The City of Storm Lake has been awarded a state Water Recreation Access Cost Share Grant.
The funds will allow the City to install a new restroom at the Sunrise Park Boat Ramp, to purchase a new dock for the site, and to add a water bottle filling station.
The $160,800 grant is to by far the largest awarded. Seven grants were approved across the state by the Iowa Natural Resources Commission, totaling approximately $400,000.
“All projects and applications received this year were very competitive. This is more projects than we typically have and the quality was high,” said Tyler Stubbs, WRAC grant administrator with the Department of Natural Resources.
Amenities for boaters is seen as critical for growing Iowa's tourism appeal.
“The angling and boating public would benefit from this addition,” DNR Fisheries Biologist Ben Wallace said in support of the grant application. “I believe the addition of these amenities would lead to higher use and help reduce congestion at other boat ramps.”
Storm Lake is Iowa’s fourth largest natural lake, and an Iowa State study indicated over 190,000 household visits to the lake annually. The most recent creel survey from Storm Lake estimated that anglers spent over 28,000 hours fishing during the open water season. The lake is also an important brood stock and egg harvesting site for the state’s walleye restocking efforts.
“Storm Lake continues to gain attention and heavy fishing pressure due to its excellent walleye population. Other and more recent creel surveys around the state consistently demonstrate that lake visitors have a desire for more public amenities near where they are recreating,” Wallace said.
In addition to boaters, the restrooms will serve users of the popular LakeTrail.
In accepting the funding this week during a city council meeting, City leaders expressed gratitude to the state's natural resources leaders and the state's appreciation of the key role Storm Lake plays in Iowa tourism and recreation.
The improvements are scheduled for the summers of 2025-26.