubuque&hl=en
Universityof Iowa School of Urban and Regional Planning
and Iowa Initiative for Sustainable Communities.
2012. Sustainability Progress Report 2012.
USDA/NRCS (U.S. Department of Agriculture/Natural
Resources Conservation Service). 2016. Custom Soil
Resource Report for Dubuque County, Minnesota —
Eagle Point Park. Web Soil Survey, report generated
August 30, 2016. http://websoilsurvey.nres.usda.
gov/app/Home Page.htm (accessed September
2016).
USEPA (U.S. Environmental Protection Agency). 2005.
National Management Measures to Control
Nonpoint Source Pollution from Urban Areas.
Management Measure 9: Pollution Prevention.
USFWS (U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service). 2016a. Known
Northern Long-eared Bat Hibernacula and Roost
Trees in Iowa (updated May 3, 2016). Rock Island
Ecological Services Field Office, Moline, IL.
USFWS. 2016b. Final 4(d) Rule for the Northern
Long-Eared Bat. U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service,
Washington, DC.
USFWS. 2016c. Range-wide Indiana bat summer
survey guidelines. https://www.fws.gov/Midwest/
endangered/ma m ma Is/inba/surveys/pdf/2016ind
iana BatSummerSurveyGuidelinesllApril20l6.pdf.
(Accessed 2016).
USFWS and Pennsylvania Game Commission. 2016.
Northern Long-Eared Bat Final 4(d) Rule, White-
Nose Syndrome Zone Around WNS/Pd Positive
Counties/Districts. Map Created August 31, 2016.
Wapsi Valley Archaeology. 2016. Phase I Intensive
Archaeological Survey of Eagle Point Park, City of
Dubuque, Dubuque County, Iowa. Wapsi Valley
Archaeology Report No. 847. Animosa, IA.
January 20, 2017 41
- Page intentionally left blank-
January 20, 2017
EXHIBITS
Exhibit 1:Regional Context
Exhibit 2:Topography&Soils
Exhibit 3:1930s Aerial Photograph
Exhibit 4:2015 Aerial Photograph
Exhibit 5:Stormwater Issues
Exhibit 6:Existing Land Cover
Exhibit 7:Core Habitats
Exhibit 8:Pre-1900 Vegetation
Exhibit 9:Proposed Land Cover
Exhibit 10:Cultural Resources Avoidance
Exhibit 11: Recommended Stormwater Best Practices
Exhibit 12: Prioritization of Stormwater Best Practices
Exhibit 13: Ecological Management Units
ERMP Eagle Point Park Dubuque, IA
QQ Eagle Point Park I ERMP I Dubuque, IA
BALLTOWN y'
�,� � Y♦fes. � 151
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Eagle Point Park(108 ac)
m
® wIowa Public Conserv. & Rec. Land SHERR�ILL�A .. •� _.
City of Dubuque Parcel `*,p1, t1,j7r7 * WISCONSIN --t,�-
Dubuque County ParcelTF
I;
City Limits
Land Cover SALLE
Forest - _ N
DURANGO ss •.
Herbaceous&Shrub/Scrub ~
SAGEVILL SITE 151
Hay/Pasture IOWA
-0;
Cultivated Crops
Emergent Herbaceous Wetlands
O
it • '` a5 0
Woody Wetlands ASBU RY s1 61
Open Water
Developed,Open Space DUBUQUE+ 2 as
Y 52 F
Barren Land �'� 61 r (EAST DUBUQUE, IL
L v
Developed t + I1 5 INOIS
CENTRALIA
M @
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}1 52
P1i espt � _
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Dubuque Re9ronel 61
raeka •—:.� �L55a ahi A� w. � � �_ � � ... .. . �- �_d •t
J'
Eagle Point Park - Environmental Data Sources:
- City of Dubuque
- NLCD land cover
Restoration Management Plan Street Map USA
AES Project Number: 16-0320
Date:2016-11-21
Exhibit 1 File Name: EaglePt_regional context 2016-11-21
Regional Context ononrigmAPPLIED
i A ECOLOGICAL
7 .1
�NYNL-UN SERVICES
Applied Ecological Services, Inc.
21938 Mushtom Road
Prior Lake, MN 55372
952-447-1919 N
w ..appliedeco.com
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11 -
Soil Survey Map Units
163C-Fayette silt loam,5-9%slopes 40P. r
J
163D-Fayette silt loam,9-14%slopes
163E
163F-Fayette silt loam,18-25%slopes iIt
`, _
478G-Nordness-Rock outcrop complex, 18-60%slopes ' �• ,I, � I •�
rN) 1
5030-Pits,quarries
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Data Sources:
Eagle Point Park - Environmental -City of Dubuque
Management
USDA/NRCS Web Soil Survey
M
Restoration anagement Plan - LiDARcontours&hillshade
AES Project Number: 16-0320
Date: 2016-11-21
Exhibit 2 File Name: EaglePt_topo soils_2016-11-21
Topography and Soils ■■■mrigoAPPLIED
or" M
FL A ECOLOGICAL
11111111L.VVL,+J SERVICES
Applied Ecological Services, Inc.
21938 Mushtown Road
Prior Lake, MN 55372
952-447-1919 N
www.appliedeco.com
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` Eagle Point Park (108 ac)- - -
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Eagle Point Park - Environmental Data Sources:
-City of Dubuque
Restoration Management Plan - Iowa DNR
AES Project Number: 16-0320
Date: 2016-11-21
File Name: EaglePt_1930sAerial Photo-2016-11-21
Exhibit 3
1930s Aerial Photograph or", Vi
i A ECOLOGICAL
EMWWL.lrE SERVICES
Applied Ecological Services, Inc.
21938 Mushtown Road
Prior Lake, MN 55372
952-447-1919
www.appliedeco.com I V
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0 200 400 800
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Data Sources:
Eagle Point Park Environmental City of Dubuque
-
Restoration Management Plan NAIP aerial photo(2015)
AES Project Number: 16-0320
Date: 2016-11-21
File Name: EaglePt_2015 Aerial Photo 2016-11-21
Exhibit 4
2015 Aerial Photograph onowr77mAPPLIED
FL 1ECOLOGICAL
NOWL3143 l YM SERVICES
Applied Ecological Services, Inc.
21938 Mushtow Road
Prior Lake, MN 55372
952-447-1919 N
www.appliedeco.com
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0 200 400 800
a•
r
Eagle Point Park (108 ac)
■ Stormwater Issue
t r
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s '
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• Storm Manhole
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w
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Eagle Point Park Environmental Data Sources:
-City of Dubuque
- Li DAR contours
Restoration Management Plan NAIP aerialphoto(2015)
AES Project Number: 16-0320
Date: 2016-11-21
Exhibit 5 File Name: EaglePt_sw issues_2016-11-21
Stormwater Issues moomri m
Slim" r. 1APPLIED
FL 1 ECOLOGICAL
OIL,
SERVICES
Applied Ecological Services, Inc.
21938 Mushtown Road
Prior Lake, MN 55372
952-447-1919 N
www.appliedeco.com
Feet
0 200 400 800
Eagle Point Park (108 ac) r '
Elevation Contour (2-ft interval) y
Existing Land Cover
Mesic Forest(11.93 ac)
Dry-Mesic Forest(30.78 ac)
Dry-Mesic Forest(young) (12.56 ac) !!�
BluffWoodland(3.75 ac)
Woodland with Turf(28.97 ac)
Turf(4.52 ac) _
*r
Landscaped(1.37 ac) �
Play Area(0.39 ac)
Water(0.04 ac)
Impervious Cover(12.65 ac) -
Building(0.82 ac) �..
f
Eagle Point Park - Environmental Data Sources:
-City of Dubuque
- UDAR contours
Restoration Management Plan -NAIP aerial photo(2015)
AES Project Number: 16-0320
Date: 2016-11-21
Exhibit 6 File Name: EaglePt_exist lc_2016-11-21
Existing Land Cover ^n�"w�,��
� n• J� r,APPLIED
i 7 d ECOLOGICAL
0066k.31+: SERVICES
Applied Ecological Services, Inc.
21938 Mushtown Road
Prior Lake, MN 55372
952-447-1919
www.appliedeco.com N
Feet
0 200 400 800
r �
1
Eagle Point Park (108 aC)
Core Habitats `y
Mesic Forest Core `
Dry-Mesic Forest Core • .�
Bluff Woodland Core .. '
Of « ro
Is
y 17 ' '1
IL 4
Eagle Point Park Environmental Data Sources:
-City of Dubuque
- UDAR contours
Restoration Management Plan -NAIP aerial photo(2015)
AES Project Number: 16-0320
Date: 2016-11-21
Exhibit 7 File Name: EaglePt_core habitats_2016-11-21
Core Habitats n�"w�,��
n^n• J� r,APPLIED
i 7 A ECOLOGICAL
�0Yli►.,ro SERVICES
Applied Ecological Services, Inc.
21938 Mushtown Road
Prior Lake, MN 55372
952-447-1919
w ..appliedeco.com N
Feet
0 250 500 1,000
I Eagle Point Park (108 ac)
Pre-1800 Vegetation
Forest
Savanna & Woodland
Prairie & Savanna
Bluff Prairie
Eagle Point Park - Environmental Data Sources:
-City of Dubuque
Restoration Management Plan - LiDAR contours
AES Project Number: 16-0320
Date: 2016-11-21
File Name: EaglePt_prel800_2016-11-21
Exhibit 8
Pre-1800 Vegetation "'"r'r'APPLIED
FL A ECOLOGICAL
1111111L.VVL,+1 SERVICES
Applied Ecological Services, Inc.
21938 Mushtown Road
Prior Lake, MN 55372
952-447-1919
www.appliedeco.com N
m=Feet
0 200 400 800
t�
Eagle Point Park (108 ac)
Elevation Contour (2-ft interval) LE
Proposed Land Cover 1 •
Enhanced Mesic Forest(11.93 ac)
Dry-Mesic Forest/Woodland(42.23 ac)
Woodland with Natives (14.87 ac) L W
1 ■
Bluff Prairie/Savanna(4.85 ac)
Prairie (2.89 ac)
Woodland with Turf(12.71 ac)
Turf(3.07 ac)
Landscaped(1.37 ac)
Play Area(0.39 ac) _
MWater(0.04 ac)
Impervious Cover(12.59 ac)
Building(0.82 ac)
Eagle Point Park Environmental Data Sources:
-City of Dubuque
- UDAR contours
Restoration Management Plan -NAIP aerial photo(2015)
AES Project Number: 16-0320
Date: 2016-11-21
Exhibit 9 File Name: EaglePtyrop lc_2016-11-21
Proposed Land Cover ��"�'�
�^n� r� �APPLIED
i 7
-1 ECOLOGICAL
�0y9L.31do SERVICES
Applied Ecological Services, Inc.
21938 Mushtown Road
Prior Lake, MN 55372
952-447-1919
www.appliedeco.com N
Feet
0 200 400 800
OEagle Point Park (108 ac) 14
Cultural Resource Avoidance Rating
High (confirmed surface features)
IV
Moderate(confirmed or potential subgrade features)
_ Low(Caldwell-designed landscape)
None(features unlikely)
- Building/Structure
- Roads & Parking
■ Trails & Sidewalks
Park Amenity
..
1% tit
r\
Eagle Point Park Environmental Data Sources:
-City of Dubuque
-Ayres Associates
Restoration Management Plan -NAIP aerial photo(2015)
AES Project Number: 16-0320
Date: 2016-11-21
Exhibit 10 File Name: EaglePt_cultural_2016-11-21
opowrigCultural Resources Avoidance 111 11 �
onn� p APPLIED
FL 1 ECOLOGICAL
Ill YM SERVICES
Applied Ecological Services, Inc.
