In the late 1990s, the trail system in Fort Dodge was small and it was not interconnected. It essentially consisted of the Phinney Park Trail and the nature trail that extends from Snell-Crawford Park to a spot north of town.

Things have certainly changed. Today it is possible to go from Iowa Central Community College on the city’s west side all the way to Harlan and Hazel Rogers Sports Complex north of town without leaving a trail. But that’s not the end of the growing trail system.

A three-mile section along the Des Moines River debuted with a Tuesday morning ribboncutting. This section consists of 10-foot wide paved trails, with guard rails and retaining walls where necessary. Also included are parking areas, a kayak portage and a boat ramp.

It cost $7.8 million, with the cost split evenly between the city and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers.

This latest section of trail demonstrates the value of building a good relationship between the city and the federal government. During one of their first lobbying trips to Washington, D.C., some 20 years ago, local leaders learned that a lot of things could be done along the Des Moines River through what was then called the Neal Smith Greenbelt program, named after a former Iowa congressman. The greenbelt program was kind of dormant at the time, but Fort Dodge officials pursued it and got then U.S. Rep. Tom Latham to appropriate some money for it.

The result of that effort was dedicated Tuesday and now awaits walkers, runners and bicyclists.

The trail system is also a tribute to the volunteers, elected officials and others who envisioned trails where there previously were none. There have been many people involved in that effort over the past 20 years., and their efforts have paid off for the community.

The end result is a first class trail system that will make Fort Dodge a better place to live, work and play.