News

DES MOINES, IA (March 22, 2022) – The Great Outdoors Foundation is pleased to announce that the MidAmerican Energy Regional Fund, a $5 million investment in ICON Water Trails, has awarded its first $125,000 grant to the City of Bondurant. The investment will be used to enhance Eagle Park, including adding access to Mud Creek, [...]

When grants from the ICON Water Trails $5 million MidAmerican Regional Fund are announced this month it will mark the next phase of development of projects that connect more than 80 sites along 150 miles of rivers and creeks in Central Iowa. The $125 million initiative is being funded through a combination of a capital [...]

A central Iowa water trails group's efforts to build a $125 million recreational mecca for kayaking, fishing and surfing got a big boost Friday as Gov. Kim Reynolds announced the state would provide up to $15 million for the project. The Iowa Confluence Water Trails, called ICON, plans to use the money to help create access [...]

Iowa Confluence Water Trails has been awarded $15 million through the state's Water Infrastructure Fund for improvements on the Raccoon River along Fleur Drive. According to the announcement, the funding was part of a larger allocation of $38 million that included assistance to two other projects around the state. To read the full article, visit the Business [...]

DES MOINES, IA (Nov. 18, 2021) – The Great Outdoors Foundation is pleased to announce a $500,000 investment from Wellmark Blue Cross and Blue Shield that will activate an accessible canoe and kayak launch as part of the improvements of ICON Water Trails at Birdland Marina. ICON’s initiatives at Birdland Marina will happen in conjunction [...]

DES MOINES, IA (Nov. 16, 2021) – Iowa Confluence Water Trails — ICON for short — has launched a new website showcasing the regional initiative. The site now highlights ICON’s completed and planned improvements spanning nearly a dozen Central Iowa municipalities and nine different waterways. It can be viewed here. Supporters can interact with existing [...]

To be used for ICON Water Trails improvements in Altoona, Bondurant DES MOINES, IA (Nov. 4, 2021) – The Great Outdoors Foundation is pleased to announce a $300,000 grant from Meta, formerly the Facebook company, allocated to ICON Water Trails. The investment will be made available to the cities of Altoona and Bondurant to execute [...]

DES MOINES, IA (Oct. 20, 2021) – Iowa Confluence Water Trails — ICON for short — hosted its first board of directors meeting as an independent 501(c)(3) last week. Originally the Central Iowa Water Trails LLC, this governing entity now oversees the initiative to connect 80+ improvements across 150 miles of waterways. ICON is a [...]

DES MOINES, IA (August 10, 2021) – Iowa Confluence Water Trails is pleased to announce gifts from four local corporate donors.  These investments represent more than $400,000 in support and are included in the $25 million raised privately thus far: •  Delta Dental of Iowa, $50,000 •  Holmes Murphy, $250,000 •  NCMIC, $100,000 •  Weitz [...]

Nationwide Mutual Insurance Co., one of the 10 largest employers in Des Moines, has donated $3 million to the effort to transform central Iowa's waterways into a recreational amenity for kayaking, fishing and surfing. It's the largest gift the Nationwide Foundation has made in central Iowa, according to a Tuesday news release from Iowa Confluence Water Trails., [...]