Inlet Spillway Project

Supporting our Lake

This project has been designed to decrease or eliminate erosion of the channel banking due to the high speed of the water that enters the lake channel.  This creates a swirling effect of the water due to the angle of the pipe and its location.  The velocity of the water is also flushing the silt away from this area which is noted to be a high seepage area.  The project will slow the water down and filter fabric with rock on top will decrease or eliminate seepage from the lake bed in this area.

This project not only benefits the environment by reducing erosion and seepage, but reduces pumping costs for the McCook Lake Association.  The less water lost is less water that needs to be pumped in to the lake.  Furthermore, by slowing down the speed of the water and its flow over river rocks, we also hope the project will reduce dissolved oxygen levels in the channel.

Construction took place in the spring of 2018 with minimal pumping interruptions.  

Special thanks to the McCook Lake Izaak Walton League for partnering with us on this project and the Gilchrist Foundation for providing a generous grant!