Mollengracht Plaza Canal in Pella, Iowa
We enjoy going to see the tulips in Pella, Iowa, the Dutch community in Central Iowa. The colors, flowers, fountains, gardens, and charm are all an inspiration for us as pool designers and builders in Iowa. (Tropical scenes are great, but landscape design works best with local plants.)
We are very proud of the canal and of course always check it out every time we visit.
After working as a Project Manager for large construction companies in Minneapolis, Milwaukee, and Phoenix, Rick moved back to Iowa to work with his Dad, Dick Whiteaker. The Mollengracht Canal was one of the unique projects that Rick got to work on with his dad here in Iowa. That was in 2001 and it is a pleasure to see the canal operating some 20+ years later!
“The Mollengracht Canal is a one-of-kind project. It’s a signature piece of the community, and I’m proud to have had the opportunity learn from my Dad and to be a part of bringing it to life,” says Rick.
After seeing the tulips Rick checks out the inlets for the Mollengracht canal. All is well!
The Plaza and Canal is modeled after and evocative of the waterways in the Netherlands, bringing charm and bit of the homeland to Iowa. The drawbridge over the canal and the surrounding architecture, shops and hotel make a nice backdrop for festivals and events.
How does the canal work?
Since there is not actually a natural waterway in downtown Pella, how does it work? Dick designed the canal to have 5,720 sq ft of surface area and be 18 inches deep. The 100,000 gallons of water enter from underneath the East end of the canal, flow through the length of the canal bed, and are captured in a hidden-from-view basin where the water is filtered, treated, and pumped back to the beginning of the canal. The canal is equipped with a system that automatically adds water when needed.
In 2015 Rick was accepted an International “Classic Pool” award for the Canal, a designation given to bodies of water that have functioned beautifully for at least a decade.
Agile Aquatic is happy to have Rick’s expertise and variety of experience to draw upon. We build to last—Contact us if there is a water feature in your future!
