Coralville Lake, Iowa - From Flooding to Tree Planting

On Monday morning I arrived at Coralville Lake in Iowa. This area recently received national news coverage due to major flooding in the area. Upon arrival, I could visually notice several areas that were affected by the recent flooding. I monitored several areas of marsh and forest that were noticeably under water until recently.

Coralville Lake itself offers many recreational opportunities including fishing, camping, hiking, cycling, and wildlife viewing. In fact, when I arrived on Sunday night, a family of deer was grazing in a field not 10 feet from my Prius. In addition, while going on a brief hike over the dam, several birds of prey were overhead circling my head seeing if I qualified for lunch.

The next morning, I met with US Army Corps of Engineers staff at Coralville Lake and representatives from The Mayor's Youth Empowerment Program whose mission is to provide advocacy and support to youth and their families who face barriers to independence. In this case, the group of youth I met with assists US Army Corps of Engineers with various projects around the recreation area.


I was pleased to present $1,000 to the Mayor's Youth Empowerment Program to plant trees in one of the many recently flooded areas at Coralville Lake Recreation Area. Many of the existing trees were uprooted and damaged as a result of the flood. The National Public Lands Day Program is honored to have this youth organization use the $1,000 to make Coralville Lake just a bit better. Hopefully, the community can take a break from cleaning up and enjoy the beautiful area on National Public Lands Day.