National Register of Historic Places

Indian Fish Weir

Middle Amana, Iowa County, Iowa
Listed
July 20, 1988
Type
Site
Period
Listed
Ref No.
88001122

About this property

Indian Fish Trap State Preserve, also known as the Indian Fish Weir, is a historic site located near the Amana Colonies in rural Iowa County, Iowa. The fish weir is an array of rocks in a V-shaped formation in the Iowa River. It is the only structure of this kind in Iowa. It is not known when the fish weir was built, possibly in either the Late Prehistoric period or Early Historic period. Glacial boulders from a nearby bluff were probably used to construct it. Each wing of the dam is about 155 feet (47 m) in length. The fish were thought to be herded toward the vertex of the "V" where they would be easier to net or spear. They were then placed into an adjacent holding pool. Early pioneers discovered the weir, and it was included on a General Land Office map in the 1840s. Archaeologist Charles R. Keyes wrote about the weir in 1925. Historically, the weir was submerged below the surface in high water. The Coralville Reservoir pool partially inundates the preserve, which also affects the visibility of the weir. There are three Indian burial mounds that date from the Early Woodland Period located nearby. The fish weir was relocated in 1952, and dedicated as an archaeological state preserve in 1976. It was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1988. Shifting of the Iowa River in the 1990s appears to have buried the fish weir, and it is now south of the main river channel, possibly buried in silt.

Location

Middle Amana, Iowa County, Iowa

Categories

PREHISTORICHISTORIC - ABORIGINAL
Sources

Property data from the National Register of Historic Places, National Park Service (public domain).

Description adapted from Wikipedia under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International License.

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The Land
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Geology
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Conflict & War
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The Civil War
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The Soldiers
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Native Heritage
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Settlement
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The Community
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Rivers & Rail
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Questions about this property

When was Indian Fish Weir listed on the National Register?

Indian Fish Weir was listed on the National Register of Historic Places on July 20, 1988.

What type of historic resource is Indian Fish Weir?

Indian Fish Weir is classified as a site in the National Register of Historic Places.

What is the period of significance for Indian Fish Weir?

The period of significance for Indian Fish Weir is recorded as the listed era.

Can I research the history near Indian Fish Weir?

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