L.D. McMullen, CEO

Des Moines Water Works

903 Pleasantview Drive

Des Moines, IA  50315

Dear Mr. McMullen:

I am author of Paddling Iowa, a guidebook of the finest canoeing trips available in Iowa. One of those is the run from Booneville to Walnut Woods State Park, and the plan to create a low-head dam near Interstate 35 (listed in the Des Moines Register on Jan. 5) could make that a very dangerous public waterway. Unless the plan is modified to accommodate paddlers, it will ruin a very popular recreational stretch of river. As president of the Iowa Whitewater Coalition, I am working hard to encourage the retrofitting low-head dams for greater safety across Iowa. Des Moines Water Works in many ways is a bastion of recreation and conservation in Central Iowa. As a consumer of Des Moines Water Works water, I do not want my water-bill money going toward non-forward thinking project such as this. Please take a moment to become educated about alternatives to low-head dams by reading the enclosed Public Works article.

If this project proceeds as is, Des Moines Water Works is intentionally creating a well-documented hazard. Apparently no amount of public education will keep some people from improperly away from dams. Recent nearby examples of drownings include:

• Cory Hart of Des Moines, May 2001, Adel dam, after attempting to swim through the boil. After a weeklong vigil by Hart’s girlfriend at the dam, his body was recovered, but his family still couldn’t comprehend why such a strong swimmer couldn’t make it through.
• Steven Nourse of Perry, August 2002, Scott Avenue dam in Des Moines, while attempting to run the dam when it looked harmless. During several days of vigil held by family members at the dam, they thought several times they could see Nourse’s body bobbing in the boil.
• Angler Troy Morrison of Windsor Heights, Adel dam, June 2003, after falling into the water at night. Underwater rescue personnel had to cease recovery operation because of dangerous conditions.

With such macabre scenes unfolding, these deaths become very public. Intentionally creating such a new hazard seems a large liability risk, one that is taken seriously in neighboring states. In Illinois, where there are reasons to maintain water levels at dangerous low-head dams, river-wide ramp rapids retrofits are being considered on the Fox and Kankakee rivers. Bill Rice, an Illinois Department of Natural Resources project manager, was quoted in a “Public Works” article (enclosed) as saying, “There is a lot of push to remove the dam altogether. This multi-use approach will provide an environmentally-friendly compromise that will make the river safe for recreation, while still preserving the facility.” It would certainly be more cost-effective for Des Moines water users to simply build this dam as a rock dam rapids rather than a low head dam that will be modified later.

It is also worth pointing out that this project is to occur on a meandered stream. I’ve briefly checked with the Iowa Attorney General office, which advises:

A permit is required by Iowa Code section 455B.275(3)(b) (specifically requiring a permit to build a dam on a navigable or meandered stream. Relevant administrative rules are in 567 IAC 72.3(3) "Low head dams". Paragraph 72.3(3)"a" states: "The location and design of a low head dam shall not adversely affect the fisheries or recreational use of the stream."

Gradual rapids, rather than the abrupt hydraulic jump of a low-head dam, allow free passage for fish and new habitat rather than creating a barrier. Rapids can also be a plus for recreational whitewater boaters. I’d encourage you to embrace a design change and to help me educate more Iowans about how low-head dam construction is a backward-thinking approach to the legitimate need for raising water levels in certain parts of rivers. Paddling volunteers would be happy to become part of the solution, perhaps by joining an advisory board, if you wish, to help discuss how recreation can best be served while accommodating the needs for increased water collection.

Sincerely,

Nate Hoogeveen

Author, Paddling Iowa

Board member, Central Iowa Paddlers