The 600 acre Barber Creek Wildlife Area has received a 357 acre addition to its Western border. This public wildlife area lies 4 miles southwest of DeWitt, Iowa along the North bank of the Wapsipinicon river (Wapsi). A visitor to Barber Creek will find a combination of backwater chutes and forested floodplain mixed with occasional meadow openings and native grass stands. The Wapsi has created unequalled wildlife habitat diversity in the region and natural resource managers have long recognized the value of these lands. The original 600 acre tract, purchased in 1977, has provided opportunities for many deer, turkey, squirrel, waterfowl and pheasant hunters for the last 25 years. The Wapsi river floodplain contains many of the finest backwater wetlands in Eastern Iowa so the Iowa DNR looked into ways to enlarge the Barber Creek wildlife area. Although many more acres of high quality wildlife habitat exist on surrounding private lands, the IDNR Wildlife Bureau did not have the finances to protect more land and offer additional recreational opportunities for eastern Iowa residents.

When the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) announced the start of the Wetland Reserve Program (WRP) in 1985 the stars began to line up for additional land conservation along the Wapsi. The advent of WRP allowed USDA to enter into partnerships with private landowners by paying for a permanent farming restriction on high quality wetlands. The Wetland Reserve Program is a voluntary program that provides technical and financial assistance to eligible landowners to restore, enhance, and protect wetlands. Landowners have the option of enrolling eligible lands through permanent easements, 30-year easements, or restoration cost-share agreements. The program is offered on a continuous sign-up basis and is available Nationwide. This program offers landowners an opportunity to establish, at minimal cost, long-term conservation and wildlife habitat enhancement practices and protection.