Bank protection, better fishing spots planned for Wapsipinicon State Park

Iowa conservation officials want to nudge the Wapsipinicon River — and what can be a fast-rushing channel after heavy rains — away from a road and a nature trail.

So how will they do it?

The Iowa Department of Natural Resources is soliciting bids for a contractor to build 18 stone weirs along the shore of the river as it flows through Wapsipinicon State Park south of Anamosa. The weirs, made of 3.5-foot boulders, would extend 90 feet from the shore, or about one-quarter of the way across the river, said Mike Dufoe, a facilities engineer for the DNR.

“The bank keeps washing out and there’s a road all along there,” he said of Lower Park Road. “The weirs will keep the banks from eroding more into that road.”

The goal is for the weirs, which will angle upstream, to slow the flow of water. Over time, sediment will drop to the river bottom, which will push the river’s channel to the other side, Dufoe said. The weirs are a more environmentally-friendly approach to erosion protection than layering concrete blocks on the at-risk shoreline, he said.

“It will provide more shore access for fishers, because they can go out on the boulders,” Dufoe said. The river in this area is popular for channel and flathead catfish, spring crappies, bullheads and smallmouth bass, the DNR reported.

These type of weirs are not like low-head dams, which span the whole width of the river and can be dangerous to humans and impede natural fish movement. The DNR has been helping communities remove low-head dams since 2008.

The project also would involve some traditional bank stabilization along Dutch Creek through the park.

The project is estimated to cost about $350,000 and be completed by Sept. 30. The DNR will accept bids until Feb. 22 and then seek contractor approval from the Natural Resource Commission in March. Work would start in May, as long as the river isn’t too high then, Dufoe said.

The Wapsipinicon has experienced severe flooding in past years, including 1999, 2014 and 2021. Wapsipinicon State Park was among Iowa state parks that sustained heavy damage in the 2020 derecho.

The park is on the National Register of Historic Places, with many structures built by prisoners from the nearby Anamosa State Penitentiary, the DNR reported. Among its attractions are Horse Thief Cave and Ice Cave, as well as the nine-hole Wapsipinicon Country Club located on park grounds. The park also offers camping, hiking, a boat dock and shelters.

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