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!Janesville Rock Dams The Cedar Valley Paddlers’ Trail is a 10 mile long trail including por- tages, that allows paddlers to travel through the Cedar and vari- Lower Cedar in Cedar Falls/ ous lakes located in George Wyth State Park and Hartman Reserve # ! 180 Nature Center. Paddlers can choose to either float through the main ! Waterloo & Black Hawk Creek Union Access loop, paddling from lake to lake, or paddle any of the smaller loops for y C

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r £63 ¤£218 ! Falls Access ¤ Cedar Valley Paddlers’ Trail BUTLER #! !175 l! Black Hawk Park y ! BLACK HAWK ¤£218 ! Fisher Lake Access ² !! ! Island Park ¬«57 !y!9!_ ! !_y!_ George Wyth Center St Dam !n Fisher Lake ! ¬«57 !! Lake !9 ! ! Tourist’s Park ! # C George Wyth 170 e !y !_ ! ! d a Lake Access ! Cedar Bend Park ¬«281 r !y R George Wyth ! iv Clay Hole n!_ e r ! State Park 9 # 58 ! ¬« ! ! Exchange Park Alice Wyth !y!9 !² Washington Park !l !_ 165 Lake Shirey Lake y !n Park Ave. Dam ! Waterloo ! !y Brinker Lake Access !n 6th St. Dam !! Brinker Lake Hope Martin !_ ! Lake Manatt ! n! Pioneer Park Structure ! Memorial Park Cedar Falls ! ! Hartman Reserve N. Unit !y !_ !² # 5 # Cedar Riverl ! Park 160 N ¬«187 ¤£20 _ ! Deerwood Park .5 mi. Riverview Park ! ! ! .25 mi. ! y y _ ! BLACK HAWK Ranchero Rd Access ¤£20 # ¨¦§380 155 ¬«297 ¬«58 # ¬«14 10 Cedar Terrace Park

! ! Gilbertville Park Hudson # ! y ! ¬«21 # GRUNDY 15 Franck Park Access 150

! ! !n Moser’s Ford Cedar River Area ! 20# y ! !² !_ !9 Grundy Center ¤£218 m !l !y Blackhawk Creek Wildlife Area !n ! 40 # !_ !n ¤£63 Grundy Center 35 Heritage Farm Crossing !m 25# k # e Rubble Dam !m ! e # ! r !_ C 145 k ! aw ! Grundy Center Access Morrison H ! 30 lack ! (Kiwanis Park) # ! B ! ¬«175 ! # Strohbehn Park ! 218 !m # ! ¤£ 63 180 ¤£ Reinbeck 140 Washington y ! Falls Access Union Access BLACK HAWK Legend l! Black Hawk Park Hard-surface boat ramp 175 #! y y!!! Island Park TAMA ² ! Lower Cedar River From Carry down access Center St Dam !n !y _ BENTON !!"!" _!!! 281 #! ! ¬« Unmaintained access Tourist’s Park ! 170 ! Lincoln !9 #! !y ExchangeCedar Park Falls to Cedar 165 Fishing access Clay Hole_!n ! ! !n Park Ave Dam !l Moser’s Ford on Black Hawk Creek Cedar Falls Cedar Falls " 9 !!" Rapids - Map 2 Washington Park !l !_ ! 9 Campground 6th St. Dam !n ! #160 Waterloo Black Hawk Creek, a tributary of the Cedar River, is a stream that Pioneer Park Structure !n Watercraft campsite DELAWARE £20 !y Deerwood Park ¬«939 ¤ ! originates in Grundy County northwest of Holland. From there it flows ! !_ Restroom Beaman # ¤£20 through Grundy Center, Morrison and then Reinbeck, where it begins to r. 155 C 297 k ¬ ² near river w flow in a northeasterly direction through Hudson and then to the Cedar ¬58 a Cedar Terrace Park H MARSHALL k ! Dam (danger!) River in Waterloo. Originally a very small prairie stream, Black Hawk c ¤£218 !y Gilbertville Park n a l «#C B 150 e Creek has increased in flow over the last 30 years to the point where it « d a m Rapids or rock dam r ! BUCHANAN Cedar River Area !y R §380 rivals many of Iowa’s small in terms of yearly water flow. i ¨¦ v

