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  • Corps Promotes Emerald Ash Borer Awareness for Memorial Day Weekend

    The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Rock Island District, will be wrapping ash trees at recreation areas including Saylorville Lake, Lake Red Rock, Coralville Lake and the Mississippi River Project to bring awareness of the invasive Emerald Ash Borer (EAB) to visitors during the Memorial Day weekend. Each ash tree wrapped will show the detrimental effects the EAB could have on recreation areas in the Rock Island District if infestations are allowed to spread.

  • New Alcohol Restrictions at Lake Red Rock Beaches

    KNOXVILLE, Iowa - In an effort to maintain a family-friendly environment and to promote water safety, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers has established restrictions for alcohol possession on Whitebreast Beach and North Overlook Beach at Lake Red Rock. Beginning May 23, 2015, possession of alcohol will not be allowed on the beaches and within the designated swim areas. Alcohol will be allowed at the picnic sites located adjacent to the beaches.

  • New Facebook Page for Lake Red Rock

    Lake Red Rock now has a Facebook page! Please check it out and "like" the lake at the following link: https://www.facebook.com/lakeredrock The Facebook page was just created on April 3rd and is still a work in progress, but the Corps of Engineers plans to post information on it frequently to help you stay informed about lake area activities. For more information, contact the Corps office at (641) 828-7522.

  • Intermittent road restrictions continue as hydro project progresses

    The mild weather this week has allowed crews at the Red Rock Dam to continue working day and night to prepare the site for construction of a powerhouse and intake structure that will comprise the Red Rock Hydroelectric Project (RRHP). Short-term road closures, directed by the Marion County Sheriff’s Department, will occur in the overnight hours every three to four days as crews move large rebar cages from the North Tailwater staging area to the construction area on the upstream side of the Dam. In addition, Highway T-15 will be restricted to one lane every three to four days to facilitate staging of the concrete trucks to ensure worker and public safety as the wall element sections are poured.

  • Downstream work prepares for RRHP powerhouse construction

    Construction continues at the Red Rock Dam where Missouri River Energy Services (MRES) will construct a new hydroelectric power plant. Much of the construction work being done is in preparation for construction of the powerhouse, which is expected to begin in summer 2015. On the downstream side of the Red Rock Dam, the construction of the cofferdam, which is located between the Des Moines River and the power plant site, is well underway. The construction of Cells #1 and #2 are largely complete, Cell #3 is being filled with sand, and the walls of Cell #4 are being installed.

  • Independent review panel studies and approves construction thus far at Red Rock Hydroelectric Project

    SIOUX FALLS, S.D. – A four-member panel of experts in dam and hydroelectric project design and construction has given its approval to construction work thus far at the Red Rock Hydroelectric Project, located on the Des Moines River near Pella, Iowa. An Independent External Peer Review (IEPR) Panel was on site at the project Jan. 14-15 to review reports, tour the facilities, observe construction activities, and examine various construction elements.

  • Picnic Shelter Reservations to be made through the National Recreation Reservation Service

    Reservations for U.S. Army Corps of Engineers picnic shelters will no longer be taken at the Lake Red Rock project office. Beginning Friday, January 2, 2015, reservations must be reserved online at www.recreation.gov or by calling the National Recreation Reservation Service at 877-444-6777. Reservations must be made a minimum of 4 days ahead of arrival and can be made up to 12 months in advance. Shelter prices will remain unchanged from last year. If shelters are not reserved, they are available free of charge on a first come, first served basis. For more information or assistance, contact the Lake Red Rock Project Office at (641) 828-7522 or (641) 628-8690.

  • North Overlook Picnic Area to Close

    The North Overlook Picnic Area is closed to public use effective Monday, September 22, 2014 until further notice. This closure also closes the trailhead access to the Volksweg Trail at this location, and the North Overlook Hiking Trail. The assembly of a large crane, future hydromill assembly and staging of equipment has necessitated the closure for construction on the Red Rock Hydropower Project.

  • The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers shares water safety tips for Labor Day holiday

    (ROCK ISLAND, Ill.) — It’s almost time to say goodbye to summer. If you’ll be spending the weekend on or around the water this Labor Day, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers urges you to remember these safety tips.

  • Missouri River Energy Services Officially Breaks Ground on Red Rock Hydroelectric Project

    PELLA, Iowa – The official groundbreaking of the Red Rock Hydroelectric Project (RRHP) took place Aug. 13 at Lake Red Rock near Pella, Iowa. The project is a retrofit of an existing Army Corps of Engineers dam on the Des Moines River that will produce 36 megawatts of power, with the capacity to generate up to 55 megawatts during peak seasons; enough to power about 18,000 homes. Missouri River Energy Services (MRES) is building the project, which is being financed by Western Minnesota Municipal Power Agency (WMMPA). RRHP is expected to be completed in 2018, at which point it will be the second-largest hydropower facility in Iowa.