Cedar Valley Nature trail still recovering from July storms

BRANDON - The Cedar Valley Nature Trail remains open to the public though it still hasn't recovered from the severe thunderstorms that pummeled much of eastern Iowa in late July.

Linn County conservation officials said at a board meeting Thursday that more than 20 miles of the trail sustained severe damage, including uprooted trees and broken tree limbs that winds have strewn across the trail and into fields

“It was pretty incredible," said Steve Swenson, North Cedar Park district ranger. 

For example, a section north of Urbana lost about 20 trees, and it took crews about two weeks to cut an opening through debris for trail access.

Storms don't usually damage more than two miles of the trail, Swenson said.

The cleanup will cost thousands of dollars, said Vern Fish, Black Hawk County Conservation Board director. The Federal Emergency Management Agency has yet to determine whether it will cover some of those costs.