The Sauk Rail Trail is a 33-mile-long concrete or asphalt trail that bikers and other recreational exercise enthusiasts have enjoyed since 1998. Over the past decade, Sac County Conservation has noticed some deteriorating damage to the trail on the Blackhawk Marsh Dike. Around seven-tenths of a mile contains holes, cracking, and buckling in the concrete, causing unsafe riding conditions for trail users. Director of Sac County Conservation Chris Bass says they have attempted to fill in the holes to slow the damage. However, they request a more long-term solution from the Iowa Department of Natural Resources (DNR), as that portion of the trail is on DNR property. When talking to Bass about the change, the Iowa DNR has proposed replacing the section of the damaged concrete trail with crushed limestone, claiming it would be more sustainable and easier to spot damages. Sac County Conservation and the Sauk Rail Trail Association (SRTA) disagree with the DNR’s request, feeling it would be regressing backward instead of moving forward with improvement. The SRTA, in partnership with the Sac County Conservation, has started a support letter, asking the Iowa DNR commissioners, local legislators, and the governor to rethink the proposal of crushed limestone and keep the portion needing to be replaced with concrete. Petitions to sign have been placed at Breda City Hall, Kay’s Korner in Breda, The Sac and Carroll County Conservation office, and at the SRTA booth at the Iowa Bike Expo this weekend at the Iowa Events Center in Des Moines. Contact points for the DNR commissioners and Iowa legislators have been included with this story below.
