On March 22, 2022, the Great Outdoors Foundation announced that the City of Bondurant was selected as the first grantee of the MidAmerican Energy Company Regional Fund, a $5 million endowment invested in ICON Water Trails. The grant will be used to enhance Eagle Park, including adding access to Mud Creek, an amenity outlined in the original ICON, then Central Iowa Water Trails, feasibility study.

Project Purpose

In the coming months, residents and visitors of Bondurant will begin seeing improvements constructed at Eagle Park. The purpose of this Eagle Park project is to increase access to outdoor recreation opportunities in the community by creating a space that preserves the natural habitat where people can interact with nature in an educational way. Bondurant, with a population of 7,365 people per the 2020 US Census, experienced a 91% increase in population between 2010 and 2020 — the second-highest percentage increase among cities in Iowa during this timeframe. This rapid population growth means there is an ongoing need for quality-of-life improvement projects, such as that proposed with the Eagle Park project.

Project Details

Eagle Park is currently an unimproved linear park consisting of 39 acres. Several hundred residential properties are located adjacent to or within ¼ mile of Eagle Park. Additionally, Mud Creek lines the western boundary of Eagle Park. The following is a list of improvements slated for 2022 construction at Eagle Park:

• Establishing access to Mud Creek.
• Installing limestone walking trails throughout the park.
• Constructing stormwater treatment cells.
• Locating three solar-powered charging benches along the proposed walking trail.
• Constructing a butterfly garden.
• Planting trees throughout the park.
• Installing wayfinding/interpretive signage.

The wayfinding/interpretive signage will include educational information on the following topics: native plantings, the butterfly garden, the stormwater treatment cells, Mud Creek, and the floodplain. These Eagle Park enhancements were identified in the City of Bondurant’s Park, Trail & Greenway Master Plan. The improvements proposed are also consistent with the recommendations for Site 17 of the Fourmile + Mud Creek portion of ICON’s master plan. The City of Bondurant has hired Emmons & Olivier Resources, Inc. (EOR) to prepare the detailed Eagle Park construction plans. The project will be constructed in 2022. EOR has also been tasked with identifying locations for future disc golf holes to be located throughout Eagle Park.

Project Funding

The City of Bondurant is grateful and honored to have received the first awardee of the MidAmerican Energy Regional Fund in the amount of $125,000 to implement this Eagle Park project. The City of Bondurant is also thankful to have received the following additional grants to help make this project a reality: Iowa DNR REAP Grant Program funding in the amount of $100,000; MidAmerican Energy Company’s Trees Please! Grant Program funding in the amount of $4,000; and Meta, formerly Facebook, grant funding in the amount of $150,000.

About the Author: Maggie Murray, AICP, is the Planning & Community Development Director for the City of Bondurant. With a tight-knit yet growing community, Bondurant residents and businesses are passionate about connecting to each other while welcoming visitors and new community members alike. Families are drawn to the convenience of location to the metro, a strong school system, and a safe community for raising future generations. As the community continues to evolve, what will always remain is the history of hospitality and the opportunity to create a successful tomorrow. Connect with the City of Bondurant on Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn.