The Kansas Department of Wildlife, Parks and Tourism (KDWPT) is planning a spillway repair project at Clark State Fishing Lake – a popular and scenic fishing spot in southwest Kansas. The lake is nestled in a rugged canyon along Bluff Creek in northwestern Clark County about 9 miles south of Kingsdown.
The $1.6 million project is set to begin in December 2018 and will take about six months to complete – depending on weather conditions and any unforeseen issues.
The project is necessary to repair parts of the spillway that have deteriorated or been damaged. The intent is to maintain the lake’s prized fishery throughout the construction. However, the project will require lowering the lake level by 20-25 feet to relieve the hydraulic pressure of water in the soil pushing against the underside of the spillway floor and the side walls. The lake covers about 300 acres with a maximum depth of 36 feet deep when full. There will be about 160 surface acres and a maximum depth of about 15 feet after the drawdown, which should be adequate to maintain the fishery. If everything goes as planned, biologists don’t anticipate a significant impact to the fishery; however, staff will monitor the lake and modify management practices according to the duration of the drawdown, water depth and the runoff entering the lake after the repairs are complete.
(Read more: Hays Post)