OXFORD- The Johnson County Conservation Board (JCCB) will host a public meeting at 6:30 p.m., July 25, at the Conservation Education Center at F.W. Kent Park, to discuss plans for improving water quality and recreational opportunities at Kent Park Lake, in Johnson County.
An update on the progress of phase 1 will be presented at the meeting, along with preliminary plans for phase 2 of the lake restoration project. Iowa Department of Natural Resources staff, officials from Stanley Consultants and JCCB staff will be available to answer questions.
Phase 1 includes restoring existing catch basins, building several new catch basins, renovating the parking lot at the boat ramp and handicap fishing pier and installing a new ADA compliant restroom at the boat ramp parking area. Bio-retention cells will be added to the parking area to help stop storm water run-off from entering the lake. Extensive progress has been made on these features and contractors are on schedule to complete all of these improvements by this fall.
Phase 2 will include removing sediments from the lake basin, reshaping portions of the bank and lake basin, and adding fish habitat and other items as identified by engineers and fisheries biologists.
To prepare for the work in phase 2, Kent Park Lake was drained this spring. The original valve was opened on April 24 and the lake was empty by June 1, except for the water in the small stream channel.
Kent Park Lake is one of Iowa’s significant publicly owned lakes prioritized for restoration work to improve water quality. The overall goal of this restoration is to improve water quality and recreational opportunities in the lake and remove the lake from the Impaired Waters List.
Any person attending the public meeting and has special requirements such as those related to mobility or hearing impairments should contact the DNR or ADA Coordinator at 515-725-8200, Relay Iowa TTY Service 800-735-7942, or Webmaster@dnr.iowa.gov, and advise of specific needs.