Photo By Samantha Heilig | New self serve pay station installed to replace Iron Rangers.... read more read more
For many years, the ‘Iron Ranger’ was a primary fee collection method for recreation areas across the county. These locked metal cases with small slits in the side for depositing cash payment envelopes, were commonly used at boat ramps, campgrounds and beaches where reservations were not required and onsite fee attendants were not available. This recreation season, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Rock Island District, has introduced two new fee payment methods to replace those Iron Rangers and make fee payment easier for recreational users.
Self-serve payment machines and mobile apps, which only accept credit or debit card payments, are now the only method of payment for use at select boat ramps, beaches and even a few campgrounds found throughout the District. No cash, coins or checks will be accepted at these sites.
At Saylorville Lake self-serve machines are available at boat ramps including Lake View Main, Lake View Highwater, Sandpiper, and Cherry Glen as well as Oak Grove Beach. At Lake Red Rock the self-serve machines can be found at the South Overlook, Marina Cove, Howel Station Landing, and Whitebreast boat ramps. At Coralville Lake, both the beach and boat ramp at West Overlook now offer self-serve payment machines as well as the Mehaffey Bridge boat ramp.
“Transitioning to automated fee machines has allowed us to streamline the recreation fee collection process and also meet the demand of our visitors to provide the option for credit card payment,” said Darren Schneider, Lead Recreation Fee Cashier at Coralville Lake.
On the Mississippi River Project, both new payment options are being used in various areas. Self-serve machines are in use at Big Slough boat ramp as well as Blanding Landing and Pleasant Creek boat ramps and campgrounds. And the new Scan and Pay option, which uses QR codes and the Recreation.gov mobile app, is being used at Bulger’s Hollow, Cattail Slough, Clark’s Ferry, and Shady Creek boat ramps as well as first-come, first-served campsites at Bulger’s Hollow, Blanchard Island and Fisherman’s Corner North. This mobile app option allows users to scan a QR code onsite with a smartphone or tablet and make payment directly through the Recreation.gov app.
“Incorporating automated fee machines while going to cashless transactions increases the efficiency of the recreation fee programs at our projects,” said Doug Vogel, Operations Division, Project Support Section, Chief. “It also decreases the safety risks of handling cash and the chance of fraud while adapting to what is becoming prevalent in today’s society, electronic payments.”
For more information on recreation in the Rock Island District visit: https://www.mvr.usace.army.mil/Missions/Recreation/.
| Date Taken: | 05.02.2022 |
| Date Posted: | 05.02.2022 15:41 |
| Story ID: | 419770 |
| Location: | ROCK ISLAND, ILLINOIS, US |
| Web Views: | 626 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
This work, 'Iron Rangers' Give Way to Modern-day Fee Collections Options, by Samantha Heilig, identified by DVIDS, must comply with the restrictions shown on https://www.dvidshub.net/about/copyright.
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