In case you are wanting to find out what is going on with Little Grassy Lake:
The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and the Army Corps of Engineers are hosting a public meeting on June 2 from 6 to 7:30 p.m. at the Carterville Community Center to update concerned residents on dam safety improvements at Little Grassy Lake. If you have any questions, be sure to attend at 120 North Greenbriar Road, and in the meantime you can visit their website for more information here.
Rep. Mike Bost is not happy with the plans to drain Little Grassy Lake and shut it down for 7 years. I especially was bemused by this line: "I’ll fight to get the answers we deserve and make clear to the D.C. bureaucrats how much this lake means to the people of Southern Illinois."
I would be willing to bet that members of the Fish and Wildlife Service have spend much more time and have a better understanding of the problems Little Grassy Lake faces than Rep. Bost has over the past decade.
The Fish and Wildlife Service announced today it will drain Little Grassy Lake sometime in the near future. Apparently the dam, built back in 1942, has deteriorated to the point that it is no longer feasible to reinforce and, should it give way, the resulting flood could also destroy the dam holding back Crab Orchard Lake, flooding and destroying properties downstream.
The marina and campground at Little Grassy Lake will close permanently, at least until someone else buys it, on November 24. Despite some misleading comments, the lake, since it is a state operation, will remain open but with only state provided facilities.
