Water Curia, a tribute to Bill Stowe and water quality, coming to Water Works Park
Water Curia, 20-foot-tall circular pavilion coming to the Des Moines Water Works Park, also will serve as a public classroom to honor the late Bill Stowe, the longtime water utility CEO and general manager who died in 2019.
Stowe, remembered as a public servant pushing to protect Iowa’s waterways, died at 60 years old from pancreatic cancer — a shock to Iowans and those who knew him personally. The William G. Stowe Foundation, a foundation formed in Stowe’s honor, is bringing the permanent installation to the 1,500-acre urban park in downtown Des Moines.
“Bill and I spent a lot of time together, became great friends, fought a water-legal battle in the state with drainage districts,” said Graham Gillette, board member for both the foundation and Des Moines Water Works, referring to the utility's lawsuit against drainage districts and their role in Iowa's water quality. A federal judge ultimately dismissed the suit, saying water quality problems are up to the state legislature to resolve.
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Water Curia was designed by Des Moines native Jordan Weber, recipient of the 2023 Guggenheim Award and the 2022 United States Artist Award. The pavilion will sit along Fleur Drive between Gray's Lake and the Lauridsen Amphitheater in a nestle of trees, with installation set to begin in the fall. It's being paid for with donations from individuals and various organizations throughout central Iowa, according to Gillette.
“The purpose is to further interest in discussion and advocacy, if you will, on water and environmental issues,” Gillette said. “That is something Bill would be very proud of, and I'm sure he's cheering us on from above.”
The pavilion will feature large natural stones at its base that lead to smaller stones, reflecting how ground water is purified beneath the park through a series of underground pipes located throughout Water Works Park.
"The first 2 million gallons of water used by central Iowans every day come from this natural gallery system," Gillette said. "The natural filtration system was Weber's inspiration for Water Curia."
To additionally supplement the educational aspect of the pavilion, the School of Education at Drake University will develop signs, interactive displays and activities for park visitors to peruse, according to the Greater Des Moines Partnership. Gillette said the school currently is testing a hands-on water purification activity with local fifth graders.
“Bill had a strong influence on people and was a person who brought people together and so it makes perfect sense to build something in Des Moines Water Works Park, partly to remember Bill, which would bother him," he said. "He never would want his name on something necessarily. But to further his legacy of these issues, that's something that would please him.”
Biong M. Biong is a reporter for the Register. Reach him at bbiong@dmreg.com.
This article originally appeared on Des Moines Register: Water Works Park to get 20-foot-tall pavilion to honor water quality
