| Aerial Photos | Natural Areas Near CERA | More Links

The USDA Soil Conservation Service, except for the January and August 1975 photos, took the following aerial photos of CERA.

The following winter aerial photos were taken by the 173rd Tactical Reconnaissance Squadron of the Nebraska Air National Guard, Lincoln, NE, on January 26, 1974, two years after the dam was built.

  • Perry Pond Winter 1974 View East: Note the cultivated fields on the north side and the barren slopes on the south side.
  • Perry Pond Winter 1974 View West: Note the topography of the landscape around the dam, lack of canopy cover on the slopes south of the pond, and the meandering creek entering the pond from the west. In addition to providing a picture of what the landscape at CERA looked like almost 30 years ago, the photo clearly shows where we can look for the remains of old, half-buried barbed wire fences south of the pond. Off in the far southwest corner, there is a cemetery named after the first person to own all of the parcels of land that currently are "CERA". His name was George T. Saum.

Natural Areas Near CERA

We are fortunate to have several sizable natural areas near Grinnell and CERA. The areas vary in size and quality but offer a diversity of habitats that provide reference sites for restoration work, research sites, seed collecting opportunities, hiking, and many opportunities to volunteer as a land steward. A variety of agencies and organizations manage these areas, including the Tallgrass Prairie Audubon Society, IDNR Forests and Prairies Division, IDNR State Parks, and County Conservation Boards. Several private individuals in this area are also in the process of restoring habitat on their land, thereby creating a larger regional matrix of wildlife habitat.

Visit the Center for Prairie Studies for a free guide to prairie sites within 50 miles of Grinnell.

More Links

For aerial photographs of the landscape surrounding CERA, visit the Iowa Geographic Image Map Server at http://ortho.gis.iastate.edu/.

Select "Map Search." To zoom in on CERA, you can select T79N, R17W, and Section 5 or 6, OR select "Kellogg" from the city menu and navigate southeast.

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