Baldwin Lake (Illinois) facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Baldwin Lake |
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 Baldwin Lake
Location in Illinois
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| Location | Randolph / St. Clair counties, Illinois, U.S. |
| Coordinates | 38°12′36″N 089°52′36″W / 38.21000°N 89.87667°W |
| Type | cooling pond |
| Basin countries | United States |
| Max. length | 2.5 mi (4.0 km) |
| Surface area | 2,018 acres (817 ha) |
| Average depth | 8 ft (2.4 m) |
| Surface elevation | 423 ft (129 m) |
Baldwin Lake is a large, man-made lake in Illinois, USA. It covers about 2,018-acre (817 ha) (that's over 3 square miles!). This lake is located right on the border between Randolph and St. Clair counties.
Baldwin Lake is part of the Kaskaskia River State Fish and Wildlife Area. This area is managed by the Illinois Department of Natural Resources. The lake's water level can change a bit, but it usually stays around 423 feet (129 m) above sea level.
Contents
How Baldwin Lake Works
Baldwin Lake was built for a special reason: to cool down a power plant. It's called a cooling pond. Workers built an 8-mile (13 km) long wall, called a levee, around a low-lying area. Then, they dug out parts of the land inside the levee.
Most of the lake is fairly shallow, about 8 feet (2.4 m) deep on average. But some spots are much deeper, going down 50 feet (15 m) or more! If you look at Baldwin Lake from above, it has a simple, rectangular shape.
Building the Lake and Power Plant
The Illinois Power Company started building Baldwin Lake in 1967. It was finished and filled with water by 1970. The lake was made to serve the Baldwin Generating Station. This power plant is named after the nearby town of Baldwin, Illinois. The area has a lot of coal underground, which the plant used to burn.
Not many natural streams flow into Baldwin Lake. Instead, water is pumped into it from the nearby Kaskaskia River. Rain also helps to fill the lake.
Over the years, the power plant and the lake have been owned by different companies. In 1999, Dynegy took them over. The power plant used to burn Illinois coal, but later switched to a different type of coal from Wyoming.
The Baldwin Station is a big power plant. It can create up to 1,750 megawatts of electricity. That's enough power for many homes! The plant used a lot of water, about 10 million US gallons (38,000 m3) every day. Some of this water turned into steam. The rest was returned to the lake, but it was much warmer.
In 2015, there was a temporary issue with water quality at the lake. Because of this, the state's Department of Natural Resources temporarily closed the Kaskaskia River State Fish and Wildlife Area to the public. This was done to make sure everyone stayed safe.
Fun Things to Do at Baldwin Lake
Even though Dynegy owns Baldwin Lake, the state of Illinois helps manage most of it. They manage it for fun activities like fishing. The part of the lake closest to the power plant is closed for safety reasons.
Fishing and Wildlife
Baldwin Lake is a great place for fishing. Since the power plant returns warm water to the lake, some fish really like it! The lake is stocked with fish that enjoy warmer water, like largemouth bass and crappie.
Many migratory birds also love Baldwin Lake because its water stays warm. You can see lots of birds here, especially in winter. Sometimes, there are as many as 20,000 ducks and 10,000 Canada geese! About 200 geese live around the lake all year long.
The Illinois Environmental Protection Agency (IEPA) checks the water quality of Baldwin Lake. They say the water quality is "fair." This is similar to the water quality in the lower Kaskaskia River, where most of the lake's water comes from.
Boating and Access
If you want to go boating on Baldwin Lake, there's a rule about boat motors. Your boat motor can't be more than 50 horsepower (37 kW).
You can get to Baldwin Lake from Illinois Route 154. This road goes through nearby towns like Baldwin, Sparta, and Red Bud.