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r 5-mile markers, from mouth ¤£63 ¬21 Except for the weeks when it is ice covered, the creek is navigable from 145# Brandon Rd Access !! Federal or state highway Grundy Center to the Cedar River at the following levels of flow: (Flow Brett« Kilma Wildlife Area !l ! !y Cedar River Access ¬175 ! measured at the USGS Gaging Station at Hudson #05463500) !y !² McFarlane Park # ¬«283 Paved & unpaved roads La Porte City !y Winegar Access « 140 ! # City or town Grundy Center to Reinbeck: 250 cfs (Cubic Feet per Second) and 135 above for solo canoes and kayaks; and over 350 cfs for tandem boats. Minne Estema Public land ! !² !_ Reinbeck to Hudson: over 120 cfs. N # Hudson to the Cedar River: over 85 cfs. 920 130 ¬« 1 mi. 2 mi. Water flow above 1200 cfs (at the Hudson gage) represents flood stage ¬«150 Wildcat Bluff Dudgeon !y on the creek, paddling at this level is difficult and hazardous. !y Millroy Access # ! North Cedar Natural Area !y Cedar Point Just 125 ! Black Hawk Creek is home to beaver, fox, coyote, mink, and deer. On ¬8 ¤£218 ! # ! ! # ¤£63 upstream of # ! 115 110 occasion, river otters and badgers can be spotted. Seasonally it offers Vinton ! ! Cedar Falls, the « 120 for most Iowa shore birds and waterfowl. Eagles, owls and Riverside City Park !y # !y !² !_ !9 105 many species of hawks are common during the warmer months. ShellTAMA Rock, West Benton City - Fry Anglers Launch !y !y !² !_ !9 Black Hawk Creek is not known for having a remarkable sport Fork Cedar, and Cedar Hoefle - Dulin LINN fishery. rivers converge, forming a BENTON ¨¦§380 wide river that offers a variety # ¤£151 of landscapes.¬21 The Cedar tends to 100 Unlike the Cedar River, Black Hawk Creek is not a be shallow, with occasional deep holes ¤£218 Marion meandered stream. While the creek is navigable, users ! ¤£151 « # should be aware that the bed and banks of the river are that are good for finding catfish. The river 95 !y Seminole Valley £65 bottom is generally sandy as it winds through Chain Lakes !y !² !_ ¬«100 ¤ in private ownership, and sandbar camping without mixed wooded areas, with intermittent rock bluffs, ¬«54 ! !y !_ Mohawk Park landowner permission is not encouraged. # !! limestone cliffs, and the occasional farm pasture. 90 !y Otis Rd Access Robbins Lakes !y !y Sac & Fox !" 5-in-1 Bridge & Dam !n # !y River Rd ! ¤£30 ¤£30 85 !# Cedar Rapids !"! 80 ¬«1 C St Roller Dam !n !y # ! 75 ¤£218 Lou’s Area Access !"! Upper Palisades Access !y # 70 Palisades-Kepler Dam !n ! #65 ¤£151 ! The Cedar has some of the best game fish populations in the state. Smallmouth bass and walleye are abundant in the rocky areas of the river and below dams. Walleye are most prevalent between Waverly and Gilbertville.

Early 1900s postcard of a “Pleasure Fleet” on the Cedar Catfish are abundant throughout the entire Cedar River. They can usually River in Cedar Falls be found in deep pools, and log and brush piles. Great Blue Heron

Walleye

catfishing haven. haven. catfishing

Public land Public

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¬ « ¬ « 92 forming deep holes and accumulating snags, making this area a a area this making snags, accumulating and holes deep forming

City or town or City

As the river moves into Cedar County, it straightens and widens, widens, and straightens it County, Cedar into moves river the As LOUISA

Paved & unpaved roads unpaved & Paved

ous streams that feed into the Cedar. the into feed that streams ous

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place to find walleye and smallmouth bass is the area between between area the is bass smallmouth and walleye find to place

5-mile markers, from mouth from markers, 5-mile

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as the river flows naturally, free of dams, from Palisades-Kepler State Park to the confluence with the the with confluence the to Park State Palisades-Kepler from dams, of free naturally, flows river the as

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! y ! ² ! _ SCOTT ! Rochester Park Rochester 80

deep. The last 71 miles of the Cedar offer a slightly different experience from the upper stretch, stretch, upper the from experience different slightly a offer Cedar the of miles 71 last The deep.

Palisades-Kepler State Park, where there is a limestone gorge that is well over 100 feet feet 100 over well is that gorge limestone a is there where Park, State Palisades-Kepler 1 mi. 1

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ally passing limestone bluffs. One of the most breathtaking features can be found at at found be can features breathtaking most the of One bluffs. limestone passing ally

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vegetation growth is acceptable on this river. river. this on acceptable is growth vegetation

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defined line but camping on sandbars or other places below permanent permanent below places other or sandbars on camping but line defined

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151 130 it’s in a public area. The ordinary high-water mark is not a perfectly perfectly a not is mark high-water ordinary The area. public a in it’s

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mark”. Anything above the that mark is privately owned land unless unless land owned privately is mark that the above Anything mark”. Rapids. 55

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as high as possible, while staying below the “ordinary high-water high-water “ordinary the below staying while possible, as high as

Early 1900s postcard of The Palisades in Cedar Cedar in Palisades The of postcard 1900s Early

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camping opportunities. When camping on sand bars, set up camp camp up set bars, sand on camping When opportunities. camping

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feet, moving past islands and frequent sand bars that offer good good offer that bars sand frequent and islands past moving feet, ! ! ² ! y Sutlifff Access Sutlifff

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¬«22 ¬«22 ¬«102 ¤£218 ¬«163 Cedar River at Palisades-Kepler State Park 70 ¤£63 ¬« ¬«149 ¤£61 MAHASKA WASHINGTON ¬«92 KEOKUK ¬«92 ¬«92 ¬«92 LOUISA ¬«1 ¤£63 Expedition

Be safe out there! Stay legal! & Wear a life jacket Most land along these rivers is privately owned - these waters are Life jackets save lives, but will not work if you do not wear it. navigable and open to the public, but you must respect private property. Fishing Don’t boat under the influence For your safety, do not use alcohol or drugs on the water. Littering is a crime – pack out everything you bring in. Report litter- ing or dumping by calling 888-NOLITTR. Watch for hazards Guide On rivers, hazards like dams, fences, snags, rocks, and bridge abut- Resources ments may be present. Dams and snags in particular can be killers. Water trails and recent listing of canoe/kayak liveries Avoid them! www.iowadnr.gov/riverprograms/

Plan to get wet River gages You may capsize, so dress for the weather. When the water and/or waterdata.usgs.gov or www.rivergages.com weather get cold, warm-when-wet clothing and a wetsuit are needed.

Federal regulations prohibit discrimination on the basis of race, color, national origin, sex or handicap. State law prohibits discrimination on the basis of race, color, creed, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, religion, national origin, or disability. If you believe you have been discrimi- nated against in any program, activity or facility as described above, or if you desire further information, please write to the Iowa DNR, 502 E. Ninth St., Des Moines, Iowa, 50319.