Well, the highly successful “West Lake” series has not only drawn rave reviews amongst the outdoor blogging community it has also drummed up some reader correspondence. Okay, more than a little creative license in that intro sentence as I look to wrap up the 2019 observations with a last look at Lake of the Hills.

C.J. from Around the Way in the QCA says:

Well, C.J., as the slides show below it did appear that there were some vehicle parts in the lakebed beyond the intentionally placed collections of tires. As far as a mattress, what I observed looked to possibly be the remnants of the seat of a car, but only a guess. And the final couple pics in the clip do show a couple vehicle finds, just on a smaller scale.

 

QC Crypto writes:

Nothing jumped out at me beyond an odd footprint on the lake bottom, a few weird markings around the spillway and a beverage that we used to call “The Beast.” Interesting question, however, as I am not aware of such local lore, may have to do some research as you’ve got my interest.

 

Scorned Reader asks:

Indeed, I did find a camp chair out there, Scorned. Also what looked to be a boat seat along a bend in the creek channel. And perhaps a few of the last item below possibly led to the unfortunate incident? Just speculation…

 

Big J asks:

Well, Big J, I know your Papa and his picnic table tales are absolutely true. In fact, I witnessed the catches firsthand. And since his tales have been confirmed here on troyjacksonoutdoors.com, there is a 99.99% likelihood that they are possibly true.

 

Julia on the block writes:

Well, here we go…

 

And we’ll wrap up the series with a bit from arguably the oddest thing spotted out there on the lake bottom last year.

 

I intend to be back this year, too. Talk to you later. Troy

The West Lake posts continue as I run the risk of the old “beating a dead horse” saying. But, hey, you’ve got to admit there’s been some pretty cool stuff and some unique scenery filling the blog lately. Right?

While I did not actually find any trace of a horse, dead or alive, I did discover the remnants of a fair sampling of local wildlife. Some leaving tracks on the newly exposed terrain and others dead in their tracks as their aquatic habitat disappeared.

Short and sweet on the intro today as we go direct to video.

 

Okay, a couple more posts until we give the West Lake Project a break. But have no fear, plenty of other stuff waiting in the wings. Talk to you later. Troy

“I know, nobody knows, where it comes and where it goes.” – Dream On, Aerosmith (1973)

Contour maps provide good, limited info but you just can’t beat walking along the actual creekbed

Many lakes like West Lake Park’s Lake of the Hills were created by constructing a dam to impede the flow of an existing stream. The water then pools to fill the surrounding terrain until it reaches the level of an overflow such as a spillway. As the lake fills, the original creekbed is left hidden deep below the surface, gradually collecting sediment over the years. What was once a pronounced channel is often altered as time and nature do what they do.

So how does Blackhawk Creek weave its way through the lakes from west to east? Read on…

Since about 1970, this aging process has been hidden from view on Lake of the Hills. As you can see by the arrows on the map above, Blackhawk Creek runs through the site. It flows from the west entering Blue Grass Lake and eventually exits via the Lake of the Hills spillway, flowing underneath Interstate 280. Until last fall, where it meandered in between those spots was a mystery to those who did not possess either an old plat map or a new-fangled depthfinder.

Clip number one below covers Railroad Lake and the western half of Lake of the Hills

 

Clip number two covers the eastern half of Lake of the Hills

 

I found it quite interesting to see Blackhawk Creek and associated tributaries once again flow freely to the outlet valve that formerly lay beneath roughly 16 feet of water. Only a short reprieve, however, as Mother Nature will again be allowed to fill the lake basin once restoration work has been completed.

I’ve said it several times in my video clips but indeed a once in a lifetime experience for this interested angler. A cool glimpse back in time and still more to come from my wanderings. Talk to you later. Troy

Close up view of the majority of Lake of the Hills lake bottom, cracked and bare beyond the proximity of the shoreline

When it comes to fishing I am an admitted bank beater.

I suppose a lot of us are.

At times, however, I wonder just how many bass are behind me as I cast bankwards from a boat. Fortunately, I find plenty of takers among the visible cover within yards of the shoreline or slightly farther from the bank on spots like extended points or expansive flats. Therefore, I don’t really dwell on what I’m missing offshore on the modest size lakes that I fish. Besides, I frequently run without any form of depthfinder so I have become accustomed to what I don’t know don’t bother me.

Today’s pics and video feature the vast amount of the lakebed that is quite bare beyond a rather silted in creek channel.

 

Now, every lake is different but from what I have discovered on West Lake Park’s Lake of the Hills I wouldn’t be missing much beyond the shoreline. Nearly all of the structure lies within a couple casts of the shore and probably not more than 8-10’ deep. Right up my alley as a shallow sort of guy. It will certainly be interesting to see how this aspect of lake structure changes during the restoration project.

 

Still plenty more to come featuring structural hotspots, historical remnants and a collection of what Lake of the Hills has collected over the years. Talk to you later. Troy

 

I intended to get this project posted last month but time got away from me. Instead, you get a post-Groundhog Day rundown of the West Lake Restoration Project.

If you haven’t been introduced, this is a Scott County, Iowa public recreation area that is undergoing a complete rehabilitation of the onsite fisheries. I have taken a look at the progress from the outset during the summer of 2019 until just shy of the arrival of 2020. One aspect of the project involves draining the lakes at the site to improve fish habitat in advance of restocking the fish population. The target for the area to once again allow fishing is the summer of 2021 as the lakes refill.

In the in interim, I aim to keep tabs on the project and post periodic updates here on the blog. To get up to speed, a series of upcoming posts will cover my recent visits during December 2019.

Below is a look at the components of the lake draining process.

 

Here’s a preview of some of what is headed your way this month with a focus on the largest of the lakes onsite, Lake of the Hills. More posts to hit the blog as time permits.

 

Hope you’ll tune in for an interesting, entertaining and sometimes strange look at what once lay hidden beneath the surface. Talk to you later. Troy