Shimek State Forest
Encyclopedia
Shimek State Forest is an Iowa
state forest maintained by the Iowa Department of Natural Resources
. Its five units are strung along the Des Moines River
a few miles above its confluence with the Upper Mississippi River
in Lee
and Van Buren Counties in the southeast corner of Iowa. Its 9148 acres (37 km²) contain one of the largest remaining contiguous forests in the state with large stands of mixed oak-hickory forest with about 1,000 acres (4 km²) of planted pine.
The Farmington (2207 acres (9 km²)), Lick Creek (2866 acres (12 km²)), Donnellson (1330 acres (5 km²)) and Croton (1827 acres (7 km²)) units are near Farmington
, where the Iowa Bureau of Forestry
administrative office is located. The Keosauqua (918 acres (3.7 km²)) unit is upriver, opposite Keosauqua
and adjoins Lacey-Keosauqua State Park and wildlife management areas. The Croton unit is near the site of the Battle of Athens
, the most northerly battle of the Civil War, and the only one fought (in part) in Iowa.
The forest has extensive recreational facilities. Campgrounds, fishing, hunting, hiking trails, horseback riding trails and equine facilities are offered.
Its earliest development was by the Civilian Conservation Corps
on exhausted, abandoned farmland. In 1950 it was named for Dr. Bohumil Shimek
, a Czech-American naturalist, conservationist, and university professor at the State University of Iowa
.
Iowa
Iowa is a state located in the Midwestern United States, an area often referred to as the "American Heartland". It derives its name from the Ioway people, one of the many American Indian tribes that occupied the state at the time of European exploration. Iowa was a part of the French colony of New...
state forest maintained by the Iowa Department of Natural Resources
Iowa Department of Natural Resources
The Iowa Department of Natural Resources is a department/agency of the U.S. state of Iowa charged with maintaining state parks and forests; protecting the environment; and managing energy, fish, wildlife, land resources, and water resources of Iowa.The Mission Statement: To conserve and enhance...
. Its five units are strung along the Des Moines River
Des Moines River
The Des Moines River is a tributary river of the Mississippi River, approximately long to its farther headwaters, in the upper Midwestern United States...
a few miles above its confluence with the Upper Mississippi River
Upper Mississippi River
The Upper Mississippi River is the portion of the Mississippi River upstream of Cairo, Illinois, United States. From the headwaters at Lake Itasca, Minnesota, the river flows approximately 2000 kilometers to Cairo, where it is joined by the Ohio River to form the Lower Mississippi...
in Lee
Lee County, Iowa
-2010 census:The 2010 census recorded a population of 35,862 in the county, with a population density of . There were 16,205 housing units, of which 14,610 were occupied.-2000 census:...
and Van Buren Counties in the southeast corner of Iowa. Its 9148 acres (37 km²) contain one of the largest remaining contiguous forests in the state with large stands of mixed oak-hickory forest with about 1,000 acres (4 km²) of planted pine.
The Farmington (2207 acres (9 km²)), Lick Creek (2866 acres (12 km²)), Donnellson (1330 acres (5 km²)) and Croton (1827 acres (7 km²)) units are near Farmington
Farmington, Iowa
Farmington is a city in Van Buren County, Iowa, United States. The population was 756 at the 2000 census.-Geography:Farmington is located at , on the east bank of Des Moines River....
, where the Iowa Bureau of Forestry
Iowa Department of Natural Resources
The Iowa Department of Natural Resources is a department/agency of the U.S. state of Iowa charged with maintaining state parks and forests; protecting the environment; and managing energy, fish, wildlife, land resources, and water resources of Iowa.The Mission Statement: To conserve and enhance...
administrative office is located. The Keosauqua (918 acres (3.7 km²)) unit is upriver, opposite Keosauqua
Keosauqua, Iowa
Keosauqua is a city in Van Buren County, Iowa, United States. The population was 1,066 at the 2000 census. It is the county seat of Van Buren County.-History:...
and adjoins Lacey-Keosauqua State Park and wildlife management areas. The Croton unit is near the site of the Battle of Athens
Battle of Athens (1861)
The Battle of Athens was an American Civil War skirmish that took place in northeast Missouri in 1861 near present Revere and southeast Iowa along the Des Moines River across from Croton...
, the most northerly battle of the Civil War, and the only one fought (in part) in Iowa.
The forest has extensive recreational facilities. Campgrounds, fishing, hunting, hiking trails, horseback riding trails and equine facilities are offered.
Its earliest development was by the Civilian Conservation Corps
Civilian Conservation Corps
The Civilian Conservation Corps was a public work relief program that operated from 1933 to 1942 in the United States for unemployed, unmarried men from relief families, ages 18–25. A part of the New Deal of President Franklin D...
on exhausted, abandoned farmland. In 1950 it was named for Dr. Bohumil Shimek
Bohumil Shimek
Bohumil Shimek was an American naturalist, conservationist, and a professor at the University of Iowa. The Shimek State Forest in Iowa is named after him.-Family and early life:...
, a Czech-American naturalist, conservationist, and university professor at the State University of Iowa
University of Iowa
The University of Iowa is a public state-supported research university located in Iowa City, Iowa, United States. It is the oldest public university in the state. The university is organized into eleven colleges granting undergraduate, graduate, and professional degrees...
.
Sources
- Iowa State Forests, Iowa Department of Natural ResourcesIowa Department of Natural ResourcesThe Iowa Department of Natural Resources is a department/agency of the U.S. state of Iowa charged with maintaining state parks and forests; protecting the environment; and managing energy, fish, wildlife, land resources, and water resources of Iowa.The Mission Statement: To conserve and enhance...
, Retrieved July 27, 2007 - Shimek State Forest, Iowa Department of Natural ResourcesIowa Department of Natural ResourcesThe Iowa Department of Natural Resources is a department/agency of the U.S. state of Iowa charged with maintaining state parks and forests; protecting the environment; and managing energy, fish, wildlife, land resources, and water resources of Iowa.The Mission Statement: To conserve and enhance...
, Retrieved July 27, 2007