Cedar Lake revitalization effort ‘entering new phase’

CEDAR RAPIDS - A group pushing for years to transform Cedar Lake from an eyesore to an urban recreational asset for kayaking, fishing and strolling through nature said the effort is 'entering a new phase.”

The Iowa Department of Natural Resources has taken interest, and the city government has declared its intent to take ownership of the lake from Alliant Energy, pending an environmental assessment. The non-profit Friends of Cedar Lake earlier released a master plan envisioning an $8.8 million restoration with boat ramps, prairie walks, parking improvements and environmental enhancements.

'The Friends of Cedar Lake is entering a new phase in the evolution of this project,” said Dale Todd, its president. 'We've assembled all of the pieces of the puzzle, and we are ready to go for the next phase.”

The group plans to launch a formal fundraising effort this summer, lead by a steering committee of local leaders, Todd said.

The group also has been targeting a grant through Iowa DNR's Lake Restoration Program as a key funding source to offset costs of dredging sediment from the lake. That is critical to supporting fishing and boating.

For the past three years, the group has followed the restoration program playbook to best position itself. It plans to ask the City Council to apply to become a member in the Lake Restoration Program, Todd said.

Officials with the Iowa DNR joined the Friends group last week to review progress and plans and tour Cedar Lake. The restoration program works with lakes across the state. It is typically driven by water quality projects, but also supports public use improvements, which would be an attribute of the Cedar Lake project.

George Antoniou, Iowa DNR Lake Restoration Program coordinator, said he was impressed by the local support and noted the plans had 'good leadership and volunteer support.”

'Some things we still need to get over, but we think this project could be a real positive for us,” Antoniou said.

One issue is that the Lake Restoration Program is tasked with improving publicly-owned lakes, so having Cedar Rapids take ownership will be key, he said. Cedar Lake is also much larger than many in the program.

Another question is determining the source of the sediment in the lake. Is it coming from stormwater drainage that could be mitigated through better stormwater management? Or is it coming from Cedar River overflows that will continue to refill the sediment and thus require regular dredging? Diagnostic tests will be needed to determine that.

'Where is the loading coming from?” Antoniou said. 'The sedimentation is a big issue for us.”

Antoniou said he believes the Lake Restoration Program could partner for technical support, but it's not yet clear what is the right fit in terms of financial support.

The most recent five-year capital plan for the Lake Restoration Program averaged $9.6 million in grants per year, or $48 million for 25 total projects. The plan includes a few high-dollar projects, but most receive smaller amounts.

Black Hawk Lake in Sac County is slated to receive $11 million for site containment, watershed work and dredging, and Lake Manawa in Pottawattamie County has been allocated $8 million for dredging in Mosquito and Indian creeks. By comparison, no other project received more than $3.75 million in the five-year plan.

Antoniou said once a project is determined a fit for the Lake Restoration Program, a budget is developed based on the needs of the project.

The Cedar Lake project has several other updates:

' Cedar Rapids should learn in May - it had been expected in April - whether it was successful in a bid for a $200,000 U.S. Environmental Protection Agency brownfield grant to determine whether toxins exist in the lake sediment. The sediment study is necessary to gauge what liability the city would accept in owning the lake.

' The Friends group is developing a 'plan B” to pay for the sediment study should the EPA grant fall through. It would seek money from major stakeholders, including the city of Cedar Rapids, Alliant Energy, Linn County, Friends of Cedar Lake and the U.S. Geological Survey, Todd and Felicia Wyrick, a leader with the group.

Wyrick said.

' The City Council directed city-appointed members to continue participation on the Cedar Lake Study Committee, and city staff to continue providing administrative support and also to 'study and evaluate public ownership” of the lake.

Pending the results of the environmental study, 'it is in the city's interest to negotiate an acquisition agreement with Alliant Energy that reflects identified environmental liabilities and properly apportions the responsibility of future clean up activities,” according to city documents.

' Hopes of launching Enhance Iowa, a new state grant program with money for river and lake projects, does not appear to be advancing this legislative session, said Todd, who had been urging lawmakers to support it.