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Davenport working on grant for Credit Island Causeway upgrades

If approved, the grant would cover the planning, design and construction for potential upgrades. The federal government would cover those costs.

DAVENPORT, Iowa — The west end of Davenport is filled with history.

"Credit Island is a staple in the west end," Chad Dyson, Davenport's parks and recreation director, said. 

Credit Island Park is in a part of the west end that is familiar with flooding. That includes the causeway — the only road leading into the park.

"The most important thing with the causeway is access to the island," Dyson said.

It is a problem the City of Davenport is working to address through several city departments.

"Having a long-term, permanent solution that alleviates the loss of access during a minor flood event is very critical probably to the long-term success of the island," Dyson said.

"It seems like a pretty repetitive battle that we're fighting," Nicole Gleason, the city's public works director and assistant city administrator, said. 

Gleason's public works team reopened the island after flooding in 2019 and again earlier this year. Repairs cost between $100,000 and $150,000 each time.

"It would be a much better use of money to have something permanent there that would enable the flooding to happen without the extent of damage," Gleason said.

A grant proposal to the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers could do just that. A pilot program, called the Continuing Authorities Program (CAP), would fund small water resource projects across the country. As of Wednesday, the city has not formally applied, but staff are currently writing a grant proposal and intend to submit it within the next week, Gleason said. The deadline to submit a proposal is August 21, 2023.

If selected, the grant would include a study from the Army Corps of Engineers, as well as a cost-benefit analysis for those options.

A program like this leaves the city with options for how to address this regular problem at one of its historic parks.

"One of those would be a bridge structure that would span the current causeway and over the slough," Dyson said. "Another potential is raising the causeway itself and maybe doing some culverts or something to help the water flow through the slough."

That's important, Dyson explained, because the road floods before the rest of the island.

"From an emergency, public safety standpoint, it's also their only access to the island, short of the pedestrian bridge off of Concord," Dyson added.

Beyond accessibility to the park during flood events, there are other potential benefits to these upgrades.

"There’s some hydrological opportunities, potentially," Dyson said. "If the water from the river can flow more freely through or under the access that could help alleviate some of that sediment buildup and hopefully, maybe even have some benefit to flooding in general."

This potential grant opportunity now means it's the right time for the city to prioritize this project and more permanent upgrades, Gleason said.

"Since we had just so recently repaired that road, and to have it wash out again within three years I think it kind of helped elevate it as a project as well," Gleason said.

Credit Island Park is filled with history.

"It's a tremendous opportunity," Dyson said.

This opportunity could change its history.

"You have to look at Credit Island Park holistically," Gleason said. "And getting there is a big part of it so I think this would be a good step in the right direction."

If the grant proposal is approved, public works officials estimate it would cost about $1.5 million. With the CAP grant, the federal government would cover all costs associated with designing, planning and constructing the project, Gleason said.

Gleason added it could take about two years, however, before all the work is done.

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