21938 Mushtown Road
Prior Lake, MN 55372
952-447-1919 N
AMS www.appliedeco.com
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Eagle Point Park Environmental Data Sources:
-City of Dubuque
- Li DAR contours
Restoration Management Plan NAIP aerialphoto(2015)
AES Project Number: 16-0320
Date: 2016-11-22
Exhibit 11 File Name: EaglePt_m bps_2016-11-22
Recommended Stormwater Best Practices """''"
"^"� A. APPLIED
i 1 ECOLOGICAL
00661LUE SERVICES
Applied Ecological Services, Inc.
21938 Mushtorvn Road
Prior Lake, MN 55372
952-447-1919 N
vmw.appliedeco.com
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Eagle Point Park Environmental Data Sources:
-City of Dubuque
- Li DAR contours
Restoration Management Plan -NAIP aerialphoto(2015)
AES Project Number: 16-0320
Date: 2016-11-22
Exhibit 12 File Name: EaglePt_m priorities_2016-11-22
Prioritization of Stormwater Best Practices OPM I
�^"� �. APPLIED
i 1 ECOLOGICAL
00661LUE SERVICES
Applied Ecological Services, Inc.
21938 Mushtorvn Road
Prior Lake, MN 55372
952-447-1919 N
vmw.appliedeco.com
Feet
0 200 400 800
MU-2
MU-1
Eagle Point Park (108 ac)di
Management Units
MU-1 (16 ac)
MU-2(13 ac)
MU-3(27 ac)
d
MU-4(21 ac)
NA(31 ac)
MU-3
MU-4
Data Sources:
Eagle Point Park Environmental City of Dubuque
-
Restoration Management Plan NAIP aerial photo(2015)
AES Project Number: 16-0320
Date: 2016-11-21
File Name: EaglePt_mgmt units 201&11-21
Exhibit 13
Ecological Management Units moo�"�'m
OF'" " r1 APPLIED
i 7 1 ECOLOGICAL
NoY y`AAA,r. SERVICES
Applied Ecological Services, Inc.
21938 Mushtown Road
Prior Lake, MN 55372
952-447-1919
w appliedeco.com N
Feet
0 200 400 800
APPENDIX A: GLOSSARY AND ACRONYMS
GLOSSARY
Adaptive Structured decision making in the face of uncertainty, with an aim to reducing
Management uncertainty over time by a cycle of implementation, monitoring, evaluation, and
adjustment.
Bioblitz Typically a 24-hour period when professionals and volunteers document all living
species within a given area,such as a public park.
Biodiversity The variety of life in a particular habitat or ecosystem, including plants and animals.
Climate Moderation Less extreme fluctuations in temperature.
Driftless Area This geomorphic region of the American Midwest was not affected directly by the
last (Wisconsinan) glaciation, resulting in very old, weathered landscapes including
deeply carved river valleys.
Ecological Restoration Improving the natural environment by stabilizing and enhancing biodiversity,
resilience,and ecosystem services.
Ecological Stewardship Refers to responsible use and protection of the natural environment through
conservation and sustainable practices.
Generalist Wildlife Animal species that can live in many different types of environments and have a varied
Species diet and broad habitat requirements.
Groundwater Hydrologic process where water moves downward from surface water to groundwater.
Recharge Recharge is the primary method that water enters an aquifer.
Habitat Fragmentation Habitat fragmentation is the process by which habitat loss results in the division of
large, continuous habitats into smaller, more isolated remnants.
Indicator Species An organism whose presence,absence or abundance reflects a specific environmental
condition. Indicator species can signal a change in the biological condition of
a particular ecosystem, and may be used as a proxy to diagnose the health of an
ecosystem.
Invasive Species Aggressive species whose introduction does or is likely to cause economic or
environmental harm or harm to human health.
LiDAR Light Detection and Ranging (LiDAR) is a remote sensing technology that measures
distance by illuminating a target with a laser and analyzing the reflected light. It is
most commonly used for elevation contour mapping.
Mesic Characterized by a moderate amount of soil moisture
Migration Corridor Area of habitat connecting wildlife populations separated by human activities or
structures (such as roads,development or logging).
Native Plants Plants indigenous to a given area in geologic time. This includes plants that have
developed, occur naturally, or existed for many years in an area.
Non-invasive Species Species that are not likely to cause economic or environmental harm.
January 20, 2017 Al
Sensitive Natural Type of designation for an area that needs special protection because of its landscape,
Areas wildlife or historical value.
Specialist Wildlife Animal species that have specific environmental needs related to habitat, diet or
Species another environmental factor, without which they cannot sustain their populations.
Tree Regeneration The act of renewing tree cover by establishing young trees naturally or artificially.
ACRONYMS
GIS Geographic Information System
Iowa DNR Iowa Department of Natural Resources
NHIS Natural Heritage Information System
NRCS Natural Resources Conservation Service
SHPO State Historic Preservation Office
SGCN Species of Greatest Conservation Need
SQR Soil Quality Restoration
USDA United States Department of Agriculture
AZ Eagle Point Park I ERMP I Dubuque, IA
APPENDIX B: EAGLE POINT PARK - FLORA BY LAND COVER
TYPE AND STRATUM (INCLUDING COVER CLASS)
January 20, 2017 B1
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B2 Eagle Point Park I ERMP I Dubuque, IA
Appendix B. Eagle Point Park-Flora by Land Cover Type and Stratum(including cover class)
Mesic Forest Dry-Mesic Forest Bluff Woodland with Turf
Species(by Stratum) Common Name
Area 1 Area 2 Area 1 Area 2(Young) Woodland Area 1 Area 2
Canopy Stratum
Acernegundo BOX ELDER 1 1 2 2
Acer nigrum BLACK MAPLE 3
Acer sacchannum SILVER MAPLE 1
Betula papyrifera PAPER BIRCH 2
Carya ovata SHAGBARK HICKORY 1 1
CATALPA SPECIOSA HARDY CATALPA 3 1
Celtis occidentalis HACKBERRY 3 3 2 3
Fraxinus americana WHITE ASH 3
Juglans nigra BLACK WALNUT 1 2
Juniperus virginiana crebra RED CEDAR 2
MORUSALBA WHITE MULBERRY
PICEA ABIES NORWAY SPRUCE 1
Pinus strobus WHITE PINE 1 2
POPULUS ALBA WHITE POPLAR
Populus deltoides EASTERN COTTONWOOD 1 1
Prunus serotina WILD BLACK CHERRY 2 2 2
Quercus alba WHITE OAK 2 4 2 3 2
Quercus bicolor SWAMP WHITE OAK 1
Quercus macrocarpa BUR OAK 3
Quercus rubra RED OAK 2 3
Quercus velutina BLACK OAK 1 1 2
ROBI NIA PSEUDOACACIABLACK LOCUST 4
Tilia americana AMERICAN LINDEN 2 4
Ulmus americana JAMERICAN ELM 2 3 2
Shrub/Vine/Sapling Stratum
Amorpha canescens LEAD PLANT 1
Amphicarpaea bracteata UPLAND HOG PEANUT 2 4 1
BERBERISTHUNBERGII JAPANESE BARBERRY
CATALPA SPECIOSA HARDY CATALPA 2
CELASTRUS ORBICULATUS ORIENTAL BITTERSWEET
Cercis canadensis REDBUD 1
Cornus racemosa GRAY DOGWOOD 1
HUMULUS JAPONICUS IJAPANESE HOP
LONICERA TATARICA/MORROWII/X BELLA I ROTICHONEYSUCKLES
Menispermum canadense MOONS LED 1 3
MORUSALBA 1WHITE MULBERRY 1 2
Cover Classes: 1 uncommon(Q0%);2 common(10-30%);3 sub-dominant(30-50%);4 dominant(>50%)
RED FONT=invasive species of concern
1
Appendix B. Eagle Point Park-Flora by Land Cover Type and Stratum(including cover class)
Mesic Forest Dry-Mesic Forest Bluff Woodland with Turf
Species(by Stratum) Common Name
Area 1 Area 2 Area 1 Area 2(Young) Woodland Area 1 Area 2
Parthenocissus quinquefolia VIRGINIA CREEPER 4 4 4 3
RHAMNUS CATHARTICA COMMON BUCKTHORN 2 3 1
Rhus typhina STAGHORN SUMAC 1
Ribes missouriense WILD GOOSEBERRY 1
ROSA MULTIFLORA MULTIFLORA ROSE 1
Rubus allegheniensis COMMON BLACKBERRY 1
Rubus occidentalis BLACK RASPBERRY 2
Smilaxhispida BRISTLY CAT BRIER 2 4 2 2
Toxicodendron radicans POISON IVY 3 2 3 2 2
Viburnum trilobum HIGHBUSH CRANBERRY 1
VINCA MINOR PERIWINKLE 2
Vitis riparia RIVERBANK GRAPE 3 1 2
Herbaceous Stratum
Acer nigrum BLACK MAPLE 4 1
ALLIARIA PETIOLATA GARLIC MUSTARD
Andropogon gerardii BIG BLUESTEM GRASS 2
Anemone cylindrica THIMBLEWEED 1
Anemone quinquefolia WOODANEMONE 1
Antennaria neglecta CAT'S FOOT(PUSSYTOES) 1
Aquilegia canadensis WILD COLUMBINE 1
Arisaema triphyllum JACK-IN-THE-PULPIT 1
Athyrium filix-femina michauxii LADY FERN 1
Botrychium virginianum RATTLESNAKE FERN 1
Bouteloua curtipendula SIDE-OATS GRAMA 3
BROMUS INERMIS HUNGARIAN BROME 1
Campanula americana TALL BELLFLOWER 2 2 2
Carex blanda COMMON WOOD SEDGE 2 1
Carex cephalophora SHORT-HEADED BRACTED SEDGE 1
Carex rosea CURLY-STYLED WOOD SEDGE 1
Carex sparganioides LOOSE-HEADED BRACTED SEDGE 2 1
Carex sp. SEDGE 1
Cinna arundinacea COMMON WOOD REED 1
Circaea lutetiana canadensis ENCHANTER'S NIGHTSHADE 3 3
CIRSIUM VULGARE BULLTHISTLE
Cryptotaenia canadensisHOW
NE ORT 1 2
Dalea purpurea PURPLE PRAIRIE CLOVER 1
Echinochloa crusgalli BARNYARD GRASS 4
Cover Classes: 1 uncommon(40%);2 common(10-30%);3 sub-dominant(30-50%);4 dominant(>50%)
RED FONT=invasive species of concern
2
Appendix B. Eagle Point Park-Flora by Land Cover Type and Stratum(including cover class)
Mesic Forest Dry-Mesic Forest Bluff Woodland with Turf
Species(by Stratum) Common Name
Area 1 Area 2 Area 1 Area 2(Young) Woodland Area 1 Area 2
Elymus hystrix BOTTLEBRUSH GRASS 1 1
Erigeron canadensis HORSEWEED 2
Erigeron pulchellus ROBIN'S PLANTAIN 1
Eupatorium purpureum PURPLE JOE PYE WEED 3
Eupatorium rugosum WHITE SNAKEROOT 2 3
FESTUCA ELATIOR TALLFESCUE 2
Fraxinus pennsylvanica GREEN ASH 1
Galium triflorum SWEET-SCENTED BEDSTRAW 2 2
Geum canadense WOOD AVE NS 3 3
GLECHOMA HEDERACEA CREEPING CHARLIE 4 4
Hackelia virginiana STICKSEED 2 3 2
Helianthus strumosus PALE-LEAVED SUNFLOWER 2
Hypericum sp. ST.JOHN'S WORT 1
Impatiens capensis ORANGE JEWELWEED 2
Impatiens pallida YELLOW JEWELWEED 2 3
Kuhnia eupatorioides FALSE BONESET 1
Leersia oryzoides RICE CUT GRASS 1
Leersia virginica WHITE GRASS 3 1
Lespedeza capitata ROUND-HEADED BUSH CLOVER 1
Liatris cylindracea CYLINDRICAL BLAZING STAR 1
Linum sp. FLAX 1
Lobelia inflata INDIAN TOBACCO 1
MIRABILIS JALAPA FOUR O'CLOCK 1
Monarda fistulosa WILD BERGAMOT 1
Osmorhiza claytonii HAIRY SWEET CICELY 1
Oxalis stricta COMMON WOOD SORREL 1
PHALARIS ARUNDINACEA REED CANARY GRASS
Phryma leptostachya LOPSEED 2
Pilea pumila CLEARWEED 2 4
POACOMPRESSA CANADA BLUE GRASS 2
POA PRATENSIS KENTUCKY BLUE GRASS 2
POLYGONUM CUSPIDATUM JAPANESE KNOTWEED
Polygonum hydropiperoides MILD WATER PEPEPR 1
Polygonum virginianum WOODLAND KNOTWEED 1
Polymnia canadensis PALE LEAFCUP 1
Pycnanthemum vi rginianum COMMON MOUNTAIN MINT 1
RUMEX CRISPUS CURLY DOCK 1
Sanicula gregaria CLUSTERED BLACK SNAKEROOT 2 2
Cover Classes: 1 uncommon(40%);2 common(10-30%);3 sub-dominant(30-50%);4 dominant(>50%)
