DES MOINES

BOONE COUNTY

HAMILTON COUNTY

Photo Jim Pease

Photo Jim Pease

THE DES MOINES RIVER IN BOONE COUNTY While paddling through Boone County, one can experience and imagine past and present movements of people, wildlife, and goods and materials. The rich history includes Native Americans Photo Joseph Stanski MorningStar Photography paddling dugout canoes and fording Below the Fraser accesses, railroad tracks run parallel to the river and cross it by old trestle shallow areas on horseback en route bridge where the river forms a large bend. In the early 1900s, an interurban electric train transported people between Des Moines and Fort Dodge and later transported gypsum to and from summer hunting grounds. from the mines in Fort Dodge. Today, the tracks are operated by Boone and Scenic Valley Bridges still cross the river, beckoning Railway for pleasure trips. to a past era when railroads dominated transportation. Fish and wildlife are part of the moving waters, and birds follow centuries-old river corridor migration routes. The Des Moines is a meandered stream. That means that private property begins at the high water mark, typically where vegetation begins. The river bed, sandbars and banks up to the high water mark are held in public trust for the people of Iowa. Sandbar camping is allowed on meandered streams.

The US Army Corps of Engineers Photo Jim Pease regulates water levels upstream in A hydroelectric dam at Fraser once supplied electricity to the railroad. Now it has no Lake Red Rock, so water levels may serviceable function and is a hazard to paddlers and other river users. A constructed be unexpectedly low, or high and fast, portage trail provides a safe path around the dam, from the North Fraser Access to depending on upstream management. the South Fraser Access. DES MOINES RIVER WATER TRAIL

Nonfunctional, low-head dams present dangers to people and are a barrier to the movement of fish, mussels, and other aquatic species. The dam at Boone Waterworks was transformed into a series of rock arch rapids. Depending on paddling experience and water levels, paddlers may choose to run the rapids or portage around them by using the accesses and trail above and below the highway bridge. Photo Glen Harman

Photo Jim Pease

The Des Moines is a major flyway for birds. Belted kingfishers, bank swallows, and rough-winged swallows dart across the river, with their tunnel nests found in exposed riverbanks. Look for cliff Illustration Michael Lanning swallows and phoebes, with their nests plastered on the undersides of bridges. Killdeers and sandpipers skip along Photo Jim Pease beaches and sandbars. Turkey vultures Two big bridges stretch hundreds of yards high above the valley. The Kate Shelley High soar effortlessly on rising thermal air Bridge was the main railroad span over the Des Moines River for more than a century. It currents. was replaced with the modern, double-track Union Pacific line, which runs more than 65 trains per day.

The last access of the water trail in Boone County at Highway 210 provides a view of the famous High Trestle Bridge – a former RR bridge that today is a key feature of the 25-mile High Trestle Trail and a tourist destination.

Photo Jim Pease DES MOINES RIVER WATER TRAIL

KEY Beginner Level e W River Rd a Intermediate Level s h eek Av in vue Rd g t o Advanced Level n Belle

A

v

e Skillet Cr City/Town 175 175

River Rd Public Land DAYTON eek Rd 365th St STRATFORD 169 Skillet Cr Paved Roadways e Skillet Creek 370th St Gravel Roadways Indian Mounds River Rd

Racine Av Portage Trail 175 D64 Stagecoach Rd Carry Down Access 261 Skillet Creek Access 380th St Carlson Unimproved Access* Recreation Area River Rd Way ON CO . Boat Ramp S River 390th St e 390th St e e

WEBSTER CO . Rapids e 394th St HAMI LT

vier Av Dam ylor Av Xa ashington Av Union Av Ta W HAMILTON CO. Point of Interest

P70 e BOONE CO.

