Dredge work underway at Quarry Springs

COLFAX – In the middle of February, Jasper County has been hit with several storms in recent weeks. Some may say this is not be the ideal time for water-related activities.

But with signs of warmer weather and most residents suffering from a good case of cabin fever, the Colfax Park and Recreation Auxiliary Board decided to get ahead of the game and begin preparing Quarry Springs Park for visitors from fishermen to kayakers.

“We have people in the water as soon as the water is clear and the ice has thawed,” auxiliary board president, Doug Garrett said. “With the weather being reasonable, we wanted to get (the work done) as soon as possible.”

The auxiliary board voted to approve dredge work to reconnect Quarry Springs’ southwest and east lakes during a quick meeting at the Fellowship Hall of the Colfax United Methodist Church Feb. 7. Garrett said over the years, the water level between the lakes has been getting lower, transforming a few sections into small, trickling channels.

With the park looking to begin renting watercrafts by mid-March, the board members said they wanted to get the dredge work completed in order to attract more water-recreation enthusiasts to the park as soon as the weather warms up.

“Water is down eight, 10 feet from the highest point from when we got it. When we first got the property, it was pretty high. As the water got lower and lower, people couldn’t get through there. We knew that was a problem before,” Garrett said. “There are 240 acres out here. You are separating two of the bigger bodies with those being closed off. That section of the park, the east end of the park, is one of the most beautiful, scenic parts of the park.”

According to the auxiliary board members, Kirk Russell will conduct the dredge work on the channels between the east and southwest lakes, covering about 160,000 square feet. The dredging work will deepen two sections between the east and southwest lakes to a minimum three feet in depth. The project will also widen those affected channels to be at least 20 feet wide across.

Garrett said this will allow park visitors to have better access to the lakes, and have the ability enjoy the more scenic areas of Quarry Springs Park in the comfort of their watercraft.

“People come here to leisurely canoe through there or fish through there. Without that being open, it limits people coming out here. People can go to a farm pond to fish, part of the appeal is being able to go more distance,” Garrett said. “If you come out here during the weekend, you will see 20, 30 kayakers back there fishing and going through there at a time. So we really felt the investment was worth the time.”

Russell, who has previously worked on other Quarry Springs Park projects, such as shoreline work, said this dredging project will require about 25 to 30 man hours to complete. He said he hopes to have the project completed by the end of March, weather permitting.

With preparations being made to begin renting watercrafts at the park, the board members said they hope several Jasper County residents will stop by the park, rent a kayak and enjoy the reconnected southwest and east lakes when the work is completed.

“This lake has become known in the greater Des Moines area and central Iowa kind of as a kayak mecca because there are no motors, other than the patrolling motors,” board member Greg Rhames said. “It is quiet. It is easy to get to. There aren’t a bunch of waves. It kind of has evolved into a kayak, family place.”

The board members said there currently are no plans for connecting the north lake with either the southwest or east lakes.

Colfax Park and Auxiliary Board are in need of volunteers to help with the park. Anyone who wishes to volunteer can attend its monthly meeting at 6:30 p.m. on the second Wednesday of every month in the basement of the Colfax United Methodist Church.

“We will continue to make our efforts to make this park better for the community, the people who live in Colfax and those who live on the outline,” auxiliary board secretary, Shannon Pell said. “Those efforts might seem like baby steps because we are not rolling in the dough. We have made great strides in the two years the park has been under us.”

For more information on the park, visit colfaxnorthpark.com, call 515-478-6272 or find Quarry Springs Park on Facebook.

Contact Anthony Victor Reyes at areyes@jaspercountytribune.com.