The Geode State Park renovation and restoration projects were both discussed at the Iowa Department of Natural Resources Natural Resource Commission meeting Thursday.

Lake Geode in Henry County is in the initial stages of its restoration, after being drained this fall. DNR Fisheries Management Biologist Chad Dolan says the lake has been fully drained for a couple weeks, “It’s going to be a fairly lengthy process. We’re kind of early on in the sense that the water has been removed from the lake and now we have to go through this drying period. [The] construction window will kind of go from essentially right about now, let’s just say January of 2018 through March of 2019. We’re hoping all the work will be done. We’ll catch spring rains in 2019, refill the lake and begin restocking fish into the lake.”

Crews will be removing 200,000 cubic yards of sediment in the fall of 2018, and will perform work such as armoring the shoreline and creating silt dams to mitigate sedimentation in the years to come. The campground will be closed from April 1, 2018 to May 23, 2019, as they rebuild camp pads, replace the shower building, install a new pit toilet, increase RV utility hookups, and install a dump station.

Iowa DNR advises those walking around the lakeshore or on the lakebottom to use caution as it is easy to get stuck. For information on hiking trail changes click here.