Making the Iowa River a ‘destination’ in Johnson County

A bicycle owner rides alongside the Iowa River Path on the confluence of Clear Creek and the Iowa River in Coralville on Aug. 31. The cities of Iowa Metropolis and Coralville, together with Johnson County, are engaged on a joint grant software to make the Iowa River a signature attraction for residents and guests. Town of Coralville is planning a brand new park on the web site. (Nick Rohlman/The Gazette)

Clear Creek makes its method towards the Iowa River in Coralville. (Nick Rohlman/The Gazette)

The boat ramp at Sturgis Ferry in Iowa Metropolis. The cities of Iowa Metropolis and Coralville, together with Johnson County, are engaged on a joint grant software to make the Iowa River a signature attraction for residents and guests. (Nick Rohlman/The Gazette)

Rendering of the proposed Clear Creek Level Park in Coralville (Metropolis of Coralville)

A listing of potential facilities a part of the proposed Clear Creek Level Park in Coralville. (Metropolis of Coralville)

A rendering of the proposed Clear Creek Level Park in Coralville through the wintertime. (Metropolis of Coralville)

A bicycle owner rides alongside the Iowa River Path on the confluence of Clear Creek and the Iowa River in Coralville on Aug. 31. The cities of Iowa Metropolis and Coralville, together with Johnson County, are engaged on a joint grant software to make the Iowa River a signature attraction for residents and guests. Town of Coralville is planning a brand new park on the web site. (Nick Rohlman/The Gazette)

A path marker for the Iowa River Path on the confluence of Clear Creek and the Iowa River in Coralville. The cities of Iowa Metropolis and Coralville, together with Johnson County, are engaged on a joint grant software to make the Iowa River a signature attraction for residents and guests. Town of Coralville is planning a brand new park on the web site. (Nick Rohlman/The Gazette)

CORALVILLE — Native governments in Johnson County wish to make the Iowa River a signature attraction for residents and guests.

With the assistance of Suppose Iowa Metropolis, the cities of Coralville and Iowa Metropolis, together with Johnson County, are making ready a virtually $6 million software to the state’s Vacation spot Iowa program that will likely be submitted within the coming weeks.

The joint software seeks funding for varied initiatives enhancing water and path entry within the county. This features a new park in Coralville with varied facilities, a skatepark renovation in Iowa Metropolis, new boat ramps, and finishing the Clear Creek Path connection out to Kent Park.

“We’re dubbing ourselves the pedal paddle vacation spot of the Midwest due to all of the path accesses you can pedal on and all of the water entry you’ll be able to paddle on,” mentioned Nick Pfeiffer, Suppose Iowa Metropolis’s vice chairman of public affairs.

The initiatives inside the grant software are “shovel prepared” and will get began inside the subsequent 12 months, Pfeiffer mentioned. They’re half of a bigger, long-term imaginative and prescient to revitalize the Iowa River for recreation.

The entire software quantity, which presently sits at $5.8 million, might change barely earlier than it’s submitted, Pfeiffer mentioned. With how issues stand presently, Coralville would obtain about 40 %, Iowa Metropolis 25 % and Johnson County 35 %, he added.

It’s a collaborative effort with a “united imaginative and prescient,” Pfeiffer mentioned. If the state awards the complete quantity requested, Pfeiffer mentioned that might care for the funding for the initiatives.

Bigger imaginative and prescient

The initiatives inside the software are half of a bigger imaginative and prescient to make the Iowa River a signature attraction. That imaginative and prescient can be among the many priorities recognized within the plan printed by Mission Higher Collectively 2030 earlier this yr.

Whereas the river has been maintained over the many years, it hasn’t been utilized to its full potential, Pfeiffer mentioned.

“Although it cuts by the guts of our communities in our county, we largely ignore it and do not make the most of the great thing about it and all that it may be,” Pfeiffer mentioned.

The long-term plan is to develop options to make the river simpler to make use of from the Coralville Reservior dam all the best way down south to Hills and Riverside. That features enhancing the path system, including extra boat ramps so individuals can simply get on the water and planning different sights alongside the river, Pfeiffer mentioned.

It should give residents a number of retailers for recreation and leisure, in addition to appeal to extra guests to the world, he mentioned.

‘Cohesive riverfront’ in Coralville

Town of Coralville is trying to develop bicycle and small water craft facilities the place Clear Creek meets the Iowa River simply east of First Avenue, mentioned Sherri Proud, town’s parks and recreation director. The positioning is south of the Iowa River Energy restaurant and the previous location of Hawkeye Prepared-Combine.

The proposed Clear Creek Level Park might even have pickleball courts, train stations, shelter for actions, a strolling loop, pump observe and extra. A “repair it” station for bikes and “kayak merchandising station” for leases — just like a motorbike share program — are additionally a part of the proposed plan, Proud mentioned.

The placement is an efficient place for an accessible kayak launch as a result of the water is calmer, Proud mentioned. Within the winter, the strolling loop could possibly be a spot for ice skating.

The concepts and park identify are in draft kind and will likely be mentioned extra as soon as funding is secured, Proud mentioned. The venture could be accomplished in phases.

“We’re speaking about drawing from the historical past of the ice trade on the Iowa River, in addition to the mill trade,” Proud mentioned. “There will likely be some tying that in with the Iowa River Touchdown and ensuring you might have a cohesive riverfront right here in Coralville with all of these concepts.”

Iowa Metropolis’s plans

In Iowa Metropolis, funds could be used to renovate the skatepark and add a motorbike pump observe at Terrell Mill Park, construct an off street bike observe on land north of Metropolis Park, and enhance boat drops within the space.

The skatepark could be made larger and embrace a couple of additional facilities, Pfeiffer mentioned. The pump observe could be for these utilizing BMX kind bikes.

There may be the opportunity of a ship drop at Waterworks Prairie Park, which is on North Dubuque Avenue simply north of Interstate 80.

“It will make a very nice entry … that you can put a ship in or kayak or canoe and paddle down the Iowa River after which get off at Clear Creek Level Park,” Pfeiffer mentioned.

Additionally on the radar is to enhance the present boat drop at Sturgis Ferry Park on South Riverside Drive, Pfeiffer mentioned.

“They are going to enhance that space, positively costume it up and enhance the entry to it and the facilities which are there,” Pfeiffer mentioned.

Extending Clear Creek Path

Johnson County’s piece of the applying entails connecting Clear Creek Path to F.W. Kent Park, Pfeiffer mentioned. The $5 million path extension has secured $3.5 million in funding and is trying to safe the remaining $1.5 million, The Gazette reported earlier this yr.

Clear Creek Path presently runs from what will likely be Clear Creek Level Park out to the Interstate 80/380 interchange. As soon as development on the interchange is accomplished, the path will go beneath the bridges and hook up with the path in Tiffin.

The requested funds would assist lengthen the path 2.5 miles from Tiffin out to Kent Park.

“We hope to have that path related right here, so you’ll journey your bike from Iowa Metropolis or Coralville, all the best way out by Tiffin and all the best way to Kent Park,” County Conservation Director Larry Gullett mentioned in Might.

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