Size (acres):  3019.125

River Mile: Portions along the river: 560.4 to 561.4; 561.9 to 565.0; 565.1 to 566.1; 569.4 to 570.4; 57.0 to 571.5

Bank:  Left descending bank

County:  Fremont

State: Iowa

Ownership:  U.S. Army Corps of Engineers

Acquisition Status:  Acquired from willing sellers between 1995 and 2014, under Water Resources Development Acts 1986 and 1999 authorizations.

On-Site Management:  U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (tract 211) and Iowa Department of Natural Resources (IDNR) administers and/or performs operation and maintenance activities on behalf of the Corps according to the terms of various agreements.

Site Access:  Motor vehicles are restricted to established roadways and parking areas. A levee system is present on the site and is not an established roadway for public access. The site is not contiguous and is accessible only by the Missouri River in some places.

Description:  The Copeland Bend site, which provides about 6.2 miles of Missouri River frontage in public ownership, is predominately flat floodplain with numerous wetland and drainage areas.

• Tracts located on the southern portion of the site (mainly south of 225th St.) are under the NRCS Wetland Reserve Program which serves to protect, restore, and enhance wetlands.
• The north tracts (adjacent to or north of 225th St.) are a mixture of ownership that includes state of Iowa, USACE, and private landowners.
• Natural wetlands are prevalent throughout the Copeland Bend site, in addition to about 250 acres of man-made wetlands that were created as part of a levee setback following the 2011 high flow event.
• The general public and recreationists need to be cautious not to cross over or trespass on private property when accessing public land.   

Status:  Open to the public.  Site is in operations and maintenance status.

Site Use:  The site is open to the public for a variety of outdoor activities including fishing, bird watching, hiking and hunting when in season.

Site-use Regulations:  

• People visiting these areas must comply with all applicable federal and state laws and regulations, including hunting, fishing, etc.  In general Title 36 Part 327 of the Code of Federal Regulations governs the use of Corps property.  Other regulations may apply to properties owned by other federal agencies.
• Special regulations and restrictions may be posted on site.

Special-use Regulations:  No target shooting, camping or off-road vehicles permitted.

Contact Information: 

• Contact Iowa Department of Natural Resources at (712) 350-0147 or visit the IDNR web document.
• Also contact the Corps’ Missouri River Project Office at (402) 996-3761.

Story Maps Link:  http://rsgisias.crrel.usace.army.mil/story_maps/nwo/mrrp/index.html#

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