RED FONT=invasive species of concern
3
Appendix B. Eagle Point Park-Flora by Land Cover Type and Stratum(including cover class)
Mesic Forest Dry-Mesic Forest Bluff Woodland with Turf
Species(by Stratum) Common Name
Area 1 Area 2 Area 1 Area 2(Young) Woodland Area 1 Area 2
Schizachyrium scoparium LITTLE BLUESTEM GRASS 3
Scrophularia marilandica LATE FIGWORT 2
Scutellaria parvula SMALL SKULLCAP 1
Smilacina racemosa FEATHERY FALSE SOLOMON'S SEAL 1
Smilacina stellata STARRY FALSE SOLOMON'S SEAL 1
Smilax ecirrhata UPRIGHT CARRION FLOWER 1
Solidago canadensis CANADA GOLDENROD 2
Solidago flexicaulis BROAD-LEAVED GOLDENROD 4
Solidago nemoralis OLD-FIELD GOLDENROD 1
Solidago ulmifolia ELM-LEAVED GOLDENROD 2 2
Spiranthes magnicamporum GREAT PLAINS LADIES TRESSES 1
Stipa spartea PORCUPINE GRASS 2
Symphyotrichum urophyllum ARROW-LEAVED ASTER 2
Symphyotrichum ericoides HEATH ASTER 1
Symphyotrichum lateriflorum SIDE FLOWERING ASTER 2
Symphyotrichum oolentangiense SKY-BLUE ASTER 1 1
Symphyotrichum sericeum SI LKY ASTER 1
TARAXACUM OFFICINALE COMMON DANDELION
Teucrium canadense GERMANDER 2
TRAGOPOGON DUBIUS SAND GOAT'S BEARD 1
TRIFOLIUM REPENS WHITE CLOVER 3
Ulmus americana AMERICAN ELM 1
URTICA DIOICA STINGING NETTLE 1
Verbena urticifolia HAIRY WHITE VERVAIN 1
Viola pubescens YELLOW VIOLET 2
Viola sororia COMMON BLUE VIOLET 2 3
Zizia aures GOLDEN ALEXANDERS 1
Cover Classes: 1 uncommon(40%);2 common(10-30%);3 sub-dominant(30-50%);4 dominant(>50%)
RED FONT=invasive species of concern
4
APPENDIX C. IOWA DNR "ENVIRONMENTAL REVIEW FOR
NATURAL RESOURCES" RESPONSE
Note: The Iowa DNR review was conducted on Eagle Point Park in Dubuque County, not in Clinton County as
indicated in the DNR response.
January20, 2017 C1
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C2 Eagle Point Park I ERMP I Dubuque, IA
Doug Mensing
From: Moore, Seth [DNR] [Seth Mooe@dnr lows govt
Sent Tuesday,July 12,2016921 AM
To: Dome Mensnq, Kim Chapman
Cc: Sipe, Stacey DNRll Lunch wiAen
Subject: Environmental Reviewtor Natural Resources 13266
Follow Up Flag: Follow up
Flag Statue: Completed
Dear Mr.Mensing
Proposed Improvements
Eagle Point Park
Fusion County
SeRion J,Township UN, Range 3E
Thank you for Inviting Department comms on the Impact oRFls protest.The UeparMerR has searched for records of
rare species and significant natural communities In the project area and found no site-specilc records thatwoultl be
inti tl by this project However,these records and data are north,result ofthorougb Red surveys. H listed species
or rare unities are found duringthe planning or construction phases, additional studies and/or mitigation may be
required. f the con4mRion plans change,the Departi should be contacted for another review.
The Northern Long Eared Bat iMfo tis septentrionolisj, a@tlerally threatened species, has the potential to Inhabit this
area ofthe state and may occur In the area of Los pri Northern long-earetl bats spend winter hibernating In caves
and mines, called hin macula. Duringthe summer, northern long-earetl bats roost singly or In colonies underneath bark,
in cavities or In crevices of both live trees and snags (dead tees) and may roost In stmRues such as old buildings,
culverts, and Frappe.
The enclosed Pool nes provide information aboutthe habitat equirements and survey methods for Indiana bat
summer habitat.These Pool may also be usedforthe northern long-earetl bat Hi[ appears thatyou will disturb
potential Indiana bat and/or northern long earetl bat summer habitat, and seasonal free removal guidelines cannot be
met,we suggestthat you contaRtbe US Fish and Wildlife Service regardingthis project. The Rock Island Field Office may
be reached at(309) 757-5000 or 1511471h Ave, Moline It 61265-7022.
This letter is a record of review for protected species, rare natural communities, state lands and waters In Do ii
eluding review by personnel represerting state parks, preserves, recreation areas,fisheries and wildlife but does
nor include mmmenHmm the Environmental Services Division of this Department This letter does not constitute a
permit Other permits may be required from the Department or ocher stag ortetleral agencies before work begins on
this project.
Plea Se reference thefollowing DNR Ere ronmi Review/Sovereign Land Program hacking number assigned to this
project In all future correspondence related to this pmjecr: 13266.
If you have questions about this letter or require further Information, please contest me at(515)725 0464.
SETH MOORE Sovereign Lands &Environmental Review Coordinator
Iowa Department of natural Responses
515 e4wlrss
sort moorebnrio aeon
sot E�9th street I Des Moines, la 5m19-FDA
WWW.IOWADNR.GOV m Wm
Leading Iowans in Caring for Our Natural Resources.
z
APPENDIX D. MINNESOTA DEPARTMENT OF NATURAL
RESOURCES IDENTIFICATION AND DESCRIPTION OF PRACTICES
TO AVOID THE INTRODUCTION OR MOVEMENT OF INVASIVE
SPECIES
It is the MnDNR's policy to limit the introduction of organisms prior to arriving and leaving site.
invasive species onto MnDNR managed lands and 11. On sites that are known to be infested with species
waters, limit their rate of geographical spread, and such as garlic mustard, spotted knapweed, leafy
reduce their impact on high value resources. spurge,etc (species with small seed that can collect
The movement of equipment, organisms, and organic on cloth material) wash clothing after work is
and inorganic material are potential pathways for the complete.
introduction or spread of invasive species. Each of 12. Carry boot brush in or on all vehicles and clean
these pathways should be considered and addressed to boots and clothing (in a controlled area) when
reduce risk associated with invasive species movement. leaving any site.
General Procedures for Intentional Movement of 13. Use brush to clean gear and equipment such as
Equipment chainsaws to remove loose soil and plant materials.
1. Before arriving at a work site, inspect for and 14. Avoid parking in patches of invasive species. When
remove all visible plants, seeds, mud, soil, and unavoidable, clean vehicle of all visible evidence of
animals from equipment. soil and vegetation when leaving site.
2. Before leaving a work site, inspect for and remove 15. Brush off (hand remove) plants, seeds, mud, soil
all visible plants,seeds, mud, soil and animals from and animals from vehicles, including wheel wells,
equipment. tracks, hums, blades, grills, etc.
3. After working on infested waters or waters known 16. Power spray equipment after hand removal if
to harbor pathogens of concern, clean and dry necessary to remove aquatic plant remnants
equipment prior to using in locations not known to (particularly curly-leaf pondweed, Eurasian
be infested with species or pathogens present at watermilfoil,flowering rush,and purple loosestrife)
the last location visited. and earthworms.
Specific Procedures: Vehicles and Heavy Equipment General Procedures for Intentional Movement of
1. When possible maintain separate equipment to use Organisms, Organic and Inorganic Material (including
on uninfested sites. water, fish, plants, mulch, soil,gravel, rock)
2. If working on multiple sites,work in uninfested sites 1. Do not plant or introduce prohibited or regulated
before infested sites and clean equipment after use. invasive species or other listed invasive species.
3. When working within a site with invasive species 2. Do not transport water from infested waters,
work in uninfested areas before infested areas and except by permit. When you must use water from
clean equipment after use. an infested waters,do not drain this water or water
that has come in contact with organisms from the
4. Avoid entering site under wet conditions to infested waters, where it can run into another
minimize rutting and other soil disturbances. basin, river, or drain system that does not go to a
S. Minimize area of soil disturbance with equipment. treatment facility.
6. Minimize number of access points to site. 3. Use only mulch, soil, gravel, etc. that is invasive
7. When creating roads and trails minimize area of species-free or has a very low likelihood of having
vegetation and soil disturbance. invasive species.
8. Survey site before management treatment and 4. Do not transplant organisms or plant material from
treat or avoid moving equipment through existing any waters with known populations of invasive
patches of invasive species. aquatic invertebrates
9. Conduct post management treatment monitoring S. Do not move soil, dredge material, or raw wood
and treat any responding invasive species. projects that may harbor invasive species from
10. Inspect all gear and remove vegetation, soil, and infested sites.
January 20, 2017 D1
Specific Procedures: Re-vegetation (Aquatic and Site Planning and Management
Terrestrial Plants) Construction activities that disturb the soil surface
1. Do not plant or introduce prohibited or regulated can expose dormant invasive species seed banks and
invasive species or other listed invasive species. create a growth medium that favors invasive plants.
2. Inspect transplanted vegetation forsigns of invasive Landscaping can also introduce invasive plant species,
species that may be attached to the vegetation and as can maintenance activities such as mowing, grading,
remove (i.e.,other plant material and animals,etc.) and stormwater pond maintenance.
3. Re-vegetate with native species. Exercise site-level management to minimize the
4. Preserve existing native vegetation. Peel topsoil that introduction, spread, and impact of invasive species.
contains natives away from the work zone,stockpile Site-level management shall include planning,
and then replace it at the end of construction. This implementation and evaluation procedures that reduce
can help re-establish native species quickly. the risk of introduction, spread, and impact of invasive
species. Procedures include identification of invasive
S. If stockpiled invasive free topsoil isn't adequate for species, monitoring for invasive species, developing
post-construction landscaping, and black dirt, sand strategies and actions to minimize spread and impact,
or gravel must be purchased, purchase invasive implementing management actions, and evaluating
species (i.e., worm) free material. success.
