Expect a lot of dirt under the nails...a lot

Those with land close to McKinley Lake and are looking for a lot of fill dirt, the lake restoration project may be the answer.

That’s a lot of dirt, by the way.

Planning for restoring the lake among the Creston Parks and Recreation, Department of Natural Resources and Fyra Engineering began Monday at Creston City Council chambers.

Charles Ikenberry, an engineer from Fyra, said the goal of the meeting was for the entities involved to have a consensus on how to proceed with the plan. First up is finding enough area to place the silt to be removed from the lake. It’s an estimated 295,000 to 360,000 cubic yards. A cubic yard is about 3 feet in length, width and height. Dump truck capacities vary, but it is common a truck can hold 14 cubic yards.

“You want to get out as much material as you can, but where do you put it,” Ikenberry asked.

The dirt, which has built up along the lake’s floor over time through erosion, just can’t go anywhere. Ikenberry said the dirt can be left on public lands without nearly as much required compared to private lands because of liability and other criteria. Parks and Recreation board member John Kawa said some low spots in the park could be filled.

Even the timing when the lake is dredged, when the silt is removed, is a factor. Georgie Antoniou, a lakes program coordinator with DNR, said it is optimistic to have work begin in fall 2023 and last through spring 2025. He expects this year to be dedicated to planning all aspects of the project.

“Drain the lake, dry the material and then haul,” Ikenberry added.

But even that has risks. Ikenberry said a snow-filled winter or wet spring will add to the weight of removing the dirt. He said wet dirt can still be removed, but where ever it is placed, it won’t be able to put into structured piles because of its water content.

The closer the silt is left near the lake, the cheaper. Because of the amount of silt, an additional mile to travel will increase the cost of the work at least $300,000.

Plans are to have McKinley Lake have various depths to create fish habitat. The lake is planned to be from 9 feet to 15 feet deep in places.

Last November, Creston voters approved for the city to spend up to $2 million in improvements for the lake. Other plans for the lake include the shoreline and road maintenance. The city has not begun formal procedures to acquire the funding. Creston City Administrator Mike Taylor said the bonding process takes about two months.

“It’s exciting we got to this point,” said Parks and Recreation Board member John Kawa.