Friend-built fortress to protect Bobbers in North Liberty

More than 100 people came out Saturday to build a 10-foot wall around Bobbers Grill at Scales Point campground and marina in North Liberty.

"We're not going to lose this place," said Marcia Frauenholtz, who bought the restaurant with her husband and another couple a month ago.

The restaurant was open for three weeks before the owners had to close down, move out the food and prepare for the Iowa River to top the spillway at 712 feet on Thursday.

Part of those preparations included calling in friends to help. Bobbers posted a Facebook plea Wednesday asking for volunteers to help with sandbagging around the restaurant.

"We are looking for extension ladders, sawhorses, and especially construction cones to help with the bag-filling process," the owners said on Facebook.

But the friends turned up Saturday morning with backhoes and end loaders -- heavy equipment to make a "real" wall. The structure was about 10 feet high by noon.

"It's comforting, but it's a lot of work to put up and will be a lot of work to take down," Frauenholtz said.

Volunteers have promised to come back after the flood to help remove the wall and get Bobbers back in operation, she added.