6. Purchase certified weed-free mulch.
References
7. Inspect outside of storage containers and materials
for visible presence of invasive species. Minnesota Department of Natural Resources
Operational Order #113, Invasive Species, May 31,
B. If possible use seeding material, plants, fill, straw, 2007.
gravel, and mulch that are certified as uninfested.
Minnesota Department of Natural Resources Invasive
9. Monitor areas where materials are added for Species Operational Handbook, May 31, 2007.
evidence of invasive species germination.
Minnesota Department of Natural Resources Standard
10. When possible minimize the use of outside Protocols for Invasive Species Prevention on
materials. Terrestrial Sites (Draft)
Procedures to Minimize the Risk of Increasing the
Dominance of Invasive Species on Site
1. Survey site before burning and treat or avoid
moving through patches of invasive species before
burn is conducted.
2. Avoid entering site under wet conditions to
minimize rutting and other soil disturbances.
3. Conduct post-treatment monitoring and treat
any invasive species (such as resprouts and
germination).
D2 Eagle Point Park ERMP Dubuque, IA
APPENDIX E. NATIVE SPECIES LISTS AND SEED MIXES FOR
ECOLOGICAL RESTORATION AND ENHANCEMENT OF EAGLE
POINT PARK
These native woody plants are indigenous to the As a precaution, wild genetic stock within a 200-mile
site and the surrounding ecological region. They are radius of the project area is preferred over cultivars and
adapted to local conditions of soils, climate, diseases more distant genetic strains. Some research suggests
and competition. While some of these species may not that wild strains benefit wildlife to a greater extent than
have existed historically at the site,they are suitable for cultivated strains of the same species. Some research
landscape plantings with the goal of visual screening, also suggests that local genetic strains of certain species
ecological buffering,and wildlife habitat enhancement. are better able to survive local soil, climate, disease
Certain species are recommended because they have and competitive conditions than more distant genetic
a high wildlife value as food (e.g., oak, serviceberry, strains. Additionally a few species are not indigenous to
aspen) or as nesting sites (conifers). These and other the area but are innocuous in landscape plantings, and
species are also attractive or have natural history fulfill particular landscape design needs.
interest because they are used by people or have
interesting physical properties.
Upland Native Trees (for Multiple land cover types)
Common Name Scientific Name Notes
Black Maple Acer nigrum
Ohio Buckeye Aesculus glabra
River Birch Betula nigra
Paper Birch Betula papyrifera
Shagbark Hickory Carya ovata
Hackberry Celtis occidentalis
Honeylocust Gleditsia triacanthos
Kentucky Coffee-tree Gymnocladus dioicus Use male species if desired
Black Walnut Juglans nigra
Eastern Red Cedar Juniperus virginiana Evergreen
Eastern White Pine Pinus strobus Evergreen
Eastern Cottonwood Populus deltoides Use male species if desired
Quaking Aspen Populus tremuloides
Black Cherry Prunus serotina
White Oak Quercus alba
Swamp White Oak Quercus bicolor
Bur Oak Quercus macrocarpa
Chinkapin Oak Quercus muhlenbergii
Red Oak Quercus rubra
Black Oak Quercus velutina
Black Willow Salix nigra Wet areas
Eastern White Cedar Thuja occidentalis Evergreen
Basswood Tilia americana
January 20, 2017 E1
Upland Native UnderstoryTrees, Shrubs and Vines (for Multiple land cover types)
Common Name Scientific Name Form Notes
Low Serviceberry Amelanchierhumilis Shrub
Smooth Serviceberry Amelanchier laevis Short Tree
Black Chokeberry Aroniamelanocci Shrub
American Hornbeam Carpinuscaroliniana Short Tree
Pagoda Dogwood Cornus alternifolia Shrub
Gray Dogwood Cornus racemosa Shrub
Red-twig Dogwood Cornussericea Shrub
American Hazelnut Corylus americana Shrub
FireberryHawthorn Crataeguschrysocci Short Tree
Bush Honeysuckle Diervillalonicera Shrub
Witch Hazel Hamamelis virginiana Shrub
Prairie Crab Apple Malusioensis Shrub
Ironwood Ostrya virginiana Short Tree
Ninebark Physocarpusopulifolius Shrub
Wild Plum Prunus americana Shrub
Chokecherry Prunus virginiana Shrub
Smooth Sumac Rhus glabra Shrub
Smooth Rose Rosa blanda Shrub
Pussy willow Salix discolor Shrub Wet areas
Prairie Willow Salix humilis Shrub
American Black Elderberry Sambucus nigra ssp canadensis Shrub
Nannyberry Viburnum lentago Shrub
Highbush Cranberry Viburnum opulus var. americanum Shrub
(trilobum)
Riverbank Grape Vitis riparia Vine
EZ Eagle Point Park ERMP Dubuque, IA
Forest/Woodland Seed Mix(enhancement overseeding)
Common Name Scientific Name oz/ac Notes
Wood Anemone Anemone quinquefolia 1
Canada Columbine Aquilegiacanadensis 3
Jack-in-the-pulpit Arisaema triphyllum 3
Hairy Woodland Brome Bromus pubescens 4 Graminoid
Tall Bellflower Campanula americana 1
Long-beaked Sedge Carexsprengellii 2 Graminoid
Pointed-leaved Tick-trefoil Desmodium glutinosum 1
Bottlebrush Grass Elymushystrix 3 Graminoid
Virginia Wild Rye Elymus virginicus 48 Graminoid
Pu rple Joe-pye Weed Eupatorium purpureum 0.5
Large-leaved Aster Eurybia macrophylla 1
Woodland Sunflower Helianthusstrumosus 1
Common False Solomon's Smilacina racemosa 3
Seal
Zig zag goldenrod Solidago flexicaulis 1
Elm-leaved Goldenrod Solidago ulmifolia 1
Arrow-leaved Aster Symphyotrichum urophyllum 0.5
Early Meadow-rue Thalictrum dioicum 1
Golden Alexanders Zizea aurea 1
Total 76
January 20, 2017 E3
Bluff Prairie/Savanna Seed Mix(enhancement overseeding,where limited native seedbank response)
Common Name Scientific Name oz/ac Notes
Lead Plant Amorpha canescens 2 Low-growing, nitrogen-fixing
shrub
Thimbleweed Anemone cylindrica 1
Wild Columbine Aquilegiacanadensis 2
Butterfly Milkweed Asclepias tuberose 2 Used by Monarch butterfly
Whorled Milkweed Asclepias verticillate 1
Canadian Milk Vetch Astragaluscanadensis 4 Nitrogen-fixing
Side-oats Grama Bouteloua curtipendula 8 Graminoid
Hairy Grama Bouteloua hirsute 4 Graminoid
Partridge Pea Cassia fasciculate 4 Nitrogen-fixing
Prairie Coreopsis Coreopsispalmata 2
Purple Prairie Clover Dalea purpurea 2 Nitrogen-fixing
Canada Wild Rye Elymuscanadensis 8 Graminoid
Flowering Spurge Euphorbia corollate 1
Early Sunflower Heliopsishelianthoides 4
PrairieAlumroot Heucherarichardsonii 0.1
Round-headed Bush Clover Lespedeza capitata 1 Nitrogen-fixing
Cylindrical Blazing Star Liatris cylindracea 1
Wild Bergamot Monardafistulosa 2
Prairie Satin Grass Muhlenbergia cuspidate 2 Common graminoid of open
bluffs
Black-eyed Susan Rudbeckia hirta 4
LittleBluestem Schizachyriumscoparium 8 Graminoid
Starry False Solomon's Seal Smilacina stellate 0.5
Gray Goldenrod Solidago nemoralis 1
Porcupine Grass Stipaspartea 4 Graminoid
Sky-blue Aster Symphyotrichum oolentangiense 2
Silky Aster Symphyotrichumsericeum 1
Ohio spiderwort Tradescantiaohiensis 2
Hoary Vervain Verbenastricta 2
Total 75.6
E4 Eagle Point Park ERMP Dubuque, IA
Woodland with Natives Seed Mix(groundlayer, relatively short, some shade tolerance)
Common Name Scientific Name oz/ac Notes
Lead Plant Amorpha canescens 2 Low-growing, nitrogen-fixing
shrub
Thimbleweed Anemone cylindrica 2
Wild Columbine Aquilegiacanadensis 2
Butterfly Milkweed Asclepias tuberosa 2 Used by Monarch butterfly
Canadian Milk Vetch Astragaluscanadensis 4 Nitrogen-fixing
Side-oats Grama Bouteloua curtipendula 32 Graminoid
Blue Grama Bouteloua gracilis 8 Graminoid
Hairy Woodland Brome Bromus pubescens 4 Graminoid
Bicknell'sSedge Carexbicknellii 4 Graminoid
Plains Oval Sedge Carexbrevior 4 Graminoid
Partridge Pea Cassiafasciculata 8 Nitrogen-fixing
Prairie Coreopsis Coreopsispalmata 2
Purple Prairie Clover Dalea purpurea 4 Nitrogen-fixing
Canada Wild Rye Elymus canadensis 8 Graminoid
Bottlebrush Grass Elymus hystrix 8 Graminoid
Virginia Wild Rye Elymus virginicus 8 Graminoid
Early Sunflower Heliopsishelianthoides 4
Prairie Alu mroot Heucherarichardsonii 0.1
Round-headed Bush Clover Lespedezacapitata 2 Nitrogen-fixing
Cylindrical Blazing Star Liatris cylindracea 2
Wild Bergamot Monardafistulosa 2
Common Evening Primrose Oenothera biennis 2
Common Mountain Mint Pycnanthemum virginianum 0.5
Upright Prairie Coneflower Ratibida columnifera 2
Black-eyed Susan Rudbeckia hirta 8
LittleBluestem Schizachyriumscoparium 32 Graminoid
Starry False Solomon's Seal Smilacina stellata 0.5
Gray Goldenrod Solidago nemoralis 4
Drummond's Aster Symphyotrichum drummondii 2
Smooth Blue Aster Symphyotrichumlaeve 2
Side-flowering Aster Symphyotrichumlateriflorum 2
Sky-blue Aster Symphyotrichum oolentangiense 2
Silky Aster Symphyotrichum sericeum 2
Ohio Spiderwort Tradescantia ohiensis 4
Hoary Vervain Verbenastricta 4
Heart-leaved Alexanders Ziziaaptera 14
Total 1183.1
Note: Cover crop not included; species and rate will depend on site conditions and timing of seeding.
January 20, 2017 E5
Prairie Seed Mix(relatively short, some shade tolerance)
Common Name Scientific Name oz/ac Notes
Lead Plant Amorpha canescens 2 Low-growing, nitrogen-fixing
shrub
Thimbleweed Anemone cylindrica 2
Butterfly Milkweed Asclepias tuberose 2 Used by Monarch butterfly
Canadian Milk Vetch Astragaluscanadensis 4 Nitrogen-fixing
Side-oats Grama Bouteloua curtipendula 32 Graminoid
Blue Grama Bouteloua gracilis 16 Graminoid
Bicknell'sSedge Carexbicknellii 4 Graminoid
Plains Oval Sedge Carex brevior 4 Graminoid
Partridge Pea Cassia fasciculate 8 Nitrogen-fixing
Prairie Coreopsis Coreopsispalmata 2
Purple Prairie Clover Dalea purpurea 4 Nitrogen-fixing
Canada Wild Rye Elymuscanadensis 8 Graminoid
Early Sunflower Heliopsishelianthoides 4
Prairie Alu mroot Heucherarichardsonii 0.1
Round-headed Bush Clover Lespedezacapitata 2 Nitrogen-fixing
Cylindrical Blazing Star Liatris cylindracea 2
Wild Bergamot Monardafistulosa 2
Common Evening Primrose Oenothera biennis 2
Common Mountain Mint Pycnanthemum virginianum 0.5
Upright Prairie Coneflower Ratibida columnifera 2
Black-eyed Susan Rudbeckia hirta 8
LittleBluestem Schizachyriumscoparium 32 Graminoid
Starry False Solomon's Seal Smilacina stellate 0.5
Gray Goldenrod Solidago nemoralis 4
Drummond's Aster Symphyotrichum drummondii 2
Smooth Blue Aster Symphyotrichum laeve 2
Side-flowering Aster Symphyotrichum lateriflorum 1
Sky-blue Aster Symphyotrichum colentangiense 1
Silky Aster Symphyotrichum sericeum 2
Ohio Spiderwort Tradescantiachiensis 4
Hoary Vervain Verbenastricta 4
Heart-leaved Alexanders Zizia aptera 4
Total 167.1
Note: Cover crop not included; species and rate will depend on site conditions and timing of seeding.
