06/13/2026
This is very exciting!!
👏🏻👏🏻Another amazing example of public private partnerships creating a win-win for Cedar Rapids.
This week the City Council approved the final piece of the public portion...(this project is majority privately funded).
I'm most proud of the unprecedented accessibility to the water. ADA compliant fishing, kayak launches and more. A true park for all. 🎣🦽🛶
Before major improvements moved forward, Cedar Lake underwent extensive testing by the Iowa DNR.
Approximately 80 water and soil samples were analyzed, and the study found the lake safe for recreational use.
Facts:
-Cedar Lake was never a Superfund site (the nearby Electro-Coatings site was once and has since been removed from list).
-DNR's latest Cedar Lake assessment says the water is "fully supported" for human health; and as for fish: "The Class HH (fish consumption) use was assessed as 'fully supported' based on fish tissue sampling."
The restoration work underway today is focused on protecting and improving water quality by reducing flood-related sediment, managing runoff, and restoring the lake for future generations.
This is an ecological success story. Thank you Connect CR for making it happen!
Cannot WAIT for this to be fully open for use. 🙏🏻
See KCRG-TV9 story from last night in comments ⬇️.