(Gruver)– The Iowa Department of Natural Resources will be lowering the water level at West Swan Lake near Gruver in Emmet county as part of a restoration project to improve water quality. Eliminating a rough fish population and providing quality habitat for fish and wildlife are also part of the project.
The DNR says construction will begin this fall on a new water control structure at the outlet of West Swan Lake and a new fish barrier will be installed below the outlet on Ingham Lake. Officials say construction should be completed by the spring of 2023.
Plans call for the water levels to be held about three and-a-half feet low through 2023 to allow native aquatic plants to germinate near the shoreline.
The lower levels will also allow crews to renovate the lake’s fishery before it’s refilled, which is expected to happen by the fall of 2024. The DNR says native fish will be restocked once that happens.
