(Lake Park)– Work on a shoreline restoration project at Silver Lake at Lake Park is winding down. Chris LaRue is a Wildlife Biologist of the Great Lakes Wildlife Unit with the Iowa Department of Natural Resources…
“We’re in phase three, the final construction, and we should actually be probably wrapping that up here in the next couple, three weeks, and then finishing next spring, will ultimately be the completion when we’re able to finish up planting native prairie.”
LaRue says a majority of the work has involved the removal of invasive trees and vegetation…
“And over time of course they shade out the lakeshore and especially where you have really steep topography. That ultimately leads to a lot of sediment delivery and stuff into the lake that certainly we don’t want. That’s a big portion of it. Repairing large cavities and things and getting them re-stabilized and seeded with vegetation is another important part. And then of course as folks can see we’ve literally done over a mile and-a-half between the three phases of work at this point over there with rip-rap and stuff to stabilize the shoreline even more.”
He says the project will also help protect what’s known as the “Silver Lake Fen State Preserve” on the southwest side of the lake.
LaRue says the $1.75 million project was made possible through a partnership involving the Silver Lake Protective Association, the city of Lake Park, the Dickinson County Water Quality Commission, and the Iowa DNR’s Lake Restoration program. He says it represents years of coordination…
“Starting off with a diagnostic feasibility study, lots of public meetings, and then evolving into working with the Lakes Restoration Program, of course, and we worked to secure an SRF grant to help with the project. The community support over there for the project has just been wonderful.”
The final phase includes work on about 3,500 feet of shoreline.
