4th Pumping Station Campground Improvement Logistics

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4th Pumping Station Campground by the numbers:

• Annual Revenue: ~$13,000
• Direct operating expenses (exclusive of DMCC staff time): $12,158 (as of 2022)
• Total operating expenses (including staff time): $26,103 (as of 2022)

Campground quick facts:

• Area is owned by the Two Rivers Drainage and Levee District
• Des Moines County Conservation (DMCC) operates the campground via a cooperative agreement with the levee district
  • Current 10-year agreement expires December 31, 2025
• DMCC is not responsible for the lake or anything across the levee; only the campground
• Septic system installed in ___
• Entire area flooded in 2008 when a levee broke 

Cost estimates:

• Shower house to replace existing pit toilet in main campround area: $135,000 - $170,000 just for the structure
  • Based on actual bids for similar shower house project in Lee County in 2024
  • Would also need to add sewer & water infrastructure to site: +$40,000
    • Will possibly need to install new septic system if the existing one does not meet current code or capacity
  • Estimated total: $175,000 - $210,000, or more if septic system needs upgraded
• Full hookup campsites - add sewer and water hookups to 20 sites in main campground
  • Based on costs to do similar work at Big Hollow in 2018
  • May require new/updated septic system (not included in price)
  • Estimated Total: $120,820
• Upgrade electrical to modern 50/30/20 amp pedestals
  • Based on actual costs to add 18 sites at Big Hollow in 2024
  • Estimated total: $50,674

Potential logistic hurdles:

• Since the Levee District owns the land, any improvements to the park must be approved by the District
• Per correspondence with the District in summer of 2021, they would want the boat ramp moved away from the pumping station intake before authorizing any park improvements. There are few, if any, viable locations for relocating the boat ramp. 
• Assuming the boat ramp issue can be resolved or rescinded, the ownership issue is still potentially problematic.
  • Many of the grants available to DMCC for park improvements require a permanent easement or use restriction be placed on the property as a condition of the grant. Essentially, this permanently establishes the site as a recreation area offering the amenities covered by grant funds. If the site ever becomes anything other than that, the grant funds have to be repaid, often with interest, or similar amenities have to be constucted somewhere to replace those lost and no grant funds can be used for the new site. 
  • For example, nearly every major improvement done at Big Hollow Recreation Area over the years has been partially funded by the Land and Water Conservation Fund (LWCF), a competitive federal fund-matching grant focused on developing outdoor recreation amenities. A county our size qualifies for up to $150,000 per project. Recipients of this fund permanently encumber the property for which grant funds are used and reports are required every 5 years confirming that the use has not changed. 
  • In order to be eligible for these funds, the levee district would have to agree to allow the site to be used as a campground in perpetuity among other stipulations. 
• Assuming the permanent easement issue(s) can be addressed, nearly all grants require matching funds so we would need to have funds available before we'd even be eligible to apply. 
  • The 4th Pumping Station Campground operates at about break-even in direct costs, and at a loss if we figure in actual staff time required to maintain and operate the park. 
  • Therefore, the matching funds required to leverage grants would have to come from some other source such as private fundraising. There is a near-zero chance that the county would contribute these funds through a budget allocation. 
    • We have successfully raised funds for park projects in the past, but it has almost always been with the assistance of a volunteer fundraising committee. 
• When we've done improvements at other parks, we have counted on subsequent increases in visitation and revenue on account of those improvements. With the 4th Pumping Station Campground's remoteness and distance down a gravel road, we wouldn't expect as robust an increase as we have seen at less remote, paved-access parks. 

None of these hurdles make it impossible to do improvements at the 4th Pumping Station Campground. We just have to approach improvements here differently than we do at parks such as Big Hollow. 

If you have thoughts or ideas on this or would like to contribute to the improvements to 4th Pumping Station Campground, please don't hesitate to contact us.