HAMPTON – The Friends of Beeds Lake hosted their annual Restoration Run Saturday at Beeds Lake State Park in Hampton.
Organized by the Friends of Beeds Lake, a locally-based nonprofit group devoted to improving the water quality and protecting the environment of Beeds Lake State Park. The Park is perhaps best known for its dam that was built back in the 1930’s by the Depression-era Civilian Conservation Corps and often appears in photographs of this part of the Midwest. The race started just south of nearby Latimer, next to Coulter City Park.
The run events included a 1-K Tadpole Trot, a 5-K walk/run, a 10K run and a half-marathon. There was a free pasta feed for all registered runners and walkers.
Trophies were awarded to the top male and female finishers and medals to the top three in each age category for the 5-K, 10-K and Half- Marathon. All half finishers received a medal. Top male and female finishers receive free registration for 2014.
Along with the run, this is year four of the Miles of Smiles Race Series. The Beeds Lake Restoration Run is the final running event in a series of road races known as the “Miles of Smiles” Race Series. There was an award ceremony at the end of the run.
Miles of Smiles was started in an effort to promote healthy lifestyles and support local charitable running races, Iowa Falls Family Dentistry sponsored “Miles of Smiles Race Series” this summer. The series unites area races that have become traditions for local runners and walkers into a larger overall competition.
A points system was used to score participants based on overall placing, age group placing and the total number of events run. The points system is set up to level the field for participants of all ages to be able to compete for the awards. Points were accumulated throughout the season. Cash prizes were awarded to the top male and female point scorers and the top overall scorer received a trophy.
The 2013 Overall scorer was Randy Sturm.
The goals of the Friends of Beeds Lake Restoration Project are to remove the sediments, nutrients and e-coli bacteria to a level that permits the removal of Beeds Lake from the EPA and State of Iowa Impaired Waters List. In addition the group promotes the dredging of the lake, the silt pond and the replacement of the silt dam with a structure capable of retaining sediments and contaminants in the silt pond. Also, they study and promote programs and methods to clean the waters of the Spring Creek and Beeds Lake Watershed. To accomplish these goals they are partnering with the Iowa DNR, the Franklin County SWCD, the Natural Resource Conservation Service, the Iowa Dept of Agriculture Land Stewardship, local businesses and civic groups.