E6 Eagle Point Park I ERMP Dubuque, IA
Example Rain Garden/Bioinfiltration Native Seed Mix
Common Name Scientific Name oz/ac Notes
Canada Anemone Anemone canadensis 0.5
Swamp Milkweed Asclepias incarnate 2
Fringed Brome Bromusciliatus 16 Graminoid
Awl-fruited Sedge Carexstipata 6 Graminoid
Fox Sedge Carex vulpinoidea 4 Graminoid
Grass-Leaved Goldenrod Euthamia graminifolia 0.5
Fowl Manna Grass Glyceriastriata 2 Graminoid
Autumn Sneezeweed Helenium autumnale 1
Great Blazing Star Liatris pycnostachya 0.5
Great Lobelia Lobeliasiphilitica 0.25
Fowl Bluegrass Poo palustris 4 Graminoid
Virginia Mountain Mint Pycnanthemum vi rginianum 1.5
Blue Vervain Verbenahastata 4
Golden Alexanders Zizia aurea 4
Total 46.25
Note:Site-specific factors should be considered to refine seed lists(and/or live plant lists)for vegetated stormwater
best practices.
January 20, 2017 E7
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E8 Eagle Point Park I ERMP I Dubuque, IA
APPENDIX F. EAGLE POINT PARK - ECOLOGICAL MONITORING
PROGRAM
January 20, 2017 1
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2 Eagle Point Park I ERMP I Dubuque, IA
EAGLE POINT PARK
ECOLOGICAL MONITORING PROGRAM
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November 30, 2016
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EAGLE POINT PARK
ECOLOGICAL MONITORING PROGRAM
TABLE OF CONTENTS
1 Introduction...................................................................................................................3
2 Monitoring Program Goals..............................................................................................3
3 Monitoring Program Design............................................................................................4
3.1 Site Walkabout...............................................................................................................................4
3.2 Biological Data Collection...............................................................................................................4
3.2.1 Vegetation...........................................................................................................................4
3.2.2 Birds.....................................................................................................................................5
3.2.3 Butterflies............................................................................................................................ 6
4 Monitoring Protocols......................................................................................................6
4.1 Field Equipment&Supplies Checklist............................................................................................6
4.2 Site Walkabout...............................................................................................................................6
4.3 Biological Data Collection...............................................................................................................7
4.3.1 Vegetation........................................................................................................................... 7
4.3.2 Birds.....................................................................................................................................8
4.3.3 Butterflies............................................................................................................................9
5 Survey Schedule........................................................................................................... 10
6 Data Management, Analysis & Reporting...................................................................... 10
6.1 Data Management.......................................................................................................................10
6.2 Data Analysis................................................................................................................................10
6.2.1 Metrics for Trend Detection...............................................................................................10
6.2.2 Special Groups for Trend Detection...................................................................................10
6.3 Reporting& Decision-Making......................................................................................................14
7 Monitoring Opportunities for Future Consideration...................................................... 15
8 Summary...................................................................................................................... 16
9 References ................................................................................................................... 16
TABLES
TABLE 1. VEGETATION MONITORING PLOT LOCATIONS...................................................................................4
TABLE 2. FIELD EQUIPMENT&SUPPLIES CHECKLIST.......................................................................................6
TABLE 3. SUGGESTED SURVEY SCHEDULE SUMMARY....................................................................................10
TABLE 4. METRICS FOR DETECTION OF TRENDS FOR BIRDS.............................................................................11
TABLE S. SELECT INVASIVE AND EXOTIC SPECIES IN IOWA(INCLUDING THOSE OBSERVED AT EAGLE POINT PARK)........12
TABLE 6. IOWA'S BREEDING BIRDS OF GREATEST CONSERVATION NEED...........................................................13
TABLE 7. IOWA'S BUTTERFLIES OF GREATEST CONSERVATION NEED.................................................................14
Eagle Point Park-Ecological Monitoring Program(16-0320) 1
FIGURES
FIGURE 1. SCHEMATIC OF VEGETATION LARGE PLOT DESIGN
EXHIBITS
EXHIBIT 1. ECOLOGICAL MONITORING LOCATIONS
APPENDICES
APPENDIX A. ECOLOGICAL MONITORING FIELD DATA FORMS
Citation: Applied Ecological Services, Inc. 2016. Eagle Point Park-Ecological Monitoring Program.
Report for the City of Dubuque, IA.
Eagle Point Park-Ecological Monitoring Program(16-0320) ii
I INTRODUCTION
In 2016,the City of Dubuque initiated development of an Environmental Restoration Management Plan
(ERMP) for Eagle Point Park—one of the City's park treasures. The plan will guide ecological restoration
and management activities at the Park for the coming decade. In addition to plant community restoration
and enhancement,the ERMP also addresses runoff erosion issues experienced at the Park and
recommends stormwater best practices. This Ecological Monitoring Program is designed to support the
work laid out in the ERMP. This document outlines a program to evaluate the progress of restoration
and management at Eagle Point Park,ensuring work is efficient and effective and that the City's goals
are achieved.
One of the goals of this Ecological Monitoring Program is to establish a data baseline and draw general
conclusions about the condition of the restorations at annual (and later, more intermittent) intervals.
Monitoring findings may inform and influence restoration and short-term management actions taken
at the site (especially with regard to erosion issues), but these findings will also play an important role
in identifying longer-term trends (5+years) in the Park's plant and animal communities. Based on
monitoring observations, the methods outlined in the ERMP can be altered if warranted to improve
the outcomes of restoration and management.
2 MONITORING PROGRAM GOALS
Goals for this Ecological Monitoring Program are:
1. Collect meaningful baseline data pertaining to the Park's vegetation, birds, butterflies, and erosion
areas;
2. Use baseline and subsequent monitoring data to assess the progress of ecological restoration and
management and to facilitate adaptive management at the site;
3. Draw general conclusions about the condition of the restorations;
4. Control the costs of ecological restoration and management by not investing unnecessarily in tasks
that appear to not be effective.
In order to implement this Ecological Monitoring Program accurately and consistently, the City will need to
identify people with moderate levels of expertise in plant, bird,and butterfly identification,as well as a
working understanding of erosion issues at the Park. This can lead to meaningful, long-term partnerships
with institutions and individuals, as well as represent a form of public outreach. The City may wish to
partner with educational institutions, state agencies,the Dubuque County Conservation District, Iowa
Ornithologists Union, Xerxes Society,or other partners to assist with monitoring and reporting. Consulting
ecologists can also be used to provide these services.
Eagle Point Park-Ecological Monitoring Program(16-0320) 3
3 MONITORING PROGRAM DESIGN
3.1 Site Walkabout
Walkabouts provide a comprehensive overview of the entire site, which is important for overall condition
assessment and problem identification. No formal field preparation is required prior to conducting the
walkabouts. However, due to Eagle Point Park's existing erosion issues, monitoring staff must have a
working understanding of the causes of the Park's erosion as well as the design and intent of site-
appropriate solutions. The walkabout protocol is provided in Section 4.2.
3.2 Biological Data Collection
The focus of this monitoring program is the systematic collection of biological data. While the walkabouts
provide an overview of the site (including assessment of erosion issues), more detailed and standardized
data are required for measuring biological populations in order to assess changes and trends.
Vegetation is important in monitoring because vegetation is the foundation of most habitats,and
establishment of native plant communities is the primary goal of most ecological restoration and
management programs. Invasive plant populations are a significant threat to healthy,diverse ecosystems,
while other plant species may indicate high quality habitat. Therefore, close attention to vegetation is
critical to effective ecological monitoring.
Wildlife is important to monitoring because it responds to available habitat(both quantity and quality).
Understanding species richness and the presence or absence of particular animals can illuminate the
ecological health of a landscape. While vegetation is stationary and relatively easy to survey, animals can
be more difficult to study. For this reason, birds and butterflies are the two categories of wildlife selected
for monitoring. These groups of wildlife are easily detected and monitored, and are known to be
particularly good bio-indicators of habitat quality.
3.2.1 Vegetation
The use of plots, which are to be resampled in successive years, is standard in biological monitoring
programs (McGlinn et al. 2010). The plots (designated as A through G, Exhibit 1) are distributed across five
of the site's major existing habitat types,with one plot in "Bluff Woodland", "Turf', and "Younger Dry-
Mesic Forest" and two plots in "Woodland with Turf' and "Dry-Mesic Forest" (Table 1)Mesic Forest is not
included in monitoring due to the logistical problem of safe access down the steep slope.
Table 1. Vegetation Monitoring Plot Locations
Plot ID Existing Land Cover Proposed Land Cover
A Woodland with Turf Woodland with Natives
B Dry-Mesic Forest Dry-Mesic Forest/Woodland
C Bluff Woodland Bluff Prairie/Savanna
D Dry-Mesic Forest Dry-Mesic Forest/Woodland
E Woodland with Turf Woodland with Natives
F Turf Prairie
G Younger Dry-Mesic Forest Dry Mesic Forest/Woodland
Plot locations were selected to represent existing and proposed (post-restoration) land cover onsite in
order to adequately capture vegetative change over time. Land covers with little to no natural habitat
Eagle Point Park-Ecological Monitoring Program(16-0320) 4
were excluded from monitoring. These include Landscaped, Play Area,Water, Impervious Cover, and
Building. Exact plot locations may change depending on accessibility or other presently unknown factors.
Each plot is a large, delineated, 100 m2 square (10m x 10m), with a 1 m2 small plot at each corner
(Figure 1). Plots are oriented so that plot edges run north-south and east-west. Each small corner plot
is identified by the plot letter(e.g.,A) followed by a 1, 2, 3,or 4,with 1 representing the northeast corner,
and subsequent numbers assigned clockwise (Figure 1).
Figure 1. Schematic of vegetation large plot design
A4 1m Al
.m.y
v
............................ ................................................................................
lOm
Plot A
10 m
100 m2plot for tree
and shrub surveys
1 m2 plots for
herb surveys
601
Permanent 2 m vertical stakes
Permanent marking of the plots is important for comparison of data collected on different monitoring
events. Ideally, permanent marking should entail installation of a durable and visible (or otherwise
detectable) stake at each corner of each large plot. However, if this is not desired,a single documented
corner stake can be established (or an existing permanent feature, such as an identifiable tree, be
identified) and the plot re-created with a compass for each monitoring event. Stakes intended to be
visually located should be installed such that 2m remains out of the ground. If necessary,at-grade metal
stakes can be used and re-located with a metal detector and/or a global positioning system (GPS).
Flagging, painting,or other visual aid should be used so stakes can be protected during site activities and
located during monitoring. The northeast corner of each plot should be surveyed using a sub-meter GPS
in the event that vandalism or other disturbance eliminates the plot markers and requires plot re-
establishment. Detailed vegetation monitoring protocols are provided in Section 4.3.1.
