Changes For Lake McKinley

 

This is a photo of Lake McKinley that I took a few years ago.

And this is one I took this morning from about the same. 

What happened to the water? The lake is being lowered to allow for needed dredging.

This view looks the other direction - toward the spillway. That small pool of water is all that remains.

Plans were to begin the dredging the first part of August but obviously that has been delayed.

This morning Bud came back from his walk around Lake McKinley and told me: "You ought to see all the birds up there!" "What? Just a few days ago you told me there weren't any birds at all."

I was going to try being clever and say "There were probably many committee meetings about renewal plans for the lake, but they probably didn't include a committee of vultures." That got discarded when I double checked myself and saw that a committee of vultures is when they are resting on fence posts or in trees. A wake of vultures is when a group of them is feeding on a carcass - which is what they are doing here - eating all the dead fish. Bud quipped this could be identified as a No Wake Zone. 😄 

A longer view showing the birds as well as just some of the many things thrown in the lake over the years - tires, garbage cans, cement blocks, etc., etc.

More birds. I don't think the Killdeer are feasting on dead fish, but they are finding something to dine on in the mud. They are those whitish spots in the middle of the picture. Click on it to see them better.

Another discard.

I imagine this being a juvenile stunt: "Hey, let's throw this barrel in the lake!"

The bird flying on the left lower third of the picture was one of many swallows darting about.

Work on the lake is expected to last through 2025 with a budget of four million dollars. The project aims are to remove about 300,000 cubic yards of sediment which will allow the lake to be deepened to a maximum of 12 to 15 feet with a main depth of around 8 feet. (It was only about five feet before the lowering of water began.) 

Other plans are adding a fishing pier and small boat/canoe/kayak access. A swimming beach was also mentioned in a previous update, though I do not see that in any current published plans. It will be interesting to watch the steps and, I hope, be around to view the final results.