OXFORD, Iowa (AP) - New digging has begun at a popular eastern Iowa lake that was drained last year due to bacteria and algae blooms.
Kent Park drained its lake as part of a $2.9 million restoration project seven years in the making, the Iowa City Press-Citizen reported.
Issues that contributed to the lake draining included runoff from livestock operations upstream; built up phosphorus from row crops and livestock in the park’s catch basins; and waste from geese.
Reversing the damage requires a major overhaul to the park. New catch basins have been built and the depths of the lake are being remade.
“This park is literally torn apart right now,” said Johnson County Conservation Department Director Larry Gullett. “When you’re talking about the impact we’re having on the environment with our construction activities and the benefits to the public and the organisms that live in the lake, we want to make sure to get it right though.”
The lake will be restored to ensure fish can survive and swimmers can return to the park’s beach that was closed because of bacteria and algae.
Park officials said it will be at least another year before the lake is refilled and open for public use.
Kent Park features dozens of campsites with electrical outlets; a conservation center, which houses programs year-round for everything from fishing clinics to field trips; trails; a campground reserved for youth groups; six shelters; and a full playground.
“When you hear people who know conservation statewide talk, they’ll tell you (Kent Park) is one of the best parks in the state and that it rivals state parks,” said Rod Sullivan, Johnson County Board of Supervisors member. “It’s one of the larger and more well-developed county-run parks in the state of Iowa.”
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Information from: Iowa City Press-Citizen, http://www.press-citizen.com/
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