Polk County moves forward with restoring "ancestral lake"
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The former area of Fisher Lake. Photo: Linh Ta/Axios
In Saylor Township, there are dried-up remnants of a former lake hidden away from the fast-moving traffic alongside Northwest 66th Avenue and Northwest 26th Street.
Why it matters: Property owner Steve Klein and several local agencies want to restore the wetland to its former vibrancy and conserve it for wildlife.
Flashback: More than 100 years ago, Fisher Lake in northern Polk County was a popular spot for duck hunters and anglers to find game early each morning.
- "Fisher's Lake, north of Des Moines, is known to every nimrod in this city," notes a 1919 Des Moines Register article. (Back then, "nimrod" referred to hunters.)
- Klein purchased the land, the 24-acre lake and the surrounding floodplain in 1995 as an investment, he tells Axios. He owns local businesses and other land in that area, including the nearby Puttmasters at the Pines miniature golf course.
Yes, but: Over the years, the lake has dried up due to silt buildup.
- The last notable public event at the lake was in 2011 when bald eagles swarmed to feed on the fish. But it was a bad sign; the lake was drying up and the fish kill was the last time there was aquatic life in the lake, he says.
- And Northwest 66th Avenue has now been dubbed "Road Kill Alley" as animals try to cross it.
State of play: Klein hopes to return the land to a year-round lake offering a wetland habitat for wildlife.
The big picture: The project is still in its infancy, but there has been some progress:
- Earlier this month, U.S. Rep. Zach Nunn visited the lake, touting how restoration projects like this will protect against flooding and other natural disasters.
- Polk County supervisors also approved helping with the beginning phase of the project by funding soil sampling.
- Prairie Meadows has donated $470,000 toward wetland projects in the area, including Fisher Lake.
What's next: Klein wants a nonprofit group to eventually take control of the lake if it's successfully restored.