Lakes and rivers are the key attractions for Iowa’s parks

Clean water, a top priority for outdoor recreationists, is on the upswing in Eastern Iowa's state and county parks.

The Department of Natural Resources's Lake Restoration Program last year completed a major renovation of Lake Darling near Brighton, and Pleasant Creek Lake near Palo will undergo a $3.5 million renovation later this year.

In addition to those two state park lakes, three lakes in East Iowa county parks - Central Park in Jones County, Union Grove in Tama County and F.W. Kent in Johnson County - are in the queue for major upgrades, said George Antoniou, coordinator of the Lake Restoration Program.

'It's very important that we have good lakes and rivers. They are the main attractions at our parks,” said Scott Michaelson, the DNR's northeast Iowa parks supervisor

'Lakes become a focal point for park users, even if they don't get out on the lake,” Antoniou said.

'Just sitting by the water, looking at it and listening to it, makes people feel better,” said Dennis Goemaat, deputy director of the Linn County Conservation Department.

While Linn County has no parks with lakes, its most popular parks are on streams, rivers and wetlands, including its flagship Pinicon Ridge Park on the Wapsipinicon River.

'All the campers want to get next to the river,” Goemaat said.

Antoniou said the restoration program has evaluated about 130 significant lakes in public ownership, almost all of them related to parks.

Restorations have been completed at 22 sites, with 21 projects underway and 14 in the planning stages.

Following a major renovation of Lake Darling last year, the state park of the same name in Washington County is expected to experience a surge in visitors this year, said Tom Basten, the DNR's southeast Iowa parks supervisor.

The multiyear, $13 million project, which rehabilitated the lake and upgraded park infrastructure, has created an unprecedented sense of excitement as park staff gear up for the camping season, Basten said.

Most of the infrastructure upgrade - new roads, campground, lodge, shelter, boat ramps, even new sand on the beach - have been completed. But construction has just begun on the last project, six year-round, two-bedroom rental cabins, due for completion in October.

While many anglers are waiting for fish stocked a year ago to grow up, Basten said catches this spring have included 8-inch bluegills, 12- to 15-inch bass and 'keeper size” catfish.

An economic study by Iowa State University's Center for Agriculture and Rural Development estimated the renovated park and lake would provide $8.7 million annual economic benefit to the area.

An earlier Iowa State University survey found that six of 10 Iowans visit lakes several times each year and spend $1.6 billion annually in their pursuit of outdoor lake recreation.

Michaelson said the Pleasant Creek project would be similar to an earlier renovation of Lake Macbride, with much of the work focusing on nearshore habitat improvements and increasing accessibility for shoreline anglers.

To facilitate equipment access to the shoreline, the lake gradually will be lowered beginning in August, so park users should not be greatly affected, he said.

At Central Park Lake, work intended to remove it from the state's impaired waters list is well underway. The park's wastewater systems have been upgraded to reduce the concentration of nutrients and bacteria - the main impairments.

The park also has acquired 80 acres on which will be built two ponds and a wetland that will further reduce sediment entering the lake. The addition also will provide storage for silt to be dredged from the lake.

At Union Grove, wetlands above the lake have been expanded and developed to improve the quality of water entering the lake, and design and engineering for the reconstruction will begin this year, Antoniou said.

The lake at Kent Park is in the early stages of restoration, with ongoing data collection helping to define the best approach for improving the lake's water quality, he said.