Update on Kent Park Lake Restoration by Brad Freidhof
Four submerged fish reefs will include spawning beds and aquatic plants for habitat. — at F.W. Kent Park.
We are nearing the end of the lake restoration effort and plan to begin filling the lake by Monday, April 8th, 2019. The amount of rainfall we get during the next few months will determine how fast the lake fills. We really don’t know how long it will take, but hope it fills by late May.
All work in the main lake basin is complete, including dredging, construction of fish reefs, shoreline armoring, new beach sand and installation of beach rope anchors. In addition to four fish reefs, at least 20 large brush piles and many linear piles of sand were placed in the basin. Along the shoreline and in about 3’ of water spawning beds were created with pea gravel throughout the basin.
The tops of the fish reefs were designed to provide additional habitat for fish, including spawning beds and amended soils to support aquatic plants. After the lake is filled to full pool, the lake will be lowered about 4’ sometime in late June or early July, for planting about 17,000 aquatic plants which will provide excellent cover and habitat for all species of fish. The plants will also be planted in the bays upstream from the foot bridges around the lake. Species such as water lily, eel grass and pondweed will also help recycle nutrients in the lake, which helps keep the water clean.
A new parking area, accessible shoreline and new latrine was also constructed at the boat ramp and accessible fishing pier location. It is our hope to get this area open to the public in May sometime. During construction the trail system around the lake was removed and now we are in the process of repairing the trail surface. The trail around the lake is open, except the section across the dam.
The lake restoration project also included construction of 5 new catch basins (ponds) around the lake and complete rehabilitation of 4 older basins. During construction of the basins the road system was removed in one location. All road repairs will be made sometime in May or early June at the latest. The road system is currently open all around the lake, except the section across the dam and the access road to the boat ramp. Those roads will also be opened by late May or early June at the latest.
One of the nine new catch basins will help improve water quality in the Kent Park Lake watershed. — at F.W. Kent Park.
The project included modification of the dam and outlet structure to hopefully last at least another 50 years. Modification of the dam was done to slope the back slope more gently which will allow seeding of wildflowers and management of dam structure, improve the trail system across the dam and a new observation deck was installed on the outlet structure. The observation deck will be open to the public and also provide lake managers access to the control valve for maintenance activities.
An observation deck on the control structure will provide great views of the lake and allow for maintenance of the control valve. — at F.W. Kent Park.
Projected Timeline
April 8th, 2019 – Close valve and begin filling lake
May 24th, 2019 – Surfacing of road and trail across dam is completed – open road across dam.
June 13th, 2019 – Late date for all other road system repairs complete.
July 8th, 2019 – Lower lake level to 4’ below normal pool for planting aquatic plants on fish reefs.
August 25th, 2019 – Raise lake level to normal pool.
Connolly Construction Inc. employees grade the backslope of the dam in preparation for the prairie seeding. — at F.W. Kent Park