Another round of dredging at Sac County’s Black Hawk Lake is scheduled to begin this week as part of the ongoing effort to improve water quality. Iowa Department of Natural Resources (DNR) staff remind boaters and other lake users to use caution while navigating Black Hawk Lake for the next several months as the dredging machine and associated pipeline will be active. The dredge will slowly move across the lake as it removes silt from its floor, beginning near Cottonwood Point and running west along the shore before crossing the Inlet Slough to the spoil site. Officials note the equipment will be clearly marked with buoys and lights and request lake users maintain a minimum distance of 200 feet while on the lake. Watercraft are prohibited from crossing the dredge pipeline, even if it is submerged. Once completed, the dredging project will have removed approximately 750,000 cubic yards of material from the 174-acre lake, and the eastern basin will be deepened to nine feet. Dredging helps manage aquatic vegetation, improve water quality and fish habitat, and expand recreational opportunities at the lake, which draws an estimated 250,000 visitors annually.
Black Hawk Lake Dredging To Begin This Week
