Diamond Lake’s Future Development Project:Click here for a drawing of the project.
Click here for work in progress photos.
The Poweshiek County Conservation Board has recently acquired (2006) 86 acres of land (Jordan Land) which lies directly east of Diamond Lake Park. Funding for this land acquisition project came from a Land and Water Conservation Grant (a federal grant), with the remaining funds coming from the Brownell’s Family Foundation, Poweshiek County Board of Supervisors and Diamond Lake camping receipts.
With this acquisition, the Board will now be able to enhance and protect the Diamond Lake watershed, as well as, develop this area for additional recreational opportunities with the construction of a modern campground, hard surface trail, and a 7 acre pond.
This 1.5 million dollar project will focus on the development of the new campground at Diamond Lake. The Board’s design of the campground area would include: constructing a new 25 site electrical campground with asphalt roads and gravel camping pads; constructing a small playground; constructing a restroom/shower house facility; constructing a small picnic area; planting several (85) trees throughout the proposed campground; and planting several acres of native grass and forbs that would surround the campground. Construction started during the fall of 2009 with a rough grade on the proposed campground and will continue into 2010. The campground should be ready for camping during the Spring/Summer of 2011.
The Board finished construction on the 7 acre pond which included a silt basin at the east end during the fall of 2008. This pond project will further protect the water quality of Diamond Lake from the east side (the last major drainage coming into Diamond Lake which has no protection). The Board has received two State Fish Habitat Stamp Grants, the first to cover the cost of constructing the pond, and the second, a grant to armor the shoreline and jetties with rip rap (large rocks). The pond was stocked with bluegills, catfish, and bass. Hopefully, there should be a few fish large enough to keep in 2011.
The Conservation Board has secured a $170,000 Region 6 DOT Grant. These DOT Enhancement funds along with a REAP Grant secured by the City of Montezuma will be used to construct a one mile hard surface (concrete) trail that would run from Diamond Lake to the City of Montezuma. Construction was started last fall (2009) on the rough grade for the trail. The Board will accept bids for the trail construction on July 20, 2010 and construction should start within a month or two of that bid date.
The last phase of the development for this 86 acre project is the construction of four to six camping cabins located at the extreme south end of the 86 acres, just off County Road F-57. The Board would like start on the cabins hopefully within the next 5 to 10 years, of course, when depends on available funding.
Diamond Lake Park
4896 Stagecoach Road
P.O. Box 666
Montezuma, IA 50171
641-623-3191