Timothy Meinch

tmeinch@dmreg.com

Des Moines has a trophy case of accolades dedicated to its downtown revitalization.

But despite being at the nexus of central Iowa's two largest rivers, the city seldom receives praise for water recreation.

A group of outdoor enthusiasts formed last year to craft a water trails plan for the metro is looking to change that.

“I think the residents of the Des Moines metro want to engage with our rivers. We've just got to give them the opportunity to do so,” said Rick Tollakson, CEO of Hubbell Realty Co. and chairman of the waterways group.

The biggest obstacle is a series of century-old, low-head dams, dubbed by some as “drowning machines,” that limit access to stretches of the Des Moines and Raccoon rivers.

But those dams could soon be removed, according to state and local officials.

That would open the floodgates to possibilities, from tubing and whitewater kayaking to boating, fishing or picnicking on river boulders or jetties.

A public meeting Tuesday afternoon at Des Moines Central Library, dubbed The Dam Debate, will ask residents for their ideas to make the rivers more accessible for recreation.

“It’s the city of two rivers,” said Nate Hoogeveen, river programs coordinator with the Iowa Department of Natural Resources.

Examples in Iowa

The Iowa DNR has helped remove or restructure 15 low-head dams since forming a dam mitigation team in 2008. Several other projects are scheduled this year.

Charles City in northern Iowa and Manchester in eastern Iowa offer examples of how recreational opportunity can replace dams.

Both cities created recreational whitewater parks with shoots and rapids.

Manchester opened its whitewater park last year after spending $2.5 million to remove a dam and create six stair-stepping drops (about 18 inches each) along an 800-foot stretch of the Maquoketa River.

It became an immediate magnet for tubers, kayakers and a few brave souls who have body-surfed the rapids in life jackets.

“Absolutely, it’s been a success, and I think we’re starting to see some momentum develop as far as businesses and economic impact,” said Wes Schulte, who helped launch the whitewater project.

The park draws visitors from a three- to five-hour drive from the city, he said, and some weekends and special events bring in more than 1,000 people a day.

'900-pound gorilla'

There are numerous hurdles to creating something similar in Des Moines, but they aren’t insurmountable, according to state officials and local planners.

“The 900-pound gorilla is that there are these two dams in that vicinity,” Hoogeveen said.

The Des Moines Area Metropolitan Planning Organization has targeted a stretch of the Des Moines River from the Interstate 235 bridge to just below its confluence with the Raccoon River near the Principal Park baseball stadium.

The span, which covers much of the Principal Riverwalk, includes the Center Street dam below the Women of Achievement Bridge and the Scott Street dam on the Raccoon River. Both dams are owned by the city.

The cost to remove or reconfigure both structures likely would exceed $10 million.

The 15-foot-high Center Street dam was built in 1917. It was designed to pool water upstream to feed Des Moines Water Works intake pipes near Prospect Park. That pooling also serves the Birdland Marina, and allows boaters and rowing crews to operate north of the dam.

“Maintaining the pool of water is very important,” said Gunnar Olson, an MPO spokesman.

Planners say the pool of water could be maintained by replacing the dam with boulders and other river features. Those features would create rapids or chutes that could be used by tubers or kayakers. Bank options range from a natural, rugged design or a more urbanized feel with concrete and polished fixtures.

The MPO has released a set of concept illustrations designed as a launchpad for public input.

“What can we do to really activate the rivers as part of our lives?” Tollakson said.

Hubbell Realty is developing a 16-acre neighborhood called the Bridge District directly east of the Women of Achievement Bridge. It will cater to empty nesters and retirees who want to live downtown.

Safety is a primary driver behind removing Des Moines’ low-head dams, which have taken more than a dozen lives. “The first thing people say is, what are you going to do about those dams, because they kill people,” Tollakson said.

The issue was a passion topic for former Principal CEO David Hurd, who lived and worked downtown. He made the following plea in a Des Moines Register op-ed piece, written in December 2014, two years before his death.

“It's time to move forward with a vision for our rivers. I would like to see widespread community conversations with many interests represented: anglers, power boaters, paddlers and rowers, community leaders, economic development interests, and those who have lost loved ones in dam tragedies.”

The Dam Debate event

WHAT: Residents can learn about the possibilities, and provide input, for improved access and recreation along the Des Moines and Raccoon rivers in downtown Des Moines. Planners from the Des Moines Area Metropolitan Planning Organization will be on hand to present, listen and take notes. The public’s ideas and opinions will help shape a master plan for developing a network of recreational corridors along 150 miles of rivers and creeks in central Iowa.

WHEN: Noon-1 p.m. Tuesday

WHERE: Des Moines Central Library meeting room, 1000 Grand Ave.

SIGN-UP: The event is free, but visitors are asked to register for a ticket at tickets.desmoinesregister.com/e/the-dam-debate/preview

Low-head dams across Iowa

As of last year, about 175 low-head dams existed across Iowa.

The structures have no gates or water-control devices, but they allow a constant flow of water to pass over them.

Most were built as "beauty dams," intended to create ambiance on riverfronts, provide water for grain mills and hydroelectric generators, or control water levels.

Many, including those in the Des Moines River downtown, are owned by local cities, while some are maintained on private properties.

Momentum has built in recent years to eliminate the aging and largely useless structures because of the danger they pose to humans. They also inhibit mobility through waterways for recreationalists as well as fish and wildlife.

The Iowa Department of Natural Resources has helped facilitate 15 dam mitigation efforts since 2008, when it launched a dam mitigation program.

Many of the mitigation efforts are driven by safety concerns, and the rising trend of water parks for paddlers and tubers.