3.2.2 Birds
Birds are relatively abundant, can often be identified reliably by non-experts,and can serve as important
indicators of habitat quality. Bird surveys will be conducted within a 50 meter radius around the northeast
corner stake of each of the seven vegetation plots(designated as point-counts A through G). As with the
vegetation monitoring plots, this monitoring design will provide data for each of the Park's six proposed
habitat types. Detailed bird monitoring protocols are provided in Section 4.3.2.
Eagle Point Park-Ecological Monitoring Program(16-0320) 5
3.2.3 Butterflies
As a source of food for numerous faunal groups and pollinators of plants, insects are a vital component of
overall ecosystem health. However,their size and mobility make insect populations difficult to monitor.
Nevertheless, butterflies are a relatively easy group of insects to monitor. Butterflies, in general, are
regarded as a group of animals sensitive to environmental change, making them a useful indicator of
habitat quality.
Butterfly surveys will be conducted at 100m long transects located at each of the seven vegetation
monitoring plots (designated as Transects A through G, Exhibit 1). Detailed butterfly monitoring protocols
are provided in Section 4.3.3.
4 MONITORING PROTOCOLS
4.1 Field Equipment & Supplies Checklist
Table 2 is a list of field equipment and supplies required or recommended for field monitoring of
vegetation and wildlife. Some items are needed for specific surveys.
Table 2. Field Equipment&Supplies Checklist
Equipment Supplies Personal Gear
Camera/cell phone camera Data sheets(see appendices) Hat(sun/warmth)
Binoculars Field log paper/notebook Light/heavy gloves
Compass Pens/pencils Raingear
Clipboard Field maps Hiking boots
Knapsack Field guides Sunscreen
1m x 1m frame or hoop Camera batteries Sunglasses
GPS unit First aid kit Insect repellent
Bird call apps Water bottle
Bird alpha codes
4.2 Site Walkabout
Twice each year(early summer,early fall),a site-wide walkabout will be conducted by a qualified
restoration ecologist. The walkabout will cover each management unit defined in the ERMP,with
special attention given to areas that have experienced recent restoration or management activity.
The initial site walkabout will include gathering baseline vegetation,wildlife, and erosion data prior to
the initiation of restoration or enhancement activities. Special attention should be paid to documenting
(including photography of) invasive species populations and erosion features. Site-documented erosion
includes sheet erosion, headcut erosion,and erosion within the ravines themselves. New discoveries of
erosion should also be documented, mapped, and photographed for future monitoring. Some site
photographs will be taken from fixed photo-reference points (see below) to document landscape change
over time. A comprehensive species list of the Park's vegetation and wildlife can be initiated during the
initial site walkabout.
After restoration and management activities have commenced,the ecologist will document the progress
of invasive species control, unsustainable herbivory, regeneration of important plant species, native
vegetation establishment using the performance criteria provided in the ERMP,and other concerns
associated with the restoration and management program. Erosion features should be inspected and
Eagle Point Park-Ecological Monitoring Program(16-0320) 6
photo-documented during each monitoring event. The running species list begun during the first site
walkabout should be added to during subsequent monitoring.
4.3 Biological Data Collection
Ideally, bird, butterfly, and vegetation monitoring can be conducted in succession at each plot where they
are scheduled, with one visit per plot. Since birds are easily disturbed, bird monitoring in an area should
be conducted first, followed by butterfly monitoring,then vegetation. If temperatures are below 65° F in
the morning, birds and vegetation may be surveyed first; then butterfly monitoring can begin after
temperatures rise.
4.3.1 Vegetation
Vegetation monitoring will be conducted by a qualified botanist. Technical taxonomic manuals and
layperson-friendly field guides are available to identify vegetation. AES recommends "Newcomb's
Wildflower Guide" (Newcomb 1989) for herbaceous plants and "Grasses: An Identification Guide" for
grasses (Brown 1992).
Large Plots (100m2). Trees and large shrubs will be surveyed in large Plots A through G (Exhibit 1). All
woody vegetation with diameter at breast height(dbh) >_1in will be included. One field data form will be
completed to record tree and shrub species. This includes all trees and large shrubs rooted within the plot
and rooted outside the plot with canopies hanging over the plot. Use the Vegetation-Tree and Large
Shrub Canopy Cover data form (Appendix A). For each tree or shrub species, record the scientific name
and estimate the total percent canopy cover (i.e.,aerial cover or light interception) for each species inside
the large plot. Overlapping canopies may result in a total canopy cover in a plot of more than 100%. Also
estimate the percent of bare soil (e.g., due to disturbance or erosion) and fine fuel (e.g., oak leaves,
grasses, sedges).
Small Plots (1m2). Small plots at each large plot corner (e.g., Al, A2,A3,A4) will be used to estimate the
percent cover of herbaceous vegetation and small shrubs (i.e.,<1in dbh) rooted within the small plot. A
1m x 1m sampling frame or hoop will be placed over the vegetation,taking care not to bend the
vegetation into or out of the plot. Record the scientific name of each plant species and estimate the
percent of the 1m2 plot covered by each species. See Appendix A, Vegetation—Herbaceous Stratum
Cover. Overlapping plants may result in a total areal cover of more than 100% in a plot.
Photodocumentation. Take photos annually at fixed locations, on or about the same date and time each
year if possible. Place a digital camera on top of the southwest corner stake of each large plot, facing the
northeast plot corner. Take two photos: a) a landscape shot with the camera lens parallel to the ground,
and b) an oblique shot,with the lens pointing into the center of the small corner plot(A3 in Figure 1).
Taking repeat photographs over subsequent visits and years will establish a consistent visual record to
help document changes in vegetation structure, composition,density,and aesthetics as restoration
progresses.
Time of Year.There is no single best time of year to conduct vegetation monitoring, but AES recommends
it be conducted in July or August when vegetation is substantially developed but identification of spring
plants may still be possible. A trained person can identify most plant species at this time. A survey in July
would synchronize with butterfly surveys, as discussed in 4.3.3.
Eagle Point Park-Ecological Monitoring Program(16-0320) 7
4.3.2 Birds
Bird monitoring will be conducted or supervised by a qualified birder with comprehensive knowledge of
eastern Iowa bird species. Numerous field guides, from technical to layperson-friendly, are applicable to
identify the site's bird species. AES recommends the "Peterson Field Guide to Birds of Eastern and Central
North America" (Peterson 2010). Additionally, a number of Smartphone applications are available to
assist with field identification of birds, including the "Sibley eGuide to Birds"and "i Bird Pro." These
applications include song recordings for most species.
Plots.The bird survey plots correspond to the seven vegetation monitoring plots. Each bird survey area is
defined by a 50m radius from its center,which will be located at or near the northwest corner of each plot
(Exhibit 1). The survey center may be moved in order to best situate the 100m plot within the habitat type
being surveyed. For example, if locating the plot center at a vegetation plot corner in Dry-Mesic Forest
causes the 100m plot to fall mostly into Woodland with Turf habitat, the plot center may be shifted
deeper into the forest, away from the vegetation plot. Document any such adjustments to allow for
consistent protocols during subsequent monitoring events.
Point-Count Surveys. Bird surveys will use a point-count method. The surveyor will arrive at a point and
wait five minutes for birds to habituate to the surveyor's presence. While waiting, he or she can begin
filling in the general point and weather information on the data sheet. On the first visit to a point, the
surveyor will sketch and label the habitat cover type in the circle on the Bird Point Count Data Form
(Appendix A). Note the dimensions of the habitat, including distances from the sampling point. Note
significant features in the 100m radius area,such as roads, structures,etc.
The surveyor will document on the data form all bird species seen or heard within the 100m radius of the
point during a 15-minute survey period. Record one line of data for each species (individual or group at
one general location) using the appropriate American Ornithologist's Union 4-character alpha code for
common name (AOU 2012, http://www.birdpop.org/DownloadDocuments/Alpha codes ene.pdf). Note
the number of individuals of a species for each observation. For the first 3 minutes, record the number of
birds observed in the 0-3 min. column. For the next 2 minutes, record the number of birds observed in the
3-5 min. column. For the next 5 minutes record the number of birds in the 5-10 min. column. Then finally,
record the 10-15 minute interval in the 15 min, column. Record a number in the column, not a tally mark.
Only include birds observed within the habitat type being surveyed. Birds within the 50m plot, but in a
different habitat, should be recorded as incidental. Individual birds should be counted only once. Do not
record the same individual or groups of individuals if still observed or heard during the next time interval.
On the data form,also note bird behavior (see data form codes),direction from point, and distance from
point (meters). The Notes column is for recording identifying features of a bird for later identification/
confirmation or for clarification or explanation of data. Incidental observations of interesting birds of note
may be recorded during other field activities, but should be noted as "incidental" to the survey.
Weather. Surveys should be conducted during weather and time of day that promotes bird activity. Bird
surveys will be conducted between dawn and 10:00am or until a noticeable drop in bird activity. Steady
rain, poor visibility or steady, strong winds over 25mph are not acceptable. Brief periods of rain, light
drizzle and gusts up to 30mph are acceptable if birds remain active. Since human movement through the
area may disturb the birds, the bird point-count should be completed prior to vegetation and butterfly
data collection, and ideally at times when Park use is low.
Eagle Point Park-Ecological Monitoring Program(16-0320) 8
Time of Year. Bird monitoring will be conducted in June, during the early summer breeding season. Spring
and fall migration surveys could be conducted, but would not be as informative because the presence of
passing migrants(likely abundant at the Park) does not accurately reflect habitat quality as much as
breeding birds do.
4.3.3 Butterflies
Butterfly identification often requires patience and diligence, but can be learned by lay people with
guidance from those more knowledgeable. For a butterfly field guide,AES recommends "Butterflies
through Binoculars: the East" (Glassberg 1999).
Transects. Although butterflies (and their floral resources) prefer warm, sunny locations and are less likely
to be found in closed-canopy forests,surveys will occur at all monitoring plots (A-G). Forested areas are
likely to be subject to some restoration or enhancement activities, such as buckthorn removal,that in time
may allow more solar insulation into the understory. The butterfly transects will be referenced as
Transects A through G, corresponding with the vegetation monitoring plots A through G. As with birds,
incidental sightings of interesting butterflies of note seen during other field activities should be
documented as "incidental."
Transect Surveys. Each transect will be 100m long- the length of the diameter of the bird survey points.
These will be oriented North-South when possible.The transect should be located entirely in the habitat
type being covered. For example,a transect in an area proposed to be "Bluff Prairie/Savanna" should be
entirely located within that habitat. Transect orientation may be adjusted as needed to stay within the
habitat(e.g., zig-zagging or veering from due north). The small habitat patches in Plots A and F will
necessitate this variance,as illustrated in Exhibit 1. Document any such variations from the standard
protocol. Transects should be 5m in width (i.e., about 8 ft on either side of surveyor). Beyond 5m, it may
become difficult to identify butterflies to species, even with binoculars. Walk the transect slowly,and
when a butterfly is encountered,the observer should stop to document the species or genus with the aid
of binoculars when necessary. (If an expert is conducting the survey, they may use a net to capture the
individual. Netting should not be tried without experience as these insects are easily damaged or killed.)
Since walking along the transect will disturb birds, it is important that the bird point count is completed
prior to beginning a butterfly transect.
Weather. Butterfly surveys should be conducted only on days that are at least 65°F under clear,sunny
skies. Warmer temperatures will result in more butterfly observations, with temperatures between 75-
85°F being ideal. Cloudy skies are acceptable if temperatures are over 75°F. Avoid surveying for
butterflies during times of temperatures over 95°F and/or drought conditions,as they will tend to hide in
shade rather than fly. Avoid conducting surveys during wet or rainy conditions and when sustained winds
are over 10mph. Check weather forecast in advance.
