ITC Midwest - McLoud Run

About the Program
The McLoud Run transmission line right-of-way (ROW) is a 22-acre project focused on improving grassland habitat and its associated biodiversity under a high-voltage transmission line by converting turf and non-native grass areas to native prairie grasses and wildflowers. The City of Cedar Rapids Parks and Recreation Department is the landowner and coordinates management of the ROW property with other areas of the park. The McLoud Run Park is located approximately 1.5 miles north of downtown Cedar Rapids in Linn County, Iowa, and includes a paved hiking and biking trail, benches and a small playground facility. Access is limited to the hours that McLoud Run Park is open to the public.

Practices and Impacts

• The project was initiated in 2012 when – using Integrated Vegetation Management techniques – turf grasses were removed, and the area was planted in native grasses and forbs. Conventional approaches to managing grasslands, such as herbicide applications, mowing and woody vegetation removal, are performed annually.
• Invasive species monitoring as well as plant abundance/diversity and related faunal diversity monitoring are also performed annually and provide the basis for adaptive management. 
• The site is managed as part the 1,000 Acre Pollinator Initiative in partnership with the Monarch Research Project and the city of Cedar Rapids.