This has been discussed peripherally in the Ped Bridge thread, but with construction set to start next month, thought it should warrant it's own thread:
Construction of a shallow water wildlife habitat area along the Missouri River is expected to start soon, Council Bluffs Parks Director Ron Hopp said.
The plan calls for the removal of 400,000 cubic yards of dirt...The dirt that will be removed will be trucked to the local maintenance yard of the Iowa Department of Transportation, he said. This dirt will then be used for future IDOT projects.
"It will provide top soil for the IDOT, which will save money on dirt for their projects," Hopp said.
And for the curious, 400,000 cubic yards of dirt would cover a football field, including end zones, to a depth of 62½ feet!
"Destiny is not a matter of chance, it is a matter of choice; it is not a thing to be waited for, it is a thing to be achieved."
Even if you don't notice it, the turtles, the fish and the birds will.
An extreme makeover on the face of the Missouri River, as seen from the Interstate 480 bridge, begins in earnest this fall; and the long-awaited pedestrian bridge is just part of the package.
Beginning next month, trees will be removed between Playland Park and the river as the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and the Iowa Department of Natural Resources begin work on the Council Bend Chute. The work will extend north of the park area to just south of the city's water works.
The chute will tie into the plans for the Missouri River Pedestrian Bridge and can be expected to compliment the city's plans for the Playland Park area.
Ron Hopp, director of the Council Bluffs Parks, Recreation and Public Property Department, said the city may develop some nature trails and create some passive recreational opportunities in the area; but there are limitations because of the need to preserve the habitat.
Last edited by icejammer on Thu Sep 28, 2006 8:25 am, edited 1 time in total.
"Destiny is not a matter of chance, it is a matter of choice; it is not a thing to be waited for, it is a thing to be achieved."
Within the next few months, water from the Missouri River should start to flow into a new shallow-water fish habitat being built along the Council Bluffs side of the river, officials said Thursday during a tour of the site.
"It will open up use on the riverfront and create a nature area in an urban environment," said Ronald Hopp, the city's parks director.
"Destiny is not a matter of chance, it is a matter of choice; it is not a thing to be waited for, it is a thing to be achieved."
COUNCIL BLUFFS - A dozen times a day, barges piled high with dirt move up the Missouri River along the edge of Council Bluffs.
The dirt has been dug from in and around an old river chute that is being cleared to create a water habitat. When the work of the barges and dump trucks is done, an estimated 380,000 cubic yards of dirt will have been removed.
The work is part of a $3.9 million federal project by the Army Corps of Engineers to bring water back to the chute. The mile-long river chute, which is just northwest of Interstate 29 and Avenue G in Council Bluffs, has been overgrown and dry for several decades.
"This is an environmental project to create aquatic habitat," said Patrick Addison, project manager for the corps.
When the chute is cleared, he said, fish and more wildlife should be attracted to the area. The entrance to the chute will be just north of North 35th Street, across the river from Omaha's Freedom Park. The chute will empty back into the river just west of Avenue G.
. . . A one-mile chute, or channel, which has taken several months to build, is now filled with water. An earthen dam near the entry of the chute that held river water back was removed this past weekend, allowing water to fill the chute, said City Councilman Scott Belt. . .
About 50 acres of trees, most of them already dead, were cut down. Most of those trees will be chopped up to create woodchip walking trails along the chute. That part of the project is not yet completed, Parks Director Ron Hopp said.
Besides wildlife, the area should attract more people, including those who will use the pedestrian bridge, Belt said.
"Anytime you bring people here, you have the opportunity to get economic benefits," he said. "It's a great thing." . . .
City Councilman Scott Belt toured the newly filled chute Wednesday, looking back to where it opens near that swinging railroad bridge across the Missouri River in northern Council Bluffs. The chute, designed to create a spawning area, flows for about one mile. A woodchip walking trail is to be installed as well.
"Destiny is not a matter of chance, it is a matter of choice; it is not a thing to be waited for, it is a thing to be achieved."
The new mile-long river chute in Council Bluffs along the Missouri River is now complete, offering a new place to fish or view wildlife in the urban area.
The Council Bend Project contractor only needs to place wood chips on the prospective nature trails and install ATV-resistant fencing along the area. The area will then be available for public use and enjoyment. . .
"Destiny is not a matter of chance, it is a matter of choice; it is not a thing to be waited for, it is a thing to be achieved."
Fish and wildlife have already started congregating around a recently restored river chute designed to create a diverse, stable water habitat along the east bank of the Missouri River. . .
Bruce said the area is open to the public for fishing, walking and wildlife viewing. Wood chips should be placed on trails soon. . .
The chute is separate from the ongoing $22 million Missouri River pedestrian bridge project just south of the chute's outlet. But bridge and chute will connect eventually. Bruce said the city's future plans include a 100-acre park at the base of the bridge.
"Once the pedestrian bridge is open, you'll get a great view of the habitat," she said. . .
"Destiny is not a matter of chance, it is a matter of choice; it is not a thing to be waited for, it is a thing to be achieved."
