HIstory of Easter Lake
The History of Easter Lake
Today many people know Easter Lake and Easter Lake Park to be one of the many great recreational resources offered by Polk County Conservation providing trails, park shelters, playgrounds and volleyball courts, boating, fishing, and even a beach. However, not so many years ago the Easter Lake area was better known for farmland and coal.
Imagine its 1930 in Des Moines, its late summer and you are wanting to go for a swim to cool off- where would you go? Certainly not Easter Lake! Pictured to the right is what Easter Lake looked like in 1930.
Easter Lake Through The Decades
Scroll through to view the formation of the Easter Lake we know today
The Creation of Easter Lake
Until 1967 no one was going to Easter Lake for boating or to fish and that is because historically the Easter Lake Watershed was primarily agricultural land, and before that oak savanna and tall grass prairie. Did you know Easter Lake was also the site of the last operating coal mine in all of Polk County? (Click here for an interactive map of historic coal mines in Iowa).
In 1959 the strip coal mine was closed. This closure opened the doors for discussion of what to do with the land. Initially, it was suggested the site be turned into a landfill. News of this proposed landfill sparked a group of neighborhood leaders to form the South Town Lake and Development Society around 1960 which led the effort to promote the creation of a new park. In 1965, construction of Easter Lake, the dam, and spillway began. In 1967, Easter Lake was officially open.
New Development Threatens Water Quality at Easter Lake
For the City of Des Moines and Polk County, the creation of a new lake and park was an exciting time. The lake offered new recreational activities like boating and fishing on the south side of town. However in addition to being a great spot for recreation, Easter Lake offered an attractive location for new housing developments.
By the early 1990s, housing developments began springing up around Easter Lake at a rapid pace. Much to the dismay of lake users, silt from construction sites was entering Easter Lake at alarming rates. The silt from the nearby construction sites in addition to sediment deposited from stream bank erosion in Yeader Creek and the overall watershed decreased water quality and contributed to an overall 30% reduction of lake volume from 1967 to 2012.
Today most of the Easter Lake Watershed has been urbanized. Urbanization has increased stormwater runoff leading to greater pollution into Easter Lake through sedimentation, pollution from trash, oils, fertilizers and other chemicals that run off roads, parking lots, lawns and other surfaces overall decreasing water quality and recreational use of Easter Lake.
Easter Lake "Watershed" Through The Decades
Scroll through and click to view how the watershed has changed and developed over time
Management History of Easter Lake
Since its creation, Easter Lake has endured a series of management strategies to restore lake health and improve the fishery. Below are some of the highlights of management throughout the years.
Despite these management strategies, water quality continued to decrease. After years of research and planning, the Easter Lake Watershed Project officially began in 2013. Through the restoration of Easter Lake, project partners are working on repairing and restoring the lake through dredging, shoreline work, and improving the fishery. Upstream we are working on stabilizing Yeader Creek and working with landowners including residents and businesses to minimize their impact by using urban conservation practices such as soil quality restoration, rain gardens, rain barrels, and more. Working together with project partners and residents of the watershed we can positively impact Easter Lake now and into the future. Every effort to reduce stormwater runoff at your home, recycling efforts and minimizing trash, stopping the use of phosphorus fertilizer, among other things helps to improve our local water quality bettering our lake and community.
If you are interested in learning more about how you can positively impact Easter Lake considering installing a conservation practice or volunteering with us!
Together we can make the difference.
- Click here to learn more about conservation practices
- Click here to learn more about upcoming volunteer opportunities
- For questions about conservation practices, available funding for residents, or volunteering contact the watershed coordinator. Information on how to reach us can be found on our contact page
- Click here to learn more about progress and projects as part of the Easter Lake Watershed Project
Historical images for this page are referenced from the Iowa DNR Historic Mapping Interactive site. Click here to visit interactive mapping site.
EASTER LAKE WATERSHED PROJECT PARTNERS