♪♪♪ Kohlsdorf: More than 300,000 waterways crisscross Iowa.

As those rivers and streams cut through the state's cities and towns, many have seen dams installed to generate electricity, and virtually all of them have become popular fishing destinations.

In Manchester, the Maquoketa River flows right through the center of town.

After its dam outlived its usefulness, Manchester traded in utility for recreation.

Welcome to Manchester.

We're sitting here overlooking the Whitewater Park on the Maquoketa River, right in the heart of downtown Manchester.

Back in 2008, we started the discussion on what should we do with our river.

We had an existing low-head dam that was aging and had some security concerns with safety, drowning, river health.

So we were able to secure some grant funding to remove the low-head dam.

And in turn, rather than having one 9-foot low-head dam, we were able to turn one big drop into six smaller 18 inch drops and allowed this to be a nice recreational opportunity with the Whitewater Park.

♪♪♪ ♪♪♪ Kohlsdorf: Today, Manchester's Maquoketa River serves everyone -- tube riders... ...fun boaters... ...fishermen, and even aquatic life, as the new design allows fish easy access to swim upstream.

But the water park's greatest gift is to the town itself, attracting visitors from far and wide.

Our most valuable resource runs right through the downtown.

It's become more of a tourist destination.

We've got a brewery, we've got bars and restaurants, we've got a vibrant downtown, shopping centers, clothing stores.

And the water trail will lead you upstream to Backbone State Park, downstream to Lake Delhi.

People come from Michigan, people come from, you know, the West Coast, the East Coast, all around, and definitely all across Iowa as well.

On a good weekend in July or August, we'll see 100 people down here on a random Saturday.

So it's been very popular with kids and adults and young families especially.

♪♪♪ Outdoor recreation is becoming more and more popular every year, and so, we're glad that we sit right in the heart of it.

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