Keokuk Lions Club

Highway 61/136 Beautification Project
Keokuk, Iowa

During the winter of 2002-2003 the Keokuk Lions Club and the Keokuk Rotary Club joined forces to develop a plan to beautify the Highway 61/136 entrance to the City of Keokuk and the State of Iowa. The clubs, with the full support of the city, developed a plan to plant and maintain a living visual screen between the highway and an industrial area just west of the highway. To provide a year-round screen we decided to plant a row of large evergreen trees along the highway. When the project is complete the trees will run from near the Des Moines River Bridge, north for approximately 1/4 mile. It will require a total of 100-120 trees to provide the screen desired with a double row of trees where space allows. To maintain the trees we included a water main and hydrants so the trees can be watered regularly.

With contributions and volunteer labor from both clubs, donated labor and equipment from local contractors and a donation from Alliant Energy, through their “Trees Forever” program we were able install the water line and 50 of the estimated 100-120 trees required. We are in the process of raising funds to complete the project in the spring of 2004.

To the left is a picture of the “Welcome to Iowa” sign with the industrial area in the background before the project was started.

The following picture on the right (taken 4/28/03) shows the installation of the water line to supply water for the proposed trees.

The picture to the left (taken 5/7/03) shows the new trees as they are being planted. The trees planted are a mix of White Spruce and Norway Spruce with approximately 40 of the 50 trees being White Spruce. We felt it was important to develop an effective screen as quickly as possible so we elected to plant as large a tree as possible. All of the trees planted are in 8’ to 10’ range.

The following picture, taken 7/30/03 (Provided by the Daily Gate City Newspaper) is of the ribbon cutting that was held. This photograph indicates the level of support this project has in the community.

As of September, 2003 it appears that one of the trees has been damaged and may not survive. The remaining 49 trees are in excellent condition and doing well.

< Return to Projects Index