Mill Race

The Scenic Mill Race, south of the Lily Lake in Amana is a 6-7 mile long canal that redirects a part of the nearby Iowa River downstream.  It ended near South and West. It was designed to flood a slough between Middle and Amana which provided a lake and an ice block source. When frozen hard local youth would often skate 1-3miles to other villages to visit friends or shop the general store. The race also provided power to the many shops and mill along its way.  The building of the race began in 1865 with a group of village workers digging the canal bed and building the huge levees. With a steam-powered dredge that kept the Race silt free, the crew finished the Mill Race by 1869.