The push to develop a former quarry into a “crown jewel” began almost 25 years ago as a citizens’ initiative.
“This park is truly the result of the efforts of the citizens,” said Jim Pease, chairman of the Friends of Ada Hayden Heritage Park. “This could have been in the middle of a huge apartment building instead of a beautiful park.”
On Saturday, August 24, members of the Ames community came together to celebrate the 20th anniversary of a park that regularly attracts avid anglers, runners, boaters and cyclists.
Ada Hayden Heritage Park, located at 5205 Grand Ave. on the site of the former Hallett’s Quarry, opened in 2004 thanks to dedicated residents and a $4.97 million bond issue.
The park features several amenities including a fishing pier, 3.2 miles of paved trails, 1.7 miles of gravel trails, a large pedestrian bridge over the lake, a shelter, and several lakes with a capacity of 100 million gallons.
Ames Mayor John Haila welcomed about 50 guests to the celebration and called Ada Hayden the “crown jewel” of the community.
Keith Abraham, Ames Parks and Recreation Director, thanked the citizens who worked to develop Ada Hayden over 20 years ago. He also thanked city officials and volunteers for their continued maintenance.
“This park doesn’t just happen,” Abraham said. “It’s constantly changing and we need to make improvements.”
Wetlands and prairie grasses were planted to filter water and improve Ada Hayden’s quality and habitat. The city also dumped nearly 50 cedar trees into the lake in March to create fish habitat.
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Citizens made dream come true
Former Ames Mayor Ted Tedesco said the city of Ames first became interested in the Ada Hayden property during a city council meeting. He recalls that a developer from Des Moines wanted to buy the land to build a housing development. There was one small catch: The homes would not be open to the public, which made the former mayor’s hair stand on end.
“I said ‘no,’ this has to be a place where the public can come and enjoy it,” said Tedesco, who was mayor of Ames from 1998 to 2006.
In 2001, a bond issue was finally approved with 86% approval from the public, which Tedesco says is still a record for the city’s most successful bond issue. Ames took over the property in 2002 and Ada Hayden opened two years later.
“Now you can see the fruits of all that work,” Tedesco said. “For me, it was so encouraging to see how many people come here and use this. And it’s not just our citizens, but visitors too.”
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Gone, but not forgotten
Erwin “Erv” Klaas, who passed away in July, was honored as the driving force behind Ada Hayden during Saturday’s ceremony.
Klaas and his colleagues conducted the first vegetation surveys in 2000 and discovered remnants of prairie and savannah communities in an area where industrial gravel mining had taken place for almost 50 years.
He also discovered Ada Hayden’s family connection to part of the property and arranged for the park to be named after the former ISU professor and conservationist.
“His vision and his energy as a citizen who said this has to change,” Pease said. “He taught all of us that if you want to change something, you can’t just sit back and complain. You have to get involved and be part of something bigger than yourself.”
Klaas served as president of the Friends of Ada Hayden from 2010 to 2018. He also created “Faces in the Stones,” a plaque honoring Hayden and other important Iowa conservationists. Ames presented Klaas with a “Faces in the Stones” stone in 2020, and his stone is located in the northwest corner of the park.
More: Ames community remembers Erwin Klaas, who helped shape Ada Hayden and the law against DDT
Growing recreational opportunities in Ames
The city plans to eventually build a new park on 50 acres of land in western Ames along Ontario Road. The property was purchased last fall, and Abraham said council members toured the area earlier this week.
Abraham said the city will seek public input as it develops its master plan for the property.
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Celia Brocker is a government, crime, politics and education reporter for the Ames Tribune. Reach her at [email protected].
