Low Head Dam Celebration Planned For Saturday In Ames

Press release from the City of Ames:

April 26, 2021

Celebrate the Low Head Dam project completion at the River Valley Park Shelter beginning at 10 a.m. on Saturday, May 1. An outdoor open house with booths from various organizations will be held from 10:30 a.m. to noon. Free tree seedlings will be given away to encourage tree planting. Parking is available at the softball fields in North River Valley Park, 725 E. 13th St.

Since 1984, the low head dam constructed in North River Valley Park has pooled water in the South Skunk River to recharge the aquifer that supplies Ames with drinking water. But the dam made the waterway inaccessible for paddlers due to the dangerous recirculation hydraulics it created. Now, the dam has been reimagined into a recreational asset that still allows water to pool, but also creates riverbank access for visitors and an exciting water obstacle for paddlers.

A portion of funding for the project was provided by the Iowa Department of Natural Resources Low Head Dam Mitigation Grant Program and the Water Trails Grant Program, along with pledges from the Outdoor Alliance of Story County, Iowa Whitewater Coalition, the Hawkeye Fly Fishing Association, Skunk River Paddlers, and the family of Spencer Veysey.

This press release was produced by the City of Ames. The views expressed here are the author’s own.