Time of Year. Different species of butterflies have different flight periods from June through August. For
example, a survey in June will capture a few different species than would be seen in August. Conducting
surveys in July, coordinated with vegetation monitoring, may be the best time of year to catch the flight
time for most species, but an optional June survey could be conducted while performing breeding bird
surveys.
Eagle Point Park-Ecological Monitoring Program(16-0320) 9
5 SURVEY SCHEDULE
Surveys should be combined to the extent practical to maximize data gathering efficiency. Under the
survey schedule proposed below in Table 3,three trips per year are suggested. A fourth may be added if
spring migration bird surveys are desired. If budget and project scope allow,a second butterfly survey
could occur during the June visit.
Table 3. Suggested Survey Schedule Summary
Survey April June July September
Walkabout X X
Vegetation X
Birds X(optional) X X(optional)
Butterflies X(optional) X
6 DATA MANAGEMENT, ANALYSIS & REPORTING
6.1 Data Management
After each monitoring event, field data forms will be labeled sequentially,scanned and archived as hard
copy (e.g., 3-ring binder) and in digital format(e.g., pdf). Pertinent data from the forms will be entered
into a spreadsheet and each subsequent year of data will be added to the spreadsheet.
6.2 Data Analysis
This Ecological Monitoring Program will generate data to perform analysis of trends. The cumulatively
updated spreadsheet is the basis for comparing monitoring events,statistically analyzing differences
among plots, and visualizing trends in graphs of changing species richness and abundance.
6.2.1 Metrics for Trend Detection
Metrics are commonly used measures of ecological conditions and can be used to detect trends as a result
of restoration and management work. Common metrics used to assess habitat quality and measure
changes in biological populations,which are recommended here, include:
• Plant species aerial cover(percent of ground covered by different plant species)
• Animal species abundance (the number of individuals observed per species group);
• Plant and animal species richness (the number of species present);
These metrics are usually reported by habitat type. Prior to restoration and management, the "existing'
land cover type (Table 1) should be documented (along with the Plot ID) on data sheets; the "proposed"
land cover type (along with the Plot ID) should be documented after restoration and management has
been initiated.
6.2.2 Special Groups for Trend Detection
In addition to monitoring and analyzing all vegetation,all birds,and all butterflies encountered in surveys,
the following special groups will be monitored and analyzed: native versus non-native vegetation,
Butterfly Species of Greatest Conservation Need,and Breeding Bird Species of Greatest Conservation
Need. Other indicators and groupings maybe added as well. See Table 4 for an example of the detection
of trends matrix that could be used for birds. Vegetation and butterfly spreadsheets would be similar.
Eagle Point Park-Ecological Monitoring Program(16-0320) 10
Table 4. Metrics for Detection of Trends for Birds
Habitat Grouping Metric Year 1 Year 2 Year 3 Year 4 Year 5
Plot A: All Birds Total Abundance
Woodland with Species Richness
Turf 4 Woodland SGCN Birds Total Abundance
with Natives Species Richness
Plot B: Dry-Mesic All Birds Total Abundance
Forest 4 Dry- Species Richness
Mesic Total Abundance
Forest/Woodland SGCN Birds
Species Richness
Plot C: All Birds Total Abundance
Bluff Woodland 4 Species Richness
Bluff SGCN Birds Total Abundance
Prairie/Savanna Species Richness
Plot D: All Birds Total Abundance
Dry-Mesic Forest Species Richness
4 Dry-Mesic SGCN Birds Total Abundance
Forest/Woodland Species Richness
Plot E: All Birds Total Abundance
Woodland with Species Richness
Turf 4 Woodland SGCN Birds Total Abundance
with Natives Species Richness
Plot F: All Birds Total Abundance
Turf 4 Prairie Species Richness
SGCN Birds Total Abundance
Species Richness
Plot G:Younger All Birds Total Abundance
Dry-Mesic Forest Species Richness
4 Dry-Mesic Total Abundance
Forest/Woodland SGCN Birds
Species Richness
Native vs. Non-native Vegetation. Iowa has over 30 species of vegetation considered to be Introduced,
Noxious, and Invasive Plants. This list of species is largely relevant to agriculture industry,where they are
considered problems in agricultural fields. Most are herbaceous species that would be found growing in
open,disturbed habitats such as agricultural crop fields, pasture or grasslands, or forest edges. Some
invasive species are common forest shrubs. The list has been modified to include only species with a
likelihood of occurring at Eagle Point Park,and that are considered a problem for native species diversity.
When performing vegetation monitoring, species in this list should be recorded and analyzed as a group to
detect trends and possibly target them for treatment.
Eagle Point Park-Ecological Monitoring Program(16-0320) 11
Table S. Select Invasive and Exotic Species in Iowa (including those observed at Eagle Point Park)
Common Name Scientific Name
Tree of heaven Ailanthus altissima
Garlic mustard Alliaria petiolate
Common burdock Arctium minus
Japanese barberry Berberis thunbergii
Oriental bittersweet Celastrus orbiculatus
Canada thistle Cirsium arvense
Bull thistle Cirsium vulgare
Teasel Dipsocussativus
Creeping Charlie Glechomahederacea
Japanese hop Humulusjoponicus
Invasive honeysuckles Lonicera spp.
White mulberry Morus alba
Reed canary grass Pholaris arundinacea
Japanese knotweed Polygonum cuspidatum
White poplar Populus alba
Common buckthorn Rhamnus cathartica
Black locust Robinia pseudo-acacia
Multiflora rose Rosa multiflora
Wild mustard Sinapis arvensis
Dandelion Taraxacum officinale
Sources: https://www.invasive.org/species/list.cfm?id=70
h ttp://www.iowad nr.go v/Conservation/Forestry/Forest-Health/I n vasive-Plants
Breeding Birds of Greatest Conservation Need.The onsite presence of Breeding Birds of Greatest
Conservation Need is a good indicator of the condition of bird breeding habitat. Bird SGCN species
typically are neither rare nor common, but just common enough to be attracted to habitat if conditions
are right. The more bird SGCN species present, by inference the better the habitat condition. They are
used as proxies for ecosystem health and can make monitoring easier because fewer species are being
investigated. For this monitoring program, the occurrence of these species on the site would suggest
moderate to high-quality habitat conditions. Note that many of these species will not occur onsite due to
lack of habitat. For example,due to the absence of aquatic habitat,waterbirds and wading birds, such as
Trumpeter swan and King rail, are not expected. Refer to Table 6 for the target list of breeding birds listed
as SGCN. All observed birds that are SGCN species should be arranged by habitat where encountered and
analyzed as a group.
Butterflies of Greatest Conservation Need. Forty percent of Iowa's 123 species of butterflies are
considered Species of Greatest Conservation Need (SGCN). Most SGCN species are neither very common
nor very rare, but just uncommon enough to make their detection onsite a noteworthy indicator of good
habitat quality. However, some species of butterflies listed as SGCN will not be found onsite either
because they are believed extirpated from Iowa or their habitat(e.g., extensive tallgrass prairie, bog, fen)
is not present onsite. Refer to Table 7 for the target list of SGCN butterflies. All identified butterfly species
should be cross-checked against this list and analyzed as a group.
Eagle Point Park-Ecological Monitoring Program(16-0320) 12
Table 6. Iowa's Breeding Birds of Greatest Conservation Need
Common Name Scientific Name Common Name Scientific Name
1 Trumpeter Swan Cygnus buccinator 40 Long-eared Owl Asia otus
2 American Wigeon Anas americana 41 Short-eared Owl Asio flommeus
3 Blue-winged Teal Anas discors 42 Common Nighthawk Chordeiles minor
4 Northern Pintail Anas acuto 43 Chuck-will's-widow Caprimulgus carolinensis
5 Canvasback Aythya valisineria 44 Eastern Whip-poor-will Caprimulgus vociferus
6 1 Redhead Aythya americana 45 Chimney Swift Choetura pelogica
7 Ring-necked Duck Aythya collaris 46 Belted Kingfisher Ceryle alcyon
8 Lesser Scaup Aythya affinis 47 Red-headed Melonerpes
Woodpecker erythrocepholus
9 Northern Bobwhite Colinus virginianus 48 Northern Flicker Coloptes auratus
10 Ruffed Grouse Bonaso umbellus 49 American Kestrel Falco sparverius
11 Sharp-tailed Grouse Tympanuchus 50 Peregrine Falcon Falco peregrinus
phosionellus
12 Greater Prairie-Chicken Tympanuchus cupido 51 Eastern Wood-pewee Contopus virens
13 Red-necked Grebe Podiceps grisegeno 52 Acadian Flycatcher Empidonax virescens
14 Eared Grebe Podiceps nigricollis 53 Say's Phoebe Sayornis soya
15 American White Pelican Pelecanus 54 Eastern Kingbird Tyrannus tyrannus
erythrorhynchos
16 American Bittern Botourus lentiginosus 55 Loggerhead Shrike Lanius ludovicionus
17 Black-crowned Night-Heron Nycticoraxnycticorox 56 Bel I's Vireo Vireobellii
18 White-faced Ibis Plegadis chihi 57 Horned Lark Eremophilo alpestris
19 Bald Eagle Haliaeetus leucocepholus 58 Purple Martin Prognesubis
20 Northern Harrier Circus cyaneus 59 Bank Swallow Riparia riparia
21 Red-shouldered Hawk Buteo lineatus 60 Sedge Wren Cistothorus platensis
22 Broad-winged Hawk Buteo platypterus 61 Bewick's Wren Thryomanes bewickii
23 Swainson'sHawk Buteoswainsoni 62 Veery Catharusfuscescens
24 King Rail Rallus elegans 63 Wood Thrush Hylocichla mustelina
25 Common Gallinule Gallinula chloropus 64 Brown Thrasher Toxostoma rufum
26 Piping Plover Charadrius melodus 65 Worm-eating Warbler Helmitheros vermivorus
27 Upland Sandpiper Bartramia longicaudo 66 Golden-winged Vermivoro chrysoptera
Warbler
28 Wilson's Snipe Gallinago delicato 67 Prothonotary Warbler Protonotaria citrea
29 American Woodcock Scolopax minor 68 Kentucky Warbler Geothlypis formosus
30 Wilson's Phalarope Pholaropus tricolor 69 Common Yellowthroat Geothlypis trichas
31 Franklin's Gull Laruspipixcon 70 Cerulean Warbler Setophago cerulea
32 Least Tern Sterna antillarum 71 Field Sparrow Spizella pusillo
33 Black Tern Chlidonias niger 72 Grasshopper Sparrow Ammodramus
savannorum
34 Forster's Tern Sterna forsteri 73 Henslow's Sparrow Ammodramus henslowii
35 Yellow-billed Cuckoo Coccyzus americanus 74 Dickcissel Spiza americana
36 Black-billed Cuckoo Coccyzus 75 Bobolink Dolichonyxoryzivorus
erythropthalmus
37 Barn Owl Tyro alba 76 Eastern Meadowlark Sturnella magna
38 Eastern Screech-owl Otus asio 77 Western Meadowlark Sturnella neglecto
39 1 Burrowing Owl Speotyto cunicularia 78 Baltimore Oriole Icterus galbula
Source: The Iowa Wildlife Action Plan (2015)http://www.iowadnr.gov/Conservation/Wildlife-Stewardship/lowa-
Wild life-Action-Plan
Eagle Point Park-Ecological Monitoring Program(16-0320) 13
Table 7. Iowa's Butterflies of Greatest Conservation Need
Common Name Scientific Name Common Name Scientific Name
1 Pipevine Swallowtail Battus ph ilenor 27 Hayhurst'sScallopwing Staphylus
hayhurstii
2 Zebra Swallowtail Eurytidesmarcellus 28 Dreamy Duskywing Erynnisicelus
3 Spicebush Swallowtail Papilla troilus 29 Sleepy Duskywing Erynnis brizo
4 Olympia Marble Euchloeolympia 30 Juvenal'sDuskywing Erynnisjuvenalis
5 Harvester Feniseca torquinius 31 Mottled Duskywing Erynnismartialis
6 Purplish Copper Lycaena helloides 32 Columbine Duskywing Erynnislucilius
7 Acadian Hairstreak Satyrium acadica 33 Poweshiek Skipperling Oarisma
poweshiek
8 Edward's Hairstreak Satyrium edwardsii 34 Ottoe Skipper Hesperia ottoe
9 HickoryHairstreak Satyriumcaryaevorum 35 Leonard's Skipper Hesperia leonardus
10 Striped Hairstreak Satyrium liparops 36 Dakota Skipper Hesperia docotae
11 White M. Hairstreak Parrhasius m-album 37 Crossline Skipper Polites origines
12 Henry's Elfin Callophrys henrici 38 Long Dash Polites mystic
13 Reakirt's Blue Echinargus(Hemiargus)isolo 39 Northern Broken-dash Wallengrenia
egeremet
14 Silvery Blue Glaucopsyche lygdamus 40 Little Glassywing Pompeius verna
15 Melissa Blue Plebejus(Lycoeides)melissa 41 Arogos Skipper Atrytone arogos
16 Aphrodite Fritillary Speyeria aphrodite 42 Byssus Skipper Problema byssus
17 Regal Fritillary Speyeria idalia 43 Mulberry Wing Poanes mossasoit
18 Silver-bordered Fritillary Boloria selene 44 Broad-winged Skipper Poanes victor
19 Gorgone Checkerspot Chlosyne gorgone 45 Dion Skipper Euphyes dion
20 Baltimore Checkerspot Euphydryas phaeton 46 Black Dash Euphyes conspicuo
21 'Ozark' Baltimore Euphydryas phaeton ozarkae 47 Two-spotted Skipper Euphyes bimacula
Checkerspot
22 Compton Tortoiseshell Nympholis vaualbum (I-album) 48 Dusted Skipper Atrytonopsis
hianno
23 Common Ringlet Coenonympha tullia 49 Pepper and Salt Skipper Amblyscirtes hegon
24 Eyed Brown Sotyrodes eurydice 50 Common Roadside- Amblyscirtes vialis
skipper
25 Monarch Dana us plexippus 51 Swarthy Skipper Nostra Iherminier
26 Southern Cloudywing Thorybes bothyllus
Source: The Iowa Wildlife Action Plan (2015)http://www.iowadnr.gov/Conservation/Wildlife-Stewardship/lowa-
Wild life-Action-Plan
6.3 Reporting & Decision-Making
A baseline monitoring report should be prepared after collecting the first year's data. A monitoring report
provides a summary of"baseline' conditions prior to significant ecological restoration on the site.
