Marion County – Cordova Observation Tower

Cordova Park is located in a scenic area along the north shore of Red Rock Lake.  The County Conservation Board is developing the park to attract some of the 1.8 million visitors to the lake area each year.  Development of the park includes the conversion of a 100-foot tall by 15-foot diameter stand-pipe water tower to an observation tower.  The existing water tower is the primary structural element of the observation tower.  Stairs attached around the outside provide access to the fully enclosed observation platform at 105 feet above the ground.  This is the highest observation tower of this type in Iowa as well as surrounding states.  The stairs, observation platform, and safety grate/cage are constructed of fiber reinforced composite material, preformed and assembled before delivery to the project site.  Special design considerations were exercised in connection of the stairs and observation deck to the existing water supply standpipe.