SLIDE 1 WATER TRAILS & GREENWAYS PLAN
Des Moines Area MPO
September 24, 2015
SLIDE 2 Water Trails: Project Phases
- 1. Existing Conditions Report & Recommendations – Dec
- 2. Vision and Goals – February 1, 2016
- 3. Draft Plan – June 1, 2016
- 4. Master Plan – November 1, 2016
Public Input – Major input opportunities throughout
SLIDE 3
WHAT ARE WATER TRAILS?
All this plan could include….
SLIDE 4
Variety of User Experiences
SLIDE 5
Sustainable Launch Locations
SLIDE 6
Fishing Amenities
SLIDE 7
Joyful Experiences
SLIDE 8
Respite and Beauty
SLIDE 9
Greenways: Shoreline Restoration, Habitat Corridors & Buffers
SLIDE 10
Dam Mitigation
SLIDE 11
FEEDBACK FROM FOCUS GROUPS
SLIDE 12 Focus Groups: Who Participated?
# Focus Groups Participants Average Age Race Percent 15 109 50 years Caucasian 98% African American 2% Sex Percent Age Range Male 66% 12-85 years old Female 33%
SLIDE 13 Focus Group Summary To-Date
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 50021 50023 50111 50125 50131 50156 50161 50211 50212 50225 50228 50229 50263 50265 50266 50301 50309 50310 50311 50312 50313 50314 50315 50316 50317 50320 50321 50322 50324 50325 50327 Number of Participants
Participation by Zip Code
SLIDE 14 Focus Group Summary To-Date
Fishing 7% Canoeing and Kayaking 13% Boating 9% Tubing 4% Wildlife habitat 12% Building leisure space for families 4% Protecting Drinking Water 12% Walking, jogging, and biking 13% Bird Watching 2% Learning about History 1% Camping 4% Relaxing 4% Flood protection 8% Playing near water's edge 4% Living near and viewing the river 3%
What activities along the rivers do you prioritize?
SLIDE 15 Focus Group Summary To-Date
Focus Groups To Date
- Environmental groups
- Paddlers
- Planners
- Area communications
specialists
- Core families
- Trail users and bikers
- Youth
- Rowers
- Parks and recreation
- Small business owners
- Anglers
- Power boaters
- Engineers and public works
- Two general sessions for
individuals with scheduling conflicts
SLIDE 16 Focus Group Summary To-Date
Upcoming Focus Groups
- Emergency responders
- Landowners
- Hunting and gaming
- Unaffiliated people through dam outreach
Post Recommendations Additional Outreach
- Meetings with economic development, developers
and policy makers
- Circling back to focus group participants
Who is missing?
?
SLIDE 17 Focus Group
What has surprised you in your experiences along the river?
- Amount of trash, pollution, riprap, concrete
- Bank erosion
- Poor water quality
- Importance of rivers as nature corridors
- Lack of access and use
- Volatility and flooding
- Access to nature and wild feel considering there isn’t much wild space in Iowa
- They go through the heart of downtown
- Trails system adjacent
SLIDE 18 Focus Group Emerging Themes
Increase Accessibility
- Multiple types of users and
demographics – Family friendly – Physical ability
- Increase number of public access
points
- Interconnect water trails and bike trails
- Maintain consistent water levels
SLIDE 19 Focus Group Emerging Themes
Natural Corridor Management and Conservation
- Improve water quality
- Naturally restore and stabilize
waterways
- Improve and protect wildlife
habitat
- Address flooding and flood plains
- Address the dams
SLIDE 20 Focus Group Emerging Themes
Coordination Among Key Players
- Build cooperation among governments and users
- Figure out management of projects and upkeep
– Who is supposed to do it?
- Sustainable funding
- Connect to other initiatives and economic development
SLIDE 21 Focus Group Emerging Themes
Community Engagement
- Build upon citizens; personal
histories, as well as the city’s river history
- Wayfinding and signage
- Multiple types of users
- Marketing
- Connect to other initiatives
- Programming
– Classes
– Events
SLIDE 22 Focus Group Emerging Themes
Plan for Safety
- Address the dams
- Multiple types of users
- Safety education
- Wayfinding and signage
SLIDE 23 Focus Group: Takeaways
- Most people saw our waterways as an asset and were excited
about an intentional planning effort. There is an expectation and hope from users that this planning process will create momentum for implementation.
- Many of the user groups were glad to be part of the planning
process and are interested in continued participation.
SLIDE 24 Focus Group: Takeaways
- There are concerns about who will maintain any projects and
where the money will come from. There is a perception that the waterways are largely maintained by users.
- There are a lot of people who will be important within the
water trails planning and implementation process that have had little to no experience on or near central Iowa waterways.
SLIDE 25 Focus Group: Takeaways
- There is a lot of history and connection to central Iowa
waterways by current users. In many cases, generational experiences along the rivers and creeks. There is potential for a small number of people who have a deep sense of
- wnership that may be very vocal around change.
- For government entities, water recreation has not been a
group they have been serving. This will mean asking them (government) to do more.
SLIDE 26 Focus Group: Takeaways
- While there are 150 miles of waterways in central Iowa, not
all of them are appropriate for all users.
- Having multiple user groups sharing some of the same
stretches of river can cause conflict and safety concerns.
- There is a tension between increased activity and safety. The
more people on the river, the more risk.
SLIDE 27 Focus Group: Takeaways
- Water quality is seen as a barrier to safety and recreation as
well as connected to flooding.
- Mixed feelings regarding mitigation of the dams.
