Wednesday, September 15, 2010

Welcome!

All of us on the Silver Lake Improvement Committee in Palo Alto County (SLIP-PA) are glad you've stopped by to learn more about this exciting project we are working on, as well as the history of Silver Lake just outside of Ayrshire, Iowa.


We expect great things to happen and, in fact, changes have already taken place through the Silver Lake Watershed Project. According to information from the Iowa DNR, this project works on installing grade stabilization structures, filter strips, wetlands, tillage practices, and livestock management to help reduce sediment to the lake. Grade stabilizer structures have already been installed to slow water flow, thus reducing erosion.


The Spencer Daily Reporter reported on 10/9/09 that "studies show that Silver Lake originally had an average 10-foot depth, with maximum depths up to 14 or 15 feet." Currently the lake has an maximum depth of 6 feet, with an average of only 4 feet. This reduction in depth is caused by the sediment that has washed into the lake over the years. Many reasons cause this sediment in the lake, including early-farming practices.

Also stated in the Spencer article - "The introduction of carp, a rough fish that grows and multiplies quickly, often ruining vegetation and other fish habitat in a lake, has impacted Silver Lake's beauty." These issues also need to be addressed.
To read the full article: www.spencerdailyreporter.com/story/1577356.html


Our goal as a group is to learn what the options are for improving Silver lake and then raising the funding to take action.


We invite everyone who uses Silver Lake to join us! We are close to being incorporated as a non-profit organization and have regular meetings which are informative, as well as fun! The bigger we can get as a group, the more power there is behind the numbers.

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