The Woodbury County Conservation Board is happy to announce that the Iowa DNR has been doing oxygen level tests on Brown’s Lake and Snyder Bend lake, and this last week the levels were 12-13 ppm, even at the deepest part of the lake which is now 7 feet. Ben Wallace, DNR fisheries biologist, states that this is more than adequate to sustain life. The DNR does not start to get worried until the levels drop to 3 ppm or lower. They don’t foresee any major problems the rest of the year unless we get a lot of snow cover, but feel our risks are pretty low for that to happen. Water is continuing to be pumped into Brown’s Lake by Mid-American, and we can’t thank them enough for being a good neighbor and partner in doing this. Let’s all hope for a return to normal rains this spring and summer and see the lake begin to come back to normal.
Construction continues at Brown’s Lake campground, beach and road, and things will get really busy around the first of April. The Conservation Board’s goal is to have the park and campground open by June 1st if mother nature cooperates and contractors can get their work done. Park users will see all new concrete roads in the park and campground, a new concessions stand/restroom at the beach and a revamped beach with new sand. The campground will feature full hookups to each site, and campers will notice a change in the size and number of sites. We look forward to getting this completed so our park users can enjoy Brown’s Lake this season!