Crews to dredge Indian Lake in North Huntingdon Township
NORTH HUNTINGDON TOWNSHIP, Pa. (KDKA) -- Officials in North Huntingdon Township say Indian Lake needs to be dredged to remove a large amount of silt built up in the lakebed.
They say if they don't do it, the silt build-up will eventually take over a large portion of the lake.
Even on a cold day, Indian Lake Park is a popular place for recreation, but officials say the lake needs a little cleaning. Silt in Indian Lake is building up just under the water's surface, and Harry Faulk, the Township Manager of North Huntingdon Township, says it has to go.
"Indian Lake is a manmade lake with a continuous water flow," said Faulk. "With that continuous water flow, it brings silt, which drives up the bottom of the lake. That's going to reduce the capacity of our fishing. It is going to eventually cross the water line, and with Indian Lake being a premier lake, we need to take care of it."
The lake has not been dredged in recent memory. The township hopes to have this work completed sometime in 2026, with little impact on the public that visits the lake and the wildlife that calls this body of water home.
Faulk says they hope to have the township's consulting engineer draft a proposal for the project so they can move forward with putting it out for bid.
"We estimate the project is going to cost around $1 million. With inflation, it could go up above $1 million," Faulk said. "We are going to seek grant money to do as much of this project as we can. It may take two years to receive certain grants to get it fully funded by grant money."
It is important to note that dredging the lake doesn't mean draining it. Whenever this project gets underway, water will remain in the lake and the park will remain open to the public.