SLIDE 28
MACRO VIEW OF AREA WATERWAYS
SLIDE 29 Raccoon River
area
West Des Moines, Des Moines
SLIDE 30
Raccoon River
Major Landmarks & Features – Raccoon River Park, Brown’s Woods, Walnut Woods State Park, Water Works Park, Gray’s Lake Park – Bill Riley Trail – Quarries – Commerce ledges – unique natural bedrock ledges for whitewater – Levees, rock dam and low-head dam
SLIDE 31 Raccoon River
Users and Experiences – Agriculture to woods to urban – Fishing, tubing, paddling, birding – Commerce ledges –
unique limestone bedrock ledges for whitewater
SLIDE 32
Raccoon River
Water Quality – Category 4 impaired waterway (no TDML) – Primary contact - indicator bacteria and nitrates
SLIDE 33
Des Moines River
SLIDE 34 Des Moines River
- 65 miles in study area
- Polk County, Johnston,
Des Moines Pleasant Hill
SLIDE 35
Des Moines River
Major Landmarks & Features – Parks: Saylorville, Jester Park, Corps Open Space, Prospect, McHenry, Kiwanis Riverview Nature Island, Yellow Banks, Red Rock – High Trestle, Neal Smith, Des Moines River Trails – Botanical Center, Principal Riverwalk, Principal Park, Cownie Socer Complex – Birdland Marina
SLIDE 36
Des Moines River
Major Landmarks & Features – Levees and historic balustrades – Saylorville, Center Street, Scott Street and Red Rock dams
SLIDE 37
Des Moines River
Users and Experiences – Woods to urban to woods – Fishing, paddling, rowing, powerboating, birding, adjacent trail usage/biking (upper stretch seems too busy) – Lower stretch has lots of wildlife including important Pelican migration
SLIDE 38
Des Moines River
Water Quality – Category 4 impaired waterway (no TDML) starting at Center Street Dam in Des Moines – Indicator bacteria
SLIDE 39 Middle River
area
near Carlisle, Hartford
Carlisle
SLIDE 40
Middle River
Major Landmarks & Features – Banner Lakes at Summerset State Park, Red Rock Users and Experiences – Agriculture to woods – Logjams – Fishing, snowmobiling
SLIDE 41
Middle River
Water Quality – Category 5 impaired waterway (TDML required) – Aquatic Life - Biologically impaired waterway (low biotic index); cause unknown
SLIDE 42 North River
area (17 in secondary)
Carlisle, Des Moines, Norwalk
SLIDE 43
North River
Major Landmarks & Features – Warren CC land Users and Experiences – Agriculture – Fishing, snowmobiling – Logjams
SLIDE 44
North River
Water Quality – Category 5 impaired waterway (TDML required) ending at Badger Creek – Aquatic life and primary contact - biologically impaired waterway; cause unknown and indicator bacteria (E. coli)
SLIDE 45 South Skunk River
area
- Polk County
- 28% in public
- wnership
Bondurant
SLIDE 46
South Skunk River
Major Landmarks & Features – Chichaqua Bottoms Park – finishing up master plan – Non-meandering stream Users and Experiences – Agriculture with small forested buffer – Fishing, paddling, small paddling campground
SLIDE 47
South Skunk River
Water Quality – Category 5 impaired waterway (TDML required) – Primary contact – indicator bacteria (E. coli)
SLIDE 48 Mud Creek
area (all secondary)
Bondurant, Altoona
SLIDE 49
Mud Creek
Major Landmarks & Features – Chichaqua Bottoms Park – Non-meandering stream Users and Experiences – Agriculture – Unknown recreational use Water Quality – Not impaired
SLIDE 50 Beaver Creek
area
Johnston, Urbandale
Johnston
SLIDE 51
Beaver Creek
Major Landmarks & Features
– Camp Dodge – Terra Park, Beaver Creek Natural Resource Area – Johnston School, Pioneer – Local trails
SLIDE 52
Beaver Creek
Users and Experiences – Urban, woods – Logjams – Fishing, paddling, tubing Water Quality – Category 5 impaired waterway (TDML required) – Primary contact – indicator bacteria (E. coli)
SLIDE 53 Walnut Creek
(2.5 primary)
Urbandale, Clive, Windsor Heights, West Des Moines, Des Moines
SLIDE 54
Walnut Creek
Major Landmarks & Features – Colby Park, Walnut Creek Regional Park, Timberline Park – Clive Greenbelt Trail (master planning) and local trails – Logjams – Watershed Management Authority – complete plan 1/16 – Dams? – Clive working on natural streambank restoration
SLIDE 55
Walnut Creek
Users and Experiences – Wooded and urban – Fishing, paddling, tubing – Could be challenge course with all of the features (rapids, drops, waves, riffles); also potential for urban tubing
SLIDE 56
Walnut Creek
Water Quality – Category 4 impaired waterway (no TDML required) starting at I-35/80 – Primary contact – indicator bacteria (E. coli)
SLIDE 57 Fourmile Creek
(all secondary)
Ankeny, Pleasant Hill, Des Moines
Ankeny Altoona Pleasant Hill
SLIDE 58 Fourmile Creek
Major Landmarks & Features – Fourmile Creek Greenbelt, Sargent Park, Strasser Woods, Copper Creek Lake Park – Gay Lea Wilson Trail – Watershed Management Authority – completed plan 4/15
- Lots of recent buy-outs, creating plan for greenway
SLIDE 59
Fourmile Creek
Users and Experiences – Agriculture, urban, wooded – Logjams – Wading Water Quality – Not impaired
SLIDE 60
DAM TOUR AND OTHER OPPORTUNITIES TO LEARN FROM OTHERS
SLIDE 61
OTHER NON-ACTION ITEMS
