ELKADER
RIVER
DEVELOP/
MENT
SITE/CONTEXT OVERVIEW
The city of Elkader is nestled in the limestone bluffs of Northeast Iowa and has a population of roughly 1,500 people. With a rich history and strong main street presence Elkader has always retained a strong sense of community. The Turkey river, which runs parallel to Main St. through Elkader, has a history of severe flooding with the most recent record breaking flood being in 2008. These floods that have caused so much damage and hardship for Elkader have now also created new opportunities. New opportunities for greenspace development, improvements along the river corridor within the main st district, and also opportunities in the form of grants,FEMA funding and the Iowa Great Places application. Through our work with the community and the work of the community members themselves these developments and their design have been placed in the hands of the community as a whole, with all perspectives being taken into account.
GOALS
Improve access to the river
More recreation opportunities including fishing, canoeing, kayak park n play spot, picnicking, strolling, etc.
Improve economy by drawing people to the river
Harness river as an economic asset
Address issues of flooding
Space for holding large events/festivals
A stage for speaking/music activities (permanent or non-permanent)
Streamside seating and trails
Improve fish habitat and fishing opportunities
Addressing issues with the two dams and what should be done to preserve or remove them
Beautify the area
Improve river's edge and water quality (sedimentation, runoff)
CHALLENGES
Flooding and flood storage
Place attachment to failing structures; such as the large dam
Narrow corridor for development
Displacement of dredged and dismantled material
Improve habitat along and within the river
WORKSHOP / OPEN HOUSE
During a second site visit to Elkader, collage workshops were held with roughly 60 high school and elementary students from Central school in downtown Elkader. Here students were provided with an aerial photo and various images of wildlife, play equipment, bridge structures, and riverfront enhancements. They were then able to pick various images and paste them where they would like to see that particular element along the river corridor. They were also provided with two perspective images on the back where they could freely draw on trace paper anything additional they would like to see. After a qualitative and quantitative inventory was taken an open house was held the next day to display the student work and some initial design proposals done by the ISU Landscape Architecture
students.
Download
Process Timeline
PROPOSALS
All options propose to remove the low-head dam and develop this area into a kayak park n play spot. With the removal of the existing Fire and EMS station buildings, a community park/green space will be created. This park will include elements such as terraced seating that provides access to the rivers edge, native plantings, a childrens exploratory playspace, and will also serve as a canoe/kayak takeout/putin. All options also propose to develop the canoe takeout on the north side of town.
VIEW LOOKING UP RIVER : SITE OF PROPOSED PARK
PROPOSED IMRPROVEMENTS : NORTH CANOE TAKE-OUT
Option A - Restored Dam
Keep the large dam and restore it so that it will be structurally sound. Create an improved portage route through town by implementing a riverside trail and installing a pedestrian bridge over the restored dam.
Positives:
-Retains a historic Elkader landmark, the large dam, in its original form
-Improved access to the river through trails and pedestrian bridge (applies to option B, and C as well)
Negatives:
-Restoration could be extremely costly
-No improvement to fish habitat
-No change in terms of flood storage
-River is impassable
Option B - Modified Dam
Here the dam is partially removed, keeping the structure of the flood gates intact and removing the rest. This modification allows the dam to remain a prominent cultural and historical structure that can still be related to as an item that forms place identity for residents of Elkader. We recognize residents' attachment to the sound and view of the falling water. We have proposed a pedestrian bridge which would have water pumped into the base of the structure and cascade from a trough above, creating an experience and water feature similar to that of the existing dam.
With the open river corridor, drop structures will be placed to create whitewater kayak opportunities which will appease multiple skill levels from beginner to expert and still allow for canoe passage. These drop structures also create pools and riffles which act as viable fish habitat locations.
-Removal of dam: More recreational opportunities and complete passage through downtown Elkader on the Turkey River, improved fish habitat and overall river ecology, creation of new spaces for which the river can be accessed
-A new water feature that can be physically engaged - could be a draw for attraction and tourism
-Improved flood storage in channel through downtown
-Removal of dam: Dam does not remain in its original form
Option C - Removal of Dam
This option is similar to B, but the dam is completely removed and focuses more on recreational aspects on the river with more drop structures, and a more varied kayak course and rapids area.
-Improved fish habitat
-More recreational opportunities
-Not as easily passable for canoes
RESEARCH DOCUMENTS
Available for download are all the projects final research papers including:
Process Proposal
(Losey,Jones,Taber)
Elkader Inventory & Analysis (Losey/Jones)
Collage as a Participatory Method (Jones),
Final Report
(Taber/Badenhope).
*Also included are research documents which were used to help guide the progression of the project and provide technical case studies.
DROP STRUCTURES
INVENTORY/ANALYSIS
WHITEWATER APPLICATION
GROUP
PROCESS PROPOSAL
MCLAUGHLIN REPORT/
MEETING NOTES
FURTHER INFORMATON
PROJECT BACKGROUND
C O M M E N T S
The Elkader River Development Project was formed through a semester long Landscape Architecture community design studio at Iowa State University in the fall of 2009 under professor Julia Badenhope.
Project members consisted of :
Brandon J. Losey / blos_iastate.edu
Dylan Jones / djones_iastate.edu
Tristan Taber / tst28_iastate.edu
SITE
PROCESS
ANALYSIS
DESIGN/
ALTERNATIVES
OPTION A
OPTION B
OPTION C
RESEARCH/
DOCUMENTS
CONCLUSIONS