Analysis of baseline data will illustrate the biological richness of the site by habitat (or other category).
After the first year's monitoring is completed, the monitoring program should be assessed and
modifications made as needed. For example, the bird indicator species may need to be revised.
Monitoring data can be used to detect trends in natural resource condition, in comparison to a baseline. A
simple visual inspection,or more rigorous regression analysis, can determine whether a trend is positive,
negative or neutral (no significant change). Negative trends may indicate that the restoration and
management approach should be changed. Negative trends include:
• Declining native plant species richness or diversity,
Eagle Point Park-Ecological Monitoring Program(16-0320) 14
• Declining cover of native plant species,
• Increasing cover of non-native and invasive plant species,
• Failure to attract SGCN bird species,
• No increase in butterfly richness or diversity.
Sometimes negative trends are caused by natural phenomena,such as drought or wet years. Sometimes a
catastrophe, such as tornado or disease, affects plant and animal species, producing a temporary negative
trend. Due to this natural variability,five years of monitoring are recommended before trends can be
considered real.
Trend data can be used to decide whether to change a restoration or management technique; however,
such changes should not be made lightly. The cause of many apparent trends may simply be natural
variability, for instance. Rather,trend data often merely give notice that something should be looked at
more carefully and watched over time. Investigating negative trends is a normal part of implementing a
restoration program and within the adaptive management cycle.
7 MONITORING OPPORTUNITIES FOR FUTURE CONSIDERATION
• Bioblitz. A bioblitz is a tool for inventorying the flora and fauna present at a site. A bioblitz is
typically a 24-hour period when professionals and volunteers document all living species within a
given area,such as a public park. Bioblitzes can be conducted as a one-time survey and provide a
snapshot of plants and animals present. This is valuable as a "baseline' inventory of species and
can provide a foundation for a monitoring program. Bioblitzes can be repeated,too, but they lack
the rigor of a standardized ecological monitoring program. Bioblitzes also provide an opportunity
for engaging people in discovery of the natural world and scientific research in the company of
experts. Holding a bioblitz at Eagle Pont Park could be an effective way of engaging the
community and collecting valuable baseline data for comparison with post-restoration data. In a
typical bioblitz, participants generate species lists by biological group (e.g., plants, butterflies,
frogs, birds, mammals). Data are collected largely by non-experts using informal field methods;
however, professionals and other experts can train and oversee amateurs,or conduct
independent surveys.
• Raptor Migration. This site has several clear views of the Mississippi River Valley. Since the river
valley is an important migratory flyway,this Park is well suited for monitoring raptor migration.
This would not inform the restoration work at the Park, but would increase its visibility. The Hawk
Migration Association of North America (HMANA, http://www.hmana.org/) maintains a number of
sites across the continent where official counts are taken every year during one or both of the
raptor migration seasons (spring and/or fall). Currently, the nearest HMANA site appears to be
Eagle Valley in Glen Haven, WI (about 40 miles up the Mississippi River), where they conduct
spring and fall counts. To strengthen its reputation as an important destination for birding and
nature enthusiasts, the City may consider contacting HMANA about initiating official raptor
migration counts at Eagle Point Park.
Eagle Point Park-Ecological Monitoring Program(16-0320) 15
8 SUMMARY
Implementing this Ecological Monitoring Program at Eagle Point Park will provide important baseline data,
guide future restoration and management efforts,engage partners and the community,and protect the
investments being made to improve the site's natural resources.
9 REFERENCES
American Ornithologist's Union. 2012. Four-letter (English Name) and Six-letter(Scientific Name) Alpha
Codes for 2083 Bird Species (and 97 Non-Species Taxa) in accordance with the 53rd AOU
Supplement (2012). http://WWW.birdPOP.org/DownloadDocuments/Alpha codes eng.pdf
(Accessed February 2014).
Brown, L. 1992. Grasses: An Identification Guide. Houghton Mifflin Harcourt.
Chapman, K. 2001. Conserving regional biodiversity: role of reserves, rural lands, and suburbs in the
prairie-forest transition, Minnesota, USA. PhD thesis submitted to the faculty of the graduate
school of the University of Minnesota.
Glassberg,Jeffrey. 1999. Butterflies through Binoculars:The East. Oxford University Press, USA.
McGlinn, D., P. Earls and M. Palmer. 2010. A 12-year study on the scaling of vascular plant composition in
an Oklahoma tall grass prairie. Ecology (91): 1872.
Newcomb, L. 1989. Newcomb's Wildflower Guide. Little, Brown and Company.
Peterson, Roger. 2010. Peterson Field Guide to Birds of Eastern and Central North America,Sixth Edition.
Houghton Mifflin Harcourt.
Eagle Point Park-Ecological Monitoring Program(16-0320) 16
G
F
Eagle Point Park (108 ac)
n�
Vegetation Monitoring Plot (10mx10m)
• Bird Survey Center Point
1 •
Bird Survey Boundary (50m radius)
Butterfly Transect (100m)
Elevation Contour (2-ft interval)
Existing Land Cover
1 ■ A
MMesic Forest(1193 ac)
Dry-M esic Forest(30 78 ac)
Dry-Mesic Forest(Young)(12 56 ac) D
Bluff Woodland(3 75 ac) �
Woodland with Turf(28 97 ac)
Turf(4 52 ac)
Landscaped (1 37 ac) B
PlayArea in 39 ac)
Water(0.04 ac)
Impervious Cover(12.65 ac)
Building in 82 ac) C
Eagle Point Park Data Sources:
-City of Dubuque
- UDAR contours
Ecological Monitoring Program NAIP aerial photo(2015)
AES Project Number: 16-0320
Date: 2016-11-22
Exhibit 1 File Name: EaglePt_monitoring_201611-22
Ecological Monitoring Locations son"wll►,9■
moo Jdr,APPLIED
i 7 d ECOLOGICAL
006ili►.3,ro SERVICES
Applied Ecological Services, Inc.
21938 Mushtow Road
Prior Lake, MN 55372
952-447-1919
w appliedeco.com N
Feet
0 200 400 800
Appendix A. Ecological Monitoring Field Data Forms
VEGETATION—TREE AND LARGE SHRUB CANOPY COVER(100m2)
(percent areal cover of all woody vegetation >_1in dbh)
Project Location: Eagle Point Park
Date: Samplers:
Large Plot ID
Species A B C D E F G
bare soil/erosion
fine fuel/litter
VEGETATION —HERBACEOUS STRATUM COVER(1m2)
(Percent areal cover of all herbaceous vegetation and woody vegetation <1in dbh)
Project Location: Eagle Point Park
Large Plot IDs: A through E Date: Samplers:
Small Plot ID
Species Al A2 A3 A4 B1 B2 B3 B4 C1 C2 C3 C4 D1 D2 D3 D4 E1 E2 E3 E4
bare soil/erosion
fine fuel/litter
VEGETATION —HERBACEOUS STRATUM COVER(1m2)
(Percent aerial cover of all herbaceous vegetation and woody vegetation <1in dbh)
Project Location: Eagle Point Park
Large Plot IDs: F through G Date: Samplers:
Small Plot ID
Species F1 F2 F3 F4 G1 G2 G3 G4
bare soil/erosion
fine fuel/litter
BIRD POINT COUNT DATA FORM
Eagle Point Park
Project Name Sample Point ID Xcoordinate,y coordinate(optional)
Date StartTime(24 hrformat) Stop Time
Observer Wind Speed Wind Dir. Sky Temp Dominant(>50%) AES Habitat Type
N Other Habitats
Wind Sky AES Habitat Type
0=none 0=<10%clouds Developed
1=1-3mph 1=partly cloudy Cropland
2=4-7 mph 2=mostly cloudy Barren Land
3=8-12 mph 3=overcast Grassland
4=13-18 mph 4=rain Upland Shrub-Scrub
5=19-24mph 5=fog Upland Broadleaf Forest
WE 6>24 mph Upland Coniferous Forest
Behavior Upland Mixed Forest
H=Heard,not seen Wetland Forested
P=Perched or on ground Wetland Shrub-Scrub
F=Flying(flapping) Wetland Emergent
S=Soaring(updraft) Open Water
G=Gliding
K=Kiting
MI=Multi-bird Interaction(describe)
0 O=other(describe)
Circle radius=SOm S Notes:
Dir.
Alpha Behay. from Dist.from 0-3 3-5 5-10 10-15
Code Code Point Point(m) min min min min Notes
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
13
14
15
16
17
18
BUTTERFLY SURVEY DATA FORM (100m transect)
Project Name: Eagle Point Park Transect:
Date: Surveyor:
Species 1 2 3 4
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