Duck Creek Access Project

With the help of the Regional Development Authority, PSCW has partnered with the City of Davenport for the Duck Creek Access Project. This purpose of this project is to provide residents of Scott County an innovative connection to a major urban stream and to provide education about the connections to and importance of water quality and aquatic habitats. The Duck Creek Access Project makes quality recreational opportunities available for individuals and families while also promoting healthy stream corridors and watersheds by growing the stewardship of our water resources.

This project includes streambank stabilization, habitat restoration, interpretive signage, and a small boat access point and launch point on Duck Creek in Eastern Park Avenue. The boat access allows canoe and kayak users and other recreationists to have access to the creek with the purpose of connecting people to the water. A constructed limestone outcropping at the base of the ramp, near and in the water, provides flat surfaces for users to set their gear while entering and exiting the water, have a quiet place to relax and provide a geologic anchoring point for the surrounding prairie.
This project is the pilot for a series of access points along Duck Creek, with additional locations identified in Davenport and Bettendorf. The City of Davenport will perform a larger stream bank stabilization and habitat restoration project for fish and pollinators that the launch will be incorporated into.

Project Goals

There are several goals of this project – to provide another way for people can connect to our water resources; to provide resources and education about water quality and its connection to habitats; to grow stewardship and understanding of our watersheds; and to create a template for more accessible points for pedestrians and small boats along the Duck Creek stream corridor.
Much of Duck Creek is incised and can be difficult to access. Creating access points in the form of small boat launch areas will facilitate both boating and non-boating members of the public to utilize the path and limestone outcropping to launch a vessel, go fishing, or sit at the water’s edge, enjoy nature and grow their connection to our waters.
People care about the resources they use. By forming a more robust water trail over time, with more stable access points and interpretive signage, PSCW and partnering cities will grow the opportunities to provide watershed and environmental education in the county.

Learn more about how you can help protect watersheds like Duck Creek here.