Vanishing lake to be repaired

REYNOLDSVILLE, Ill. -- Work will begin Monday to plug a hole in a rapidly disappearing Southern Illinois lake, according to Union County officials.

When the water level at Lyerla Lake started dropping a few weeks ago, people initially assumed it was due to the recent drought, Union County Clerk Bobby Toler said. However, Toler said it soon became apparent that something more serious was happening at the popular fishing spot just east of Reynoldsville.

"It had been going down for a little while, and at first people thought it was because of the dry weather," Toler said. "It kept going down and down, and when fish started dying people grew more alarmed."

While some folks speculated that a minor earthquake had opened a fissure under the lake that the water was draining into, Union County engineer Bill Boyd said the real cause was more mundane.

"It appears that the structure that controls the level of the lake has separated," Boyd said.

For reasons as yet unknown, a 3-inch crack developed between two slabs of concrete in the water control structure at the lake's southeast corner, Boyd said.

The Illinois Department of Natural Resources owns and manages the 275-acre lake, which is part of the Union County State Fish and Wildlife Area. Boyd said department officials told him Wednesday that the repair work would begin on Monday. Requests for comment from the agency were referred to regional land manager Nick Dolce, who could not be reached for comment.

Boyd said the lake could be refilled by pumping water from a nearby overflow area and from rainfall. The number of fish killed by the drainage problem was unclear, as is the department's plan for restocking the lake.

IDNR has managed the 6,200-acre fish and wildlife area, which offers hunting and fishing, since the late 1940s. According to the department's Web site, the area is home to a large flock of Canada geese each winter. Lyerla Lake, the smaller of two lakes at the wildlife area, is known for bluegill and crappie.

mpowers@semissourian.com

335-6611, extension 122