Posted on June 28, 2018
County and state officials in Iowa are planning a $3 million restoration of four popular lakes in Davenport to improve water quality and recreation.
Blue Grass, Railroad and Lambach lakes at West Lake Park were designed to serve as retention ponds to protect Lake of the Hills, but erosion occurred and carried runoff into the water, the Quad-City Times reported. The three man-made lakes were created almost 50 years ago and have a 35-year life expectancy.
The Iowa Department of Natural Resources has partnered with Scott County for the project. The restoration will include draining Lake of the Hills and its three surrounding lakes to cleanup sediment buildup from heavy mechanical dredging.
“It’s something we need to do, and once we do it, it will last for another 40 to 50 years,” said Scott County Conservation Board Deputy Director Marc Miller. “It’s going to be great for the community and great for the environment.”
Work is scheduled to begin in the fall with the addition of eight or nine retention ponds to the 1,680-plus acre (680-plus hectare) watershed that encompasses West Lake Park. Existing fixtures will also be rehabilitated.
The county will fund 25 percent of the costs and the state will cover the remaining 75 percent with funding secured through Iowa’s Lake Restoration Program. Since the program’s establishment in 2006, legislators have appropriated about $100 million for water quality improvement projects statewide.
George Antoniou, program coordinator for the DNR, said 22 of the program’s projects have been completed. West Lake Park is one of 19 active projects statewide. There are 16 others in the initial planning stage.
Source: myPlainview
