Flood-damaged trails await attention — in time

Sun July 27 2008
Posted Jul 27, 2008
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The Gazette - Cedar Rapids - Iowa City - Eastern Iowa By J.R. Ogden jr.ogden@gazettecommunications.com Last month's floods washed away many recreational activities, from bike racing to softball. It also hit the trails system in Linn and Johnson counties, limiting opportunities for runners, joggers, walkers and cyclists. The Sac and Fox Trail in southeast Cedar Rapids took the biggest hit, said Jon Bogert, president of the Linn County Trails Association. Trails around Cedar Rapids "suffered some pretty serious damage, and they obviously are not the top priority," he said, but the Sac and Fox "probably suffered the worst of any." The Sac and Fox runs along Indian Creek at one end and the Cedar River at the other. The trailhead at East Post Road and Cottage Grove Parkway is not open, and there are significant holes in the trail. Bogert said one of the trail bridges, near Mount Vernon Road, was dislodged. But the consensus in Cedar Rapids, Iowa City and Coralville is that while there is damage, some serious, city and county officials face more pressing issues right now than damaged trails. "We're looking at ways we can get trails back on the priority list when the time is right," Bogert said. Sherri Proud, director of parks and recreation in Coralville, said the Iowa River Trail sustained some damage and parts still are under water, but "ours are in pretty good shape." She said there's a need for exploration of the Iowa River Trail before decisions are made when, or if, to fix it. But, she said, "everything is open." The Cedar River Nature Trail, which runs through Czech Village and downtown Cedar Rapids and connects with the Cedar Valley Nature Trail in Hiawatha, has damage on the southern end, near the old landfill. Bogert said sand, logs and other debris remain on the trail, but some people are using it. "It's certainly not ready for regular bikes," he said. The Cedar Valley Nature Trail, which stretches from Hiawatha to Evansdale, also has some damage near Waterloo, according to Tom Hazelton, special programs manager with the Linn County Conservation Department. "The Linn County portions and Benton County portions are in pretty good shape," he said, adding that it could be "a long time" before the portion north of Brandon is repaired. The many trails at Coralville Lake also were damaged, but Jeff Peck, a park ranger with the Army Corps of Engineers, said he's "working on them as fast as I can." He said the bike trails are about 90 percent open. The Cedar Valley Nature Trail at Sugar Bottom had three bridges washed out but is open in portions. "That took the worst hit of them all," he said. The Tailwater River Walk is closed. "There's a lot of work that needs to be done" on several of the trails, he said, and those using the trails should use caution because spots are muddy and trees are down. Bogert's biggest concern is the strain the flooding will put on the entire trails system. He said plans for new trails or connecting existing trails need to be addressed at some point, too. "Eventually we'd like to not only get the trails fixed but back on the development," he said, mentioning the CeMar trail. "We just want to have our seat at the table."