Why We Need Lake Restoration . . .  
 

Storm Lake was clear and blue when surveyors first saw it in 1855. Surrounded by tall-grass prairie, the lake was lined with huge boulders keeping it pristine. Pioneers came and broke the sod, created drainage systems, and pulled the boulders out of the lake. The result: Massive siltation fouling the water to this day.

The 3,000-acre lake has been dredged twice before. Previous dredging did not include watershed protection. As a result, the 190-acre Little Storm marsh, which filters sediment running into the lake, has also been filled with silt.

Over the past decade, significant watershed protection measures have been put into place. Siltation has halted. More can be done with conservation practices. However, now is the time when dredging can pay long-term dividends in removing silt and radically improving water quality. more . . .

  
     
 
 
     
     
     
     
     
       
Save the Lake Contributors  
 

City of Lakeside . . .
contributed $30,000 plus a percentage of sales tax receipts for so long as dredging continues - equivalent to $8,000-10,000 per year.

  
 

Buena Vista County . . .
has donated $600,000 towards the purchase of a dredging system.

  
  Department of Natural Resources . . .
committed $350,000 for the 2002-2003 season. In addition, the DNR has already donated $4,500,000 for the dredging during the summer of 2002. Their technical support and resources have also been priceless.
  
 
  City of Storm Lake . . .
has contributed a spoil site for the dredged material with a value near $375,000 in addition to the $225,000 in cash they have added to the project. Contributions have not just been monetary from the City of Storm Lake, many hours of planning and organization can be credited to the City Administrator and the Clerk of Courts.		  
  Individuals in the Community . . .
have donated over $800,000 as well as many hours in fund raising and project coordination.