OUR VIEW: Renewing interest in Lake Mitchell important for community
We find it peculiar that the true depths of Lake Mitchell have never been measured.
We find it peculiar that the true depths of Lake Mitchell have never been measured. The lake, the result of a reservoir built on Firesteel Creek, is a busy recreation site during the summer for swimmers, anglers and boaters.
Almost a century since it was formed, we’re finally going to learn its true dimensions, thanks to a recent decision by the Lake Mitchell Advisory Committee. The panel decided Tuesday to spend between $500 and $800 to rent the appropriate mapping equipment. The city’s engineering department will do the work.
Good for them. It’s a project that’s overdue. Measuring the depth of the lake will aid anglers and boaters. It also will establish a baseline, so years from now we can tell how much sediment has settled on its bottom.
Lake Mitchell has been a bit of an orphan throughout its years. It used to be that Mitchellites drank its water — often begrudgingly, because of its odor — but a Missouri River pipeline built in 2003 means we no longer drink from the lake.
When the pipeline came to town, the lake seemed to have slipped beneath the radar a bit. It was no longer necessary for the Public Works Department to watch it as closely as when it was our drinking water reservoir.
However, the Lake Mitchell Advisory Committee and the Parks, Recreation and Forestry Department have recently taken greater responsibility over the lake, and both seem genuinely interested in seeing progress there. That’s good news, since the lake is an important part of Mitchell’s past, present and future.
Tags: lake mitchell, outdoors, opinion, updates, editorials, local, mitchell
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