July 22, 2021

Donation to create MidAmerican Energy Regional Fund for Jurisdictional Grants

DES MOINES, IA (July 22, 2021) – Iowa Confluence Water Trails is pleased to announce the creation of the MidAmerican Energy Regional Fund, made possible by a $5 million gift from MidAmerican Energy. The donation, held by the Great Outdoors Foundation, is a restricted fund that will provide grants to regional projects, allowing non-profits, municipalities and counties to activate their sites within the ICON Water Trails system.

ICON Water Trails represent a collective commitment and a regional collaboration to water safety and conservation. This network of amenities giving residents and visitors alike access to Iowa’s waterways will enhance quality of life and support business and workforce attraction efforts.

ICON Water Trails participants will have the opportunity to request capital through a simple online form. Awards will vary from project to project and will be based upon criteria aligned with ICON’s goals of environmental conservation, safety, economic development, workforce and tourism attraction and outdoor recreation.

“MidAmerican’s investment in the interconnectedness of our waterways allows the region to capitalize on a unique opportunity that has a significant and wide-reaching impact,” Kathryn Kunert, Vice President of Economic Connections and Integration for MidAmerican Energy, said. “By leveraging our natural resources, we are helping create sustainable communities where people want to live and businesses want to locate — and that drives a thriving economy.”

“This fund truly embodies the regional spirit of ICON Water Trails,” Maggie McClelland, Director of ICON Water Trails, said. “We are grateful for partners like MidAmerican Energy who are willing to invest in a complex system connecting dozens of communities that make up our region.”

With more than 80 planned improvements across 150 miles of waterways, there will be no shortage of opportunities to implement the donation. The funds will be distributed on a semiannual basis with the first application round opening in September of this year.

MidAmerican’s $5 million gift is included in the $25 million raised privately for the project to date.

About ICON Water Trails

Iowa Confluence Water Trails — ICON, for short — will connect 80+ improvements across 150 miles of rivers and creeks in Central Iowa. Initiated by the Central Iowa Water Trails Consortium, including Capital Crossroads, Catch Des Moines, the Community Foundation of Greater Des Moines, Des Moines Area MPO, Greater Des Moines Partnership and the Great Outdoors Foundation, ICON represents a new commitment to water safety and conservation as well as a concerted effort to drive economic development, visitor attraction and workforce retention. Learn more at ICONwatertrails.com. Follow along on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter.