Cape Co. Park lake project remains on two-year pace

This story has been edited to correct the location of the holiday light displays.

In July, county and state officials drained the lake in Cape County Park South in Cape Girardeau, as part of a planned upgrade to fish habitat and other improvements.

At the time, officials said the project was likely to take up to two years, and after some initial work has been completed, that timeline still appears accurate, said county parks superintendent Bryan Sander.

"This is not the ideal time of year to be working on (the project)," Sander said. "We had some good weather in October and early November, but right now we're just kind of shut down until the ground freezes."

County Commissioner Paul Koeper echoed the sentiment, adding the ground needs to either dry out or freeze up to improve working conditions.

"We're really busy this time of year, and with this type of work, you need to have good weather," Sander said, adding summer is the ideal time, but manpower is devoted mainly to mowing and other maintenance duties then.

Now, workers are devoting time to the holiday light displays across the highway in County Park North, Sander said.

Added to that, county officials are keeping as much of the work in-house as possible, to keep costs down, Sander said.

That means the project likely will take some time. In July, Sander told the Southeast Missourian he expected the project to take up to 2 years -- at least 18 months -- and said Friday he expects that to still be the case.

Earlier in 2018, MDC had teamed up with Cape Girardeau County parks department as part of a statewide program to improve fisheries habitat in city or county ponds, according to previous reporting.

Ideally, Sander said, once the ground freezes, crews can finish dirt work and get rock in. Once that's done, the lake can be refilled, and the Missouri Department of Conservation can start rebuilding fish habitat and population.

Rip rap will line the shore, and a new dock and jetties will extend into the water to give anglers better access to the water.

Other planned improvements include a lighted sidewalk and an island with a gazebo, according to previous reporting.

The rebuilding of fish habitat falls under MDC's portion of the project, Sander said.

MDC spokeswoman Candice Davis wrote in an email Friday the vegetation now growing in the lake bed is part of the plan: vegetation will be allowed to grow up in the lake to provide fish habitat.

"Vegetation gives fish places to hide from predators, as well as nesting sites," Davis wrote.

The ditch between U.S. 61 and the park roadway has been partly cleaned out and rip rap added, Koeper said, adding the Missouri Department of Transportation will continue the work to their pipe.

"They've been notified, but they have several things on their plate," Koeper said, adding weather has a lot to do with when work can take place.

"We'll get there," Koeper said. "When it gets done, it'll be very nice."

mniederkorn@semissourian.com

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