The second and final season of dredging on Black Hawk Lake in Lake View has gotten underway this week, and is scheduled to wrap up in early June.
Two or three weeks of additional site cleanup and contractor demobilization will follow the dredging work. The DNR urges boaters and other users of Black Hawk Lake to use caution while navigating the lake during the dredging season. The dredge barge and pipeline will be clearly marked with buoys and lights. Citizens should maintain a minimum distance of 200 feet from all equipment and pipelines. Do NOT attempt to cross the dredge pipeline, even if it is submerged.
The dredging work on Black Hawk Lake will improve overall water quality, fish habitat, and recreational opportunities. An area approximately 174 acres in the eastern main basin of the lake will be deepened to nine feet. Around 750-thousand cubic yards of material will be removed from the lake. Dredging will help manage aquatic vegetation in the main basin of the lake, reduce re-suspension of sediments due to wind and wave action, and remove high-phosphorus sediments.
