DES MOINES WATER WORKS PARK FOUNDATION
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Mission Statement
To implement the master plan for Water Works Park and raise the quality of life for central Iowans by telling the clean water story through our guiding principles of conservation, education and recreation/health.
About This Cause
The Water Works Park Foundation was formed as a private, independent 501(c)(3) nonprofit entity to implement the Master Plan for Water Works Park. The Foundation leads all efforts surrounding fundraising, design and programming to implement the park’s master plan. At 1,500 acres, Water Works Park is the 5th largest urban park in the country and almost twice the size of New York’s Central Park. Following on the success of the neighboring 167-acre Gray’s Lake Park, community leaders recognized the vast opportunity Water Works Park represented to further enhance the quality of life for Central Iowans and called for its thoughtful development. Following an international “parkatecture” competition in 2013, a master plan was developed for the park that emphasized the importance of clean water to our quality of life, utilizing conservation, education and recreation/health as key principles in design development. The first phase of development has enhanced the current users experience and invites more people into the Park by creating a destination platform for them to more easily access and utilize park elements, information and services. It honors past users and looks toward the future by creating a launching pad for exploration of the entire park. The initial development began construction in 2018 and will be entirely completed in the spring of 2020. It has activated 90 acres in the eastern portion of the park and features a two-way amphitheater, natural play areas, a multi-use marketplace for festivals and food trucks, a great lawn and smaller “celebration” lawn for recreational and entertainment activities, additional parking, outdoor classrooms, restrooms and pathways. A passageway is being built under Fleur Drive to safely and seamlessly connect Gray’s Lake Park to Water Works Park along with an entry garden into the passageway. Additional enhancements are scheduled throughout the “wild” portion of the park to give users better access to the River, equestrian trails, mountain bike trails, pedestrian and biking trails, fishing, birding and the many different ecosystems the park offers. Most of the 1,500 acres will stay as natural as they are today, but with better access and support for all generations of people who wish to explore. Water Works Park is not a part of the Des Moines Public Park system so does not receive any tax dollar support. It is a public park due to it being owned by the public water utility and therefore the dollars raised by the foundation are primarily from private sources but go to the enjoyment and access of all.