The Dallas County Supervisors, Des Moines Area Community College (DMACC), and the Iowa Department of Agriculture and Land Stewardship are in talks about a wetland project. 

Supervisor Mark Hanson says the project involves a potential wetland on the 570-acre Dallas County Farm that the Health and Human Services Campus resides on. 

“DMACC farms approximately 240 of those acres to teach their ag students about agriculture and running agribusiness. As part of the discussion there is an area that is a wetland and a heavy rain would pond some water and it’s less desirable farming land because of the wetness to it.”

Hanson tells Raccoon Valley Radio that the potential wetland project would drain a couple thousand acres into the wetland before it would then be discharged into the Raccoon River. Hanson gives updates on where the project is currently at. 

“DMACC, The Department of Agriculture (and Land Stewardship) and the County have all signed off on an engineering concept.”

Hanson says the targeted area is the northern part of the ground that the County owns.