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 acquired 86 acres of land (Jordan Land) which lies directly east of Diamond Lake Park in 2006. 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.

Part of this 1.5 million dollar project will focus on the development of a new campground at Diamond Lake. The Board’s design of the campground area would include: constructing a new 32 site electrical campground with concrete roads and gravel camping pads; constructing a small playground; constructing a restroom/shower house facility; constructing a dump station; planting several trees throughout the proposed campground; and planting several acres of native grass and forbs that would surround the campground.

Construction started on the new Diamond Lake campground during the fall of 2009 with a rough grade, and continued into the summer of 2010 with the completion of grading on the roads and camping pads. In the summer of 2011 all the electric lines and pedestals were installed, as well as, water lines, hydrants, and a dump station located at the east end of the new campground. The Board finished the new campground project with concrete roads that were poured in the summer of 2012. The new campground will open April 26, which is the first day of the 2013 camping season at Diamond Lake. The Board will look at constructing the new shower house sometime in 2014 or 2015.

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 had no protection).
The Board 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 large catfish and bluegills big enough to keep in this year.

The Conservation Board was awarded a $170,000 Region 6 DOT Grant. With these DOT Enhancement funds, along with a REAP Grant secured by the City of Montezuma, a 3,100 foot hard surface (concrete) trail was constructed that connects Diamond Lake Park to the City of Montezuma. Construction was started during the fall of 2009 on the rough grade for the trail. The Board accepted bids for the trail construction on July 20, 2010 and construction started about a month later. With the additional seeding of native grasses and forbs along the trail, the project was completed during the spring of 2011

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