Hunter Lake
Encyclopedia
Hunter Lake is a proposed 3070 acres (12.4 km²) reservoir
to be created by damming Horse Creek, a tributary of the Sangamon River
. If the lake is built, its construction would flood a section of bottomland in southeastern Sangamon County, Illinois
near the city of Springfield
. The lake is a project of City Water, Light & Power
, the local municipal electric utility.
in the summer of 1954 caused City Water, Light & Power's operating reservoir, Lake Springfield
, to temporarily lose much of its storage capacity. Since 1954, although the severe drought of that year has not recurred, continued fluctuations in runoff from the Lake Springfield drainage zone has caused the lake's level to rise and fall in cycles that cannot be predicted ahead of time and diverge much more from the lake's mean water level than had been predicted when the lake was built in the 1920s and 1930s. This has led to calls for the construction of Hunter Lake as a buffer lake. Water would be pumped out of, or into, Hunter Lake from Lake Springfield in order to maintain the water level of the parent lake close to a stable level.
If Hunter Lake is built, it would provide an additional 21300000 gal of water per day for City Water, Light & Power and the city of Springfield. The lake project also includes a buffer zone of 4700 acres (1,902 ha) of forest, grassland and wetlands. Because Hunter Lake's level would fluctuate sharply over time, much of this buffer zone would be under water part of the time, and damp or dry in other seasons.
City Water, Light & Power has purchased land to be flooded for Hunter Lake and provide the buffer zone, completed engineering studies for the lake, and begun to seek permits from higher governmental authorities to construct a dam and fill the lake. As of 2010 their application remains under consideration with the Illinois Environmental Protection Agency
.
If Hunter Lake is built, it will be managed for storage capacity purposes, which means that the lake level will fluctuate sharply with variation in precipitation. Creeks that will flow into the lake will sometimes alternate between being estuaries and mud flats. For this reason, Hunter Lake will not be an ideal reservoir for some forms of shoreline recreation
, such as swimming.
Reservoir
A reservoir , artificial lake or dam is used to store water.Reservoirs may be created in river valleys by the construction of a dam or may be built by excavation in the ground or by conventional construction techniques such as brickwork or cast concrete.The term reservoir may also be used to...
to be created by damming Horse Creek, a tributary of the Sangamon River
Sangamon River
The Sangamon River is a principal tributary of the Illinois River, approximately long, in central Illinois in the United States. It drains a mostly rural agricultural area between Peoria and Springfield...
. If the lake is built, its construction would flood a section of bottomland in southeastern Sangamon County, Illinois
Sangamon County, Illinois
Sangamon County is a county located in the U.S. state of Illinois. According to the 2010 census, it has a population of 197,465, which is an increase of 4.5% from 188,951 in 2000...
near the city of Springfield
Springfield, Illinois
Springfield is the third and current capital of the US state of Illinois and the county seat of Sangamon County with a population of 117,400 , making it the sixth most populated city in the state and the second most populated Illinois city outside of the Chicago Metropolitan Area...
. The lake is a project of City Water, Light & Power
City Water, Light & Power
City Water, Light & Power is the largest municipally owned utility in the U.S. state of Illinois.The utility provides the city of Springfield, Illinois with electric power from four coal-fired boilers...
, the local municipal electric utility.
History and today
The Hunter Lake project was first mooted in the 1950s after a severe droughtDrought
A drought is an extended period of months or years when a region notes a deficiency in its water supply. Generally, this occurs when a region receives consistently below average precipitation. It can have a substantial impact on the ecosystem and agriculture of the affected region...
in the summer of 1954 caused City Water, Light & Power's operating reservoir, Lake Springfield
Lake Springfield
Lake Springfield is a 4,260 acre reservoir located in the city of Springfield, Illinois, southeast of downtown. It is 560 feet above sea level...
, to temporarily lose much of its storage capacity. Since 1954, although the severe drought of that year has not recurred, continued fluctuations in runoff from the Lake Springfield drainage zone has caused the lake's level to rise and fall in cycles that cannot be predicted ahead of time and diverge much more from the lake's mean water level than had been predicted when the lake was built in the 1920s and 1930s. This has led to calls for the construction of Hunter Lake as a buffer lake. Water would be pumped out of, or into, Hunter Lake from Lake Springfield in order to maintain the water level of the parent lake close to a stable level.
If Hunter Lake is built, it would provide an additional 21300000 gal of water per day for City Water, Light & Power and the city of Springfield. The lake project also includes a buffer zone of 4700 acres (1,902 ha) of forest, grassland and wetlands. Because Hunter Lake's level would fluctuate sharply over time, much of this buffer zone would be under water part of the time, and damp or dry in other seasons.
City Water, Light & Power has purchased land to be flooded for Hunter Lake and provide the buffer zone, completed engineering studies for the lake, and begun to seek permits from higher governmental authorities to construct a dam and fill the lake. As of 2010 their application remains under consideration with the Illinois Environmental Protection Agency
Illinois Environmental Protection Agency
The Illinois Environmental Protection Agency of the state of Illinois is the primary body concerned with the protection of the environment for the state...
.
If Hunter Lake is built, it will be managed for storage capacity purposes, which means that the lake level will fluctuate sharply with variation in precipitation. Creeks that will flow into the lake will sometimes alternate between being estuaries and mud flats. For this reason, Hunter Lake will not be an ideal reservoir for some forms of shoreline recreation
Recreation
Recreation is an activity of leisure, leisure being discretionary time. The "need to do something for recreation" is an essential element of human biology and psychology. Recreational activities are often done for enjoyment, amusement, or pleasure and are considered to be "fun"...
, such as swimming.