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Increased recreation:
Trout Run Trail–Decorah will provide
increased recreational opportunities for area residents and visitors.
The trail will be used year-round by anglers, bicyclists, birdwatchers,
hikers, runners, inline skaters, cross-country skiers, and walkers.
Whether part of an exercise program or general recreation, trail use
will add to health and wellness. Who can deny the benefits of gazing at
panoramas of forested limestone bluffs, rare algific talus slopes, the
Oneota Valley and Upper Iowa River, and rural countryside farms?
Increased access:
The trail will also provide safe, non-motorized access to trout
streams, the Upper Iowa River, Pulpit Rock Campground, Trout Run Park,
the Decorah Fish Hatchery, and the business corridor in the area near
the intersection of Highway 9 and Old Stage Road.
Meeting the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) standards: The trail
will be paved with asphalt eight-feet wide, except at steeper grades
where ten-foot-wide sections will be used to allow for varying user
speeds. All sections will have two-foot-wide shoulders on both sides.
Iowa DNR hatchery management indicates that many of the anglers
currently using Trout Run are elderly and limited-mobility users. Trout
Run Trail–Decorah will create the longest paved route to a trout stream
in Iowa, providing much greater access for physically challenged
individuals.
History and education: Trail users will encounter historical features
like the bowstring arch bridge in Trout Run Park and remnants of the
hand-cut stone bridge abutments from the Burlington, Cedar Rapids, and
Northern Railway line to Decorah. At the DNR’s Trout Hatchery, the
trail should mean increased visitors. Built in the mid-1930s by
the Civilian Conservation Corps and modernized in 1989, the hatchery is
one of six full-time hatcheries in the State of Iowa and one of only
three trout hatcheries in Iowa. It is used to rear rainbow, brown, and
brook trout. The hatchery is a popular destination for travelers
and school groups; 10 to 20 thousand visitors do self-guided tours
annually. DNR personnel expect this project to have a tremendous
impact on increased educational and family activities at the hatchery.
Economic impact: Increased paved trails in and around Decorah will
improve the economies of Decorah, Winneshiek County, and other nearby
communities. Tourism has a great impact on the local economy; the Iowa
Tourism Office estimated the economic impact of tourism for Winneshiek
County in 2002 at over $17 million. People from all over the
country travel to Decorah and the surrounding area for visits and
vacations. Decorah has several major natural-resource and cultural
attractions in and around town that are considered desirable
destinations for trail users. This project will add to the quantity and
quality of activities preferred by current tourists, increasing the
lengths of their stays and providing greater opportunities for regional
exploration. An increase in the total length of paved trail near
Decorah provides the impetus for users from other nearby trail systems
to travel to Northeast Iowa, and, of course, it will give local trail
enthusiasts a reason to stay home.
According to the Iowa DNR Fisheries Bureau 2001 Trout Angler Survey, Trout
Run ranks 11th in angler use out of 50 coldwater trout streams in Iowa,
recording 11,781 angler trips in 2001. The value of these trips is
estimated by the DNR in excess of $294,500. These trips were
concentrated on the segment of Trout Run—less than a half-mile—which is
easily accessible at present. Increasing Trout Run accessibility will
bring more anglers and their dollars to the Decorah area.
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This website is sponsored
by Trails of Winneshiek, a non-profit organization of Winneshiek County
citizens who have initiated the trail project and have invested thousands
of volunteer hours developing and promoting it.
Contact Trails of
Winneshiek through the Decorah Area Chamber of Commerce at
director@decorah-iowa.com.
Donations to the Trout
Run Trail are handled through the Winneshiek County Community Foundation,
a 501(c)3 organization that can be reached at P.O.Box 1176, Waterloo, IA
50704
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