GOWRIE — Construction of the first segment of a trail system in and around Gowrie could begin later this year.

That segment would start near the northwest side of town and extend into the center of town, ending near the water tower, according to Matt Cosgrove, director of Webster County Conservation. He said it will be a 10-foot wide paved trail.

The Webster County Board of Supervisors is paying for the trail project with money budgeted for quality of life initiatives.

On Tuesday morning, the board voted to acquire necessary easements from private landowners for construction of the first trail segment. Four of those easements were donated to the county. The county will pay Suchan Ag Services Inc. $100 for an easement. It will also pay Gowrie Golf LLC $560 to replace a tree on its property.

Cosgrove said that because most of the easements were donated, the county will have more money to spend on actual trail construction.

“Their generosity has allowed the trail funding to go farther,” he said of the landowners.

The Board of Supervisors is expected to award a contract for construction of the first trail section during its May 21 meeting. Work would begin in late summer or early fall and be completed in the spring of 2025.

That section will be the first portion of a four-part project.

The longterm goal is to connect Gowrie and Dayton with trails and then tie those trails to the Raccoon River Valley Trail in Jefferson, according to Cosgrove.

Construction of a trail link between Fort Dodge and Badger along Webster County Road P59 is currently underway.