Lawrence and 13 other agencies and individuals are working to establish a natural grassland and wetlands area below the Clinton Lake Dam.
Before the year is out, the last bean crop will be harvested from 156 acres south of Lawrence's Eagle Bend Golf Course.
Next year, the land will begin to yield a different kind of harvest as a haven for wildlife and an educational resource.
The property is being converted to a natural grassland and wetlands area as part of a Lawrence Parks and Recreation project.
"Long term this can be a great attraction for people to come and just view wildlife," said Fred DeVictor, city parks and recreation director.
DeVictor said this project is remarkable because of the number of different groups involved. In all, 14 public and private agencies and individuals are lending a hand.
Money, a total of more than $37,000, is being contributed by the State Conservation Commission, the Kansas Department of Health and Environment, Western Resources Inc. and the city of Lawrence.
Expertise is being offered by agencies ranging from the Jayhawk Audubon Society to the Kansas Department of Wildlife and Parks.
"It's a very unique project," DeVictor said. "There are many partners, many environmental interests."
The idea was spawned in part as a way to save money on maintenance.
The property is part of 1,500 acres below the Clinton Lake Dam being maintained by the city through a lease agreement with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers.
The lease requires that the land be used for recreation purposes rather than farming, DeVictor said.
City officials came up with the idea of a natural area that eventually would need less intensive maintenance than some other options.
The idea also meshed well with the city's parks and recreation priorities.
"Preserving some of these kinds of areas is very important to us," DeVictor said.
The city recently acquired Mary's Lake and land along the South Lawrence Trafficway for that purpose, DeVictor said.
The newest property needs some work before it can be called a natural area.
After the bean harvest, ditches will be plugged and dikes built to create three wetlands areas of one, 10 and 15 acres.
Volunteers will help collect wildflower and wetland seeds to be planted in the spring.
The site will be watched closely for a couple years to make sure the right plants establish themselves.
DeVictor said the long-term plan is to build trails and use the site for educational purposes.
-- Kendrick Blackwood's phone message number is 832-7221. His e-mail address is kblackwood@ljworld.com.
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