Clear Lake Dredging

The Clear Lake Dredging Project began in 2008 and was completed in 2009. The goal of the project was to deepen the west end of the lake to its original depth. The dredging project removed a total of 2.4 million cubic yards of sediment from the bottom of the west end of the lake. This increased the maximum depth of the west end from 6 feet to more than 20 feet. A large portion of the west end is now between 12 and 20 feet in depth. The sediment was removed using a suction dredge barge which pumped the sediment to a containment site located about two miles southwest of the lake.

Deepening the west end of the lake has allowed it to act as a trap for nutrients and sediment, as it had done previously before filling in. Iowa State University estimated that dredging would reduce the phosphorus content in the water entering this portion of the lake by 60%. Over half of the surface water Clear Lake receives flows through this portion of the lake, making dredging an important piece of the lake restoration plan. The project also allowed for increased recreational opportunities on the west end of the lake. The Iowa DNR, City of Clear Lake, Cerro Gordo County, City of Ventura, and the APCL partnered to provide funding for the $10 million project.

Please follow the links below for more information on the Dredging Project.

Links:

Pictures of the Clear Lake Dredging Project

Clear Lake West End Depth Map (pdf)

Clear Lake Dredging PowerPoint Presentation (pdf)

CLEAR Project ~ PO Box 863 ~ Clear Lake, IA 50428 ~ 641-923-2837 Ext.3