105th St 105th St L Av

JuniperRhodes Rd Acres R21 e *Note: Accesses marked ‘Unimproved’: I Av 255 Norton’s Ford - Will not have wayfinding signage River Access 115th Rd 118th St - May have inadequate parking Unimproved 120th St - May be in poor condition L Rd e e J Av I Av

E18 L Rd E18 PILOT MOUND 14

4 Lilac Ln 140th St Pilot Mound th L n State Forest Kale Rd

e Rd Barkley State Forest H Av

Juniper 15 0th St R21

250 North Fraser Access le Rd

Ka 155th St FRASER 160th St e Rd Natur Don Williams Holst State Forest Recreation Area 166th Dr e L Av E26

249 South Fraser Access L 244 E-26 Access ea f R le Rd d e e Ka

I Av J Av P70 188th Rd R21 af Rd Le E26 243 E-26 Access

e E26 192nd St Av

e Rd

h Malla rd 8t I Av 19 E26 200th St e Juneber y Ln

208th St Ke e H Av 210th St BOONE ry J Av E41

Rd

OGDEN S Montana St 216th Dr 237 Hwy 30 Access 30

th Ln Rd 30 222nd Dr 224 Montana DES MOINES RIVER WATER TRAIL

244 E-26 Access

188th Rd R21 e

J Av E26 243 E-26 Access E26 192nd St

e d h R 8t I Av 19 E26 200th St e Juneber y Ln e

208th St Ke H Av

210th St J Av ry E41 BOONE

Rd Dickcissel

OGDEN S Montana St Recreation 216th Dr 237 Hwy 30 Access Area 30 th Ln 30 222nd Dr 224

230th St Moingona Rd 230th St 230th St Montana Rd y Ln

169 Harrier Marsh on Pe e 233rd St

Wildlife Management 231st Rd

d R27 R

Area K Av

e 240th St 240th St l 240th St e o ri O J Av

R18 e 17

250th St 250th St Lark Av 252nd Ln Ledges State Park e Magnolia Rd 230 Dogwood Ramp Access P Av 260th St

Ln e n 3rd L 6 rd 2

7 Q Av 26 LUTHER E57 E57 27 e KEY 4th Ln e ach Av R Av Beginner Level 280th St Pe 280th St Long Refuge Intermediate Level e R26 Opal Ln

Advanced Level M Av 285th Ln 226 Sportsman Ramp Access 290th St

City/Town e

Public Land ood Av ose Rd ngw Paved Roadways R 300th St Lo 300th St

Gravel Roadways e R18 304th Ln Portage Trail Owl Av Carry Down Access 310th St Magnolia Rd Unimproved Access * 315th St 315th St 221 Hwy 210 Access e Boat Ramp M Av

Rapids 325th St Swede Point 17 Dam E62 Park High Trestle Trail 210 Point of Interest WOODWARD 335th St 33 3rd Rd 210 MADRID BOONE CO. BOONE CO. DALLAS CO. POLK CO. e *Note: Accesses marked ‘Unimproved’: 125th Pl - Will not have wayfinding signage U Av 130th Ct 130th St 130th Ct NW158th Ave - May have inadequate parking Bittersw 415 NW Madrid Dr - May be in poor condition e eet Rd 210 T Av Saylorville

Wildlife 8th St 140th St Management NW 12

Area Zook Spur Rd ALLAS CO . POLK CO . Big Creek State Park 219 Sub-1 Ramp Access D e 145th Ln NW146th Ave Last Exit in Boone County Av 15 0th St Upland 141 DES MOINES RIVER WATER TRAIL

Norton’s Ford Access to Fraser Access (north) Most of this 4.5-miles section is heavily wooded, with row crops encroaching on a couple of upstream bends and a few cabins seen from the river. The tight woodland corridor brings wildlife close to paddlers. Sand and silt compose most of the bottom of the Des Moines River, with visibility only 4-6 inches.

The Norton’s Ford access is at a remote road’s end, and the carry-down may be muddy. There is little space for parking. The takeout at North Frasier Access is well-signed off Juniper road, warning paddlers to portage around the dam at the cement ramp or on the portage trail on the west side of the river. No restrooms or camping facilities are available. However, since this stretch of river is designated “meandered”, camping on beaches along the way is legal.

This stretch of river is appropriate for paddlers of all skill levels. It is always best to be aware of water levels and respect the strength of the river’s current.

Fraser Access (south) to E-26

Paddlers Be Aware: dams are not always It becomes clear in this section that this is a big river. Deeper holes are common, and the river is sometimes more than 100 yards in width. The corridor remains heavily wooded. obvious from above. Watch for signs, like Railroad tracks are briefly visible along the river to paddlers, and cross the river at the at North Fraser, exit when directed, and Des Moines Y Camp. The track is operated by the Boone and Scenic Valley Railroad, and portage around. is a prime tourist attraction for the town of Boone. In the early 1900s, the tracks were powered by electricity supplied by the dam at Fraser.

