(Atlantic, Iowa) – The Cass County Board of Supervisors, Tuesday morning, received monthly and quarterly reports from the Environmental Health and Conservation Departments. Conservation Director Micah Lee was up first. He mentioned the first check has been written for the restrooms at Cold Springs State Park near Lewis.

Micah said other sites received brush clean-up and regular seasonal maintenance.

He said a scout troop lent a hand in helping remove brush at Pellet Memorial Woods.

Conservation staff, he said, are also conducting brush removal activities near the Hitchcock House, and they hope to get some Spring burning of brush and other invasive species taken care of. Cass County Naturalist Lora Kanning he said, was busy providing 91 programs over the past quarter, and saw 2,365 people altogether during those programs and events.

Jotham Arber, Executive Director of Cass/Guthrie County Environmental Health, provided the Supervisors with his Quarterly report. He mentioned they are in the process of updating their website with aspects of the Environmental Health Department, including systems, water tests, etc. The last time the website was updated, he said, was in 2019.

He said they work with new construction rural homeowners, who are unfamiliar with septic and water systems, or those who have lived in a rural area and are moving into an existing home with a septic or well water system.

There will be recommendations on the web page about how often septic tanks should be pumped out, and water tests conducted, and a link to the Beacon web-based Geographic Information System that details property information.

He said there will be a big push this Spring for water tests, and keeping-up with water quality in the county.

Jotham Arber said also, they’ve been working through Winter projects and getting the drawing updated and into the system.