In 1993, Saylorville Lake entered a Cooperative Agreement Partnership with the Iowa Academy of Science to have a gift shop located in the Saylorville Lake Visitor Center.
Through the agreement the Corps provides the space and in return a percentage of the proceeds are available for lake staff to use for educational programs and outreach efforts. This is just one of 56 cooperative agreements across the Corps - the District has four others.
Phyllis Kingsbury was the original Iowa Academy of Science volunteer who helped get the partnership started before turning the reins over to Gene Lucas who has been managing it since 1996.
Lucas served in the Marine Corps in the 1940s for a year and a half and then as a reservist during the Korean War for more than a year. He was a biology professor at Drake University from 1954 to 1996. Lucas is an artist, author, lecturer and photographer who specializes in Betta fish (Siamese fighting fish).
He has been a volunteer involved with the Iowa Academy of Science since 1950 and is a fellow of the academy. Lucas turns 85 this year and is in his 17th year of volunteering to make the partnership a success. Saylorville Lake thanks him for all of his time and efforts in making the gift shop and partnership a continued success.
The Iowa Academy of Science is a 501(c)3 non-profit organization established to promote scientific research, science education, public understanding of science, and recognition of excellence in these endeavors.