All accesses and roads to them are well-marked and visible in this section. Interpretive signage can be found at the South Fraser Access.

This stretch of river is appropriate for paddlers of all skill levels. However, there are special considerations for paddlers. The low-head dam at Fraser is still present and dangerous to paddlers. Though it may appear runnable at some water levels, it is not recommended. The North Fraser and South Fraser accesses, and a constructed portage trail, provide safe means for paddlers and boaters to avoid this hazard. The dam at Boone Waterworks has been modified to allow experienced paddlers to paddle through a series of rock arch rapids. Less experienced paddlers are provided with accesses both above and below the E-26 highway bridge to allow safe portage around the rapids.

E-26 to Hwy 30 Access Ramp Land along the river is mostly forested to the top of the valley, and there are good opportunities to see eagles, hawks, and a variety of other birds and mammals. Layers of sandstone, limestone, shale, and coal become increasingly prominent along this section.

Approximately halfway through this section, two bridges span hundreds of yards high above the valley. The Kate Shelley High Bridge was the main railroad span over the Des Moines for more than a century. It was replaced with the modern, double track cement span to its north in 2009. With more than 65 trains each day, quiet paddling may be frequently interrupted.

For many years, the old dam at Boone Waterworks provided no functional use, and was dangerous. Five people drowned beneath the dam from 1971 to 2014, at which time the Adult bald eagle dam was removed and replaced by rock arch rapids. Paddlers need to choose whether or Photo Jim Pease not they have the skills and desire to maneuver through the rapids. Those wishing to avoid the rapids should use the Boone Waterworks Downstream Access on the east side of the E-26 Bridge. DES MOINES RIVER WATER TRAIL

This stretch of river is appropriate for paddlers of all skill levels. However, paddlers should be careful around bridge piers and other hazards in the water. Accesses at each end of this section are well developed and well-marked. The Highway 30 Access is just upstream of the Highway 30 Bridge, a four-lane highway that replaced the historic two-lane Lincoln Highway.

Hwy 30 Access Ramp to E-57 Access This section features some of the most beautiful and dramatic scenery on the river. The valley continues to grow wider, and young bottomland hardwoods repopulate the inside bends of the floodplains that were once cleared and grew row-crops. Most of the surrounding uplands, some rising over 100 feet above the river, are covered with diverse upland woodlands. Sandstone bluffs are particularly dramatic at Ledges State Park, about five miles downriver from the Highway 30 Access. The river has cut deeply, exposing rocks deposited during the Pennsylvanian Period, some of which contain fossils.

Floods of the past 30 years deposited silt and mud across the floodplain, sometimes at a depth of more than 10 feet. The river has cut down through that alluvium, leaving vertical cut-banks.. Some wildlife take advantage of the exposures. Willows and cottonwoods Photo Jim Pease grow on the new soil. Bank swallows, rough-winged swallows, and kingfishers dig tunnel The river has cut deeply into its banks nests into the banks. Beavers construct bank dens in the easily excavated soil. This is one of nature’s ways of “making lemonade out of lemons”. where it meanders through Ledges State Park. Paddlers travel along exposed rocks This stretch of river is appropriate for paddlers of all skill levels. However, users should and dramatic sandstone bluffs. During realize that this a bit longer than other sections of the Water Trail. Accesses at either end are well marked and usually well maintained. However, they are prone to becoming Iowa’s geologic past, giant tree ferns, covered with silt and sand. Signs are in place to educate people about the river. About horsetails, scale trees, and other ancient halfway between the two accesses, a sand and rock quarry is visible from the river on the plants were buried and turned into the west side. Paddlers also may see remains of an old stone chimney and other past human habitation. narrow layers of coal seen today. Fossils are found in the shale and coal layers, evidence of a long extinct plant E-57 Access to Sportsman Ramp (a.k.a “Old Hubby Bridge”) community. This is a short section in which the river slows and the floodplain widens. Two large looping turns feature long sandbars. Changing climate, increased flooding, and effects from Saylorville Dam have resulted in lower areas along the river being dominated by willows, Lepidodendron fossil, grasses, and other species that tolerate being inundated by water. Associated wildlife along an imprint of a the shoreline include beaver, red-winged blackbirds, field sparrows, white-tailed deer, scale tree butterflies, and an occasional softshell turtle. Uplands remain covered by hardwood forest.

