Lake Red Rock, also referred to as Red Rock Reservoir is a
reservoir
A reservoir (; from French ''réservoir'' ) is an enlarged lake behind a dam. Such a dam may be either artificial, built to store fresh water or it may be a natural formation.
Reservoirs can be created in a number of ways, including contro ...
formed by
Red Rock Dam on the
Des Moines River
The Des Moines River () is a tributary of the Mississippi River in the upper Midwestern United States that is approximately long from its farther headwaters.U.S. Geological Survey. National Hydrography Dataset high-resolution flowline dataThe Na ...
, about 41 miles southeast of the city of
Des Moines, Iowa
Des Moines () is the capital and the most populous city in the U.S. state of Iowa. It is also the county seat of Polk County. A small part of the city extends into Warren County. It was incorporated on September 22, 1851, as Fort Des Moines, ...
,
U.S.
The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 states, a federal district, five major unincorporated territori ...
The dam was completed in 1969 as a
Flood control
Flood control methods are used to reduce or prevent the detrimental effects of flood waters."Flood Control", MSN Encarta, 2008 (see below: Further reading). Flood relief methods are used to reduce the effects of flood waters or high water level ...
project by the
, creating the largest
lake
A lake is an area filled with water, localized in a basin, surrounded by land, and distinct from any river or other outlet that serves to feed or drain the lake. Lakes lie on land and are not part of the ocean, although, like the much large ...
in
Iowa
Iowa () is a state in the Midwestern region of the United States, bordered by the Mississippi River to the east and the Missouri River and Big Sioux River to the west. It is bordered by six states: Wisconsin to the northeast, Illinois to the ...
. The lake is essentially confined to
Marion County. The damface is a few miles west and south of
Pella
Pella ( el, Πέλλα) is an ancient city located in Central Macedonia, Greece. It is best-known for serving as the capital city of the ancient Greek kingdom of Macedon, and was the birthplace of Alexander the Great.
On site of the ancient cit ...
, and similarly, a few miles northeast of
Knoxville
Knoxville is a city in and the county seat of Knox County in the U.S. state of Tennessee. As of the 2020 United States census, Knoxville's population was 190,740, making it the largest city in the East Tennessee Grand Division and the state's ...
.
Recreation and points of interest
The lake shore has various recreational activities such as camping, hiking, boating and fishing. The state maintains
Elk Rock State Park on both sides of the lake while Roberts Creek Park and Cordova Park (location of
Cordova Tower) are managed by the Marion County Conservation Board.
The Army Corps of Engineers maintains several campgrounds as well: White Breast Recreation Area, Ivans Recreation Area, Wallashuck Recreation Area, Howell Station Recreation Area, and the North Overlook Recreation Area. There is also a "
water trail
Water (chemical formula ) is an inorganic, transparent, tasteless, odorless, and nearly colorless chemical substance, which is the main constituent of Earth's hydrosphere and the fluids of all known living organisms (in which it acts as a s ...
", known as the Red Rock Water Trail, where one can float down the Des Moines River from the southeast corner of
Polk County Polk County is the name of twelve counties in the United States, all except two named after president of the United States James Knox Polk:
* Polk County, Arkansas
* Polk County, Florida
* Polk County, Georgia
* Polk County, Iowa
* Polk Count ...
to the lake and down to Red Rock Dam. Flotilla 4 of the
Coast Guard Auxiliary
The United States Coast Guard Auxiliary (USCGA, USCGAUX, CGAux, or USCG Aux) is the civilian uniformed volunteer component of the United States Coast Guard. Congress established the unit on 23 June 1939, as the United States Coast Guard Reserve ...
provides boating safety education and free vessel safety checks to boaters in the area.
A major landmark is what is locally called the "Mile Long Bridge", carrying
Iowa Highway 14
Iowa Highway 14 (Iowa 14) is a state highway that runs from north to south across the state of Iowa for . The begins in Corydon at an intersection with Iowa 2 and ends in Charles City at an intersection with U.S. Highway 18 (US 1 ...
at its upstream end.
References
External links
U.S. Army Corps of Engineers - Lake Red RockU.S. Army Corps of Engineers: Corps Lake Gateway – Lake Red RockRed Rock DamEPA statisticsArmy Corps Map
{{DEFAULTSORT:Red Rock
Reservoirs in Iowa
Bodies of water of Marion County, Iowa