Panel floats idea of Des Moines River Trail, Kathie Obradovich
Ottumwa Courier, 9/25/99

The Des Moines River Recreational River and Greenbelt Advisory Committee, a 47-member panel created by Congress in 1985, agreed Friday to organize a meeting involving the 15 counties along the Des Moines River and its major tributaries.

All 15 counties along the river's path, which cuts a 404-mile diagonal from Emmet County in northwest Iowa to Lee County at the state's southeastern tip, have approved a resolution to designate a river trail. The resolution calls for posting river trail signs at boat ramps and other access points, improving facilities at the access points and publicizing the trail.

Gerry Rowland of Des Moines, who calls himself an "avid kayaker," came up with the idea of a Des Moines River trail after paddling the entire length of the river. He noted that while many of the facilities are already in place to create a river trail, very few people are out on the water.

With a little cleanup at access points the County Conservation Boards and the Iowa Department of Natural Resources could legitimately advertise a Des Moines River Canoe and Kayak Trail, he wrote in an open letter that is posted on his Internet web site devoted to the idea (www.desmoinesriver.org). "Signs indicating river mileage, portage trails, warnings at obstacles, maybe some amenities like camping facilities and chemical toilets, and voila, we have a wilderness experience that rival anything on either coast or in between."

He began circulating the resolution creating the trail to the counties in January, and then brought the idea to the Greenbelt committee. The committee advises the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers about improvements and projects along a federally designated greenbelt that includes the Saylorville and Red Rock dams and watersheds.

Jim Mills of the Corps, project director for the Greenbelt, said while the federally designated project area does not stretch to both state boundaries, the advisory group can provide the leadership to advance the project. He pledged cooperation and technical assistance from the Corps.

Participants at Friday,s meeting noted a rise in community activities along the river, including the River Ripple sponsored by the Ottumwa Courier in August that attracted 200 people to a canoe trip. "The change in attitude-viewing it as a recreational resource instead of a drainage ditch-has been positive," Steve Pitt, county conservation director from Palo Alto county, said.

Group members said among the first steps would be to map all of the access points on the river and have each county conservation board develop a list of priorities for improvement. Working with the Corps to manage water levels in the river was mentioned as a priority. The Iowa Legislature might be asked to pass its own resolution formalizing the trail designation as well.

Funding for the project might come from a variety of sources, members said, including federal, state, and community trails, natural resources, and conservation.

The group scheduled the organizational meeting for the river trail group for Dec. 3 at Saylorville, with the time to be announced. Anyone interested in being involved may call Mills at 309.794.5699.

Note: the Des Moines River Trail task force held a productive study meeting at Saylorville on October 15. A list of interested parties and tasks to be accomplished was developed. The group is working from the understanding that the River Trail came into existence when all 15 counties endorsed the resolution of support.