CEDAR FALLS -- Last month's record flooding has disrupted many local activities, but that didn't stop the Cedar River Environmental Group from making the most of a bad situation this weekend.

The CREG project sponsors the annual Cedar River Festival, during which volunteers cruise the Cedar River to remove debris. The health risks from the flooding made it too dangerous to try and navigate the water by boat this year, so the group turned its attention to Black Hawk Park.

The festival's 20th anniversary kicked off with music and food Friday in Gateway Park. On Saturday, volunteers cleaned up Black Hawk Park to help make it safe.

Mike Hendrickson, a North Unit ranger with the Black Hawk County Conservation Board, said, "The CREG people and the volunteers will get more done in a day than we could do in three or four days."

Hendrickson said that the approximately 15 people on staff at the north unit of the conservation board have been spread very thinly among all the areas that need cleanup help.

They have not had the time or the resources to begin cleaning Black Hawk Park. The CREG's help has been invaluable, he said.

"There is very little we have that hasn't been hurt in some way," Hendrickson said. "CREG deserves a lot of credit. This is a really good thing for the whole community."

Mark Miller, president of CREG, said that about 40 people showed up initially and grew to at least 100, including 35 members of the University of Northern Iowa's Upward Bound program.

Volunteers used chain saws and other various pieces of heavy equipment to assist in the removal of trees and debris.

"Safety is a big issue this year," Miller said. "We've extended ourselves a little because of the flood."

There was not a great deal of actual garbage that needed to be removed, because Black Hawk Park is virtually free of litter and junk, according to Miller. Volunteers focused on clearing flood debris out of roadways and recreation areas. Restrooms, picnic tables and playground equipment had to be power washed and disinfected.

The Cedar River Environmental Group is about five years old and is an offshoot of the festival, which has always included a river cleanup. Members hope to eventually remove the Cedar River from Iowa's impaired waterways list.

"When you hear 'festival' people think 'party,' and they come for the bands and stuff," said CREG member Grant Williamson. "We wanted to kind of separate the festival from the cleanup so people hear about the environmental stuff too. You can see the physical stuff, the debris, but not the bacteria. Water quality is something we are trying to focus on."

Miller said all the directors of the CREG project have been certified through the Iowa Water Monitoring program, which is part of the Department of Natural Resources.

Miller added that the Black Hawk County Conservation Board always has been willing to assist CREG with any of their projects, and that it was nice to be able to help them out for a change.

"We hope to have most of the park cleaned up after today, and at least get part of it to a point where they can open it," Miller said.

Hendrickson said the conservation board hopes to get the park ready in sections, with the first part opening up in a few weeks -- the main road with access to the shooting range and boat ramp.

"That will at least give people something to do for now," Hendrickson said. "The park sustained extensive electrical damage, and we are waiting on permission from the insurance companies to begin hiring contractors to get it all fixed."

Troy Lovell and Jill Bartels brought their children out to help with the cleanup. Bailey, 12, Caleb, 11 and Kyle, 8, spent the day helping remove tree debris.

"We came prepared to help all day," Bartels said. "We love this park."

Lovell said the family spends a lot of the summer at the park fishing, riding bikes and enjoying the outdoors.

"We can come out here and see nature everywhere," Caleb Lovell said. "We really want it open."

Bartels said her daughter Bailey was especially concerned with how nature had fared during the flooding, so the family wanted to see what they could do to help.

"It's just a really nice place to get away," Bartels said.

Contact Samantha Donisi at

(319) 291-1423 or

newsroom@wcfcourier.com