This stretch of river is appropriate for paddlers of all skill levels. The two accesses at the ends of this section are well marked and easily found. Though silt may sometimes cover them, both ramps are maintained and accessible. The E-57 Access has signs to educate people about the river. The Sportsman Ramp is locally known as the “Old Hubby Bridge” Access, in reference to a wooden pylon bridge that spanned the valley in the early- to mid- 1900s. In very low water, paddlers may see remnants of the old wooden bridge supports.

Ledges is one of Iowa’s premier State Parks. It features a great network of hiking trails, and places to fish and camp. DES MOINES RIVER WATER TRAIL

Sportsman Ramp to Hwy 210 Access Ramp

Dragonflies dart over the water, catching This section of river is under strong influence of the Saylorville Dam. Due to the frequency mosquitoes, gnats, and other insects on the of the river spilling out over the floodplain, trees are almost non-existent along the river. Even cottonwoods and silver maples cannot tolerate the long periods of inundation that wing. While some dragonfly species migrate are so common. Flood-tolerant grasses and other plants cover the floodplain. Wildlife long distances, many are adults for only one adapt to this landscape in many ways. Beavers often move up the stream tributaries, season. They lay eggs in the water and their where they build a series of dams that create more stable home life. Paddlers can look for these and other wildlife signs by paddling up these adjacent creeks when the water aquatic nymphs prey on other insects, tiny levels are sufficient. Fishing boats become more common in this area as paddlers approach fish, and tadpoles. public recreation areas associated with Saylorville Lake Reservoir. Photo Erv Klass Below the Sportsman Access, the river makes a long, sweeping turn and then flows along land that is part of the Iowa 4H Camp. In the distance, large old oaks and basswoods dominate the forested ridge overlooking the Des Moines River Valley. Bluffs along the east side of the river expose coal veins that were mined and transported to Des Moines and other surrounding towns to heat homes and businesses until the 1940s.

This stretch of river is appropriate for paddlers of all skill levels. The Sportsman Ramp, locally known as the “Old Hubby Bridge” Access, may become covered with silt, but is well maintained. The access off Hwy 210 is a cement ramp. Signs exist to educate people about the river, and there are great views of both the Highway 210 Bridge and High Trestle Trail Bridge. The High Trestle Trail is a popular recreational trail, and a reminder of how forms of transportation have changed along the river. Dragonfly nymph Joe Morris BE SAFE OUT THERE! KNOW YOUR SKILL LEVEL! BEHAVE AS A GUEST!

Keep your trip enjoyable by following these � BEGINNER: Segments are generally � Respect private property. Only use public safety TIPS: less than six miles. Hazards are few and lands and access points. � Pack only essentials and keep them in easy to avoid in normally slow-moving � Be considerate of others in your group and waterproof bags. currents. Users can easily access these on the banks. � Check the river water levels and currents segments from parking areas, and will not � Give anglers a wide berth. before each trip. need to portage, except to walk a boat � Never change clothes in public view. � Know the weather forecast, including areas around some shallow riffles or to make upstream, and stay aware of the weather the going easier around an obstacle. � Never litter. Always pack out trash. on your trip. � INTERMEDIATE: Segments are � Do not disturb wildlife. � Make sure someone knows your planned generally less than nine miles. Users entry and exit points and estimated times. should have ability to recognize and avoid For more information, visit: � Always wear a properly-fit life jacket. hazards in moderate river flow. The need to portage is rare, but users should be able www.iowadnr.gov/paddlingsafety � Expect overhanging trees, logjams, and and willing to carry boats and gear a short other obstacles, such as bridge abutments www.mycountyparks.com/county/ distance. Access to the river may involve a boone.aspx or big rocks. If paddling around them is not short portage, and the launch or take-out possible, get out and portage around them. may be a bit difficult. Grabbing onto tree branches may capsize your paddlecraft. � ADVANCED: Segments may exceed � Always portage around lowhead dams. nine miles. Hazards are likely and often Surface appearance can be deceiving. occur in fast-moving water. The need Undercurrents can be strong enough for to portage may be frequent or may drowning. involve carrying boats and gear a long distance. Access to the river may involve a � If you capsize, remain on the upstream side portage, and the launch or take-out may be of your boat to prevent being pinned. from steeper banks or faster moving water. � Dress appropriately for weather conditions (including air and water temperatures), and avoid weather and water conditions beyond your skill level.