LAKE PARK, Iowa (KUOO) – The third and final phase of a shoreline restoration project of Silver Lake is scheduled to be completed in a few weeks.
Chris LaRue, a Wildlife Biologist of the Great Lakes Wildlife Unit with the Iowa Department of Natural Resources, says once phase three is finished, completion of the project will happen in the spring once a native prairie is planted.
According to KUOO Radio, LaRue says a large portion of this restoration involved removing invasive trees and vegetation from the area.
“Over time, [invasive species] shade out the lakeshore especially where you have really steep topography. That ultimately leads to a lot of sediment delivery into the lake that we don’t want,” said LaRue.
LaRue says repairing, re-stabilizing, and seeding large cavities with vegetation was another important part of the project.
Over the course of the restoration, LaRue says over a mile and a half of shoreline was stabilized. This will help protect the Silver Lake Fen State Preserve on the southwest side of the lake.
According to KUOO Radio, 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.
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