McCook Lake facts for kids
Quick facts for kids McCook Lake |
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 McCook Lake
Location in South Dakota
McCook Lake
Location in the United States
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| Location | Union County, near North Sioux City, South Dakota, US |
| Coordinates | 42°32′31″N 96°30′26″W / 42.541891°N 96.507340°W |
| Type | Oxbow lake |
| Basin countries | United States |
| Surface area | 273 acres (1.10 km2) |
| Average depth | 6 ft (1.8 m) |
| Max. depth | 14 ft (4.3 m) |
| Water volume | 732 acre-feet (0.903 hm3) |
| Shore length1 | 6.9 mi (11.1 km) |
| Surface elevation | 1,090.7 feet (332.4 m) |
| Settlements | North Sioux City |
| 1 Shore length is not a well-defined measure. | |
McCook Lake is a natural lake in Union County, South Dakota, United States. It is located about one mile north of North Sioux City. This type of lake is called an oxbow lake. This means it was formed when a bend in the Missouri River was cut off from the main river.
The lake got its name from General John Cook. He was a military leader who had soldiers stationed near the lake in 1862 and 1863. This was after a conflict called the Dakota War of 1862. No one knows for sure why the "Mc" was added to the name. Most people who live around McCook Lake have homes on its north side. The land on the south side is mostly used for farming. An environmental group called the Izaac Walton League has a building by the lake. They also own much of the southern shore.
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How McCook Lake's Water Level is Maintained
McCook Lake's water level is kept stable by pumping water into it. Water comes from the Missouri River through a large pipe. This pipe is about 24 inches wide and stretches over 1.5 miles. The pumping has been happening since the 1970s.
In the 1930s, special gates called locks were built at both ends of the lake. These were made by the WPA, a government program. The locks were meant to control the lake's water level during times when the Missouri River flooded. However, big floods like that do not happen anymore. So, these locks are no longer used. In the 1950s, floods from the Missouri River brought a lot of fine dirt, called silt, into the lake.
Restoring McCook Lake's Health
A big project to clean up McCook Lake started in 1991. At that time, the lake was very shallow, only about 2 to 4 feet deep on average. It had a lot of built-up sediment, which is like mud and sand, at the bottom. The EPA said the lake was so shallow it looked more like a muddy swamp than a lake.
The main goal of the project was to make the lake deeper. They used a process called dredging. This involves using special machines to scoop out the sediment from the lake bottom. The plan was to make the lake about 4.5 feet deeper on average. This would help fish live better in the lake. It would also make the lake more fun for people to use for activities like boating and fishing.
The dredging project removed more sediment than first expected. From 1991 to 1998, they took out a huge amount of material. By 1999, reports said the lake's average depth had increased to 11 feet. The deepest parts were about 15 feet. A survey in 2011 found the average depth to be 6 feet, with a maximum depth of 14 feet.
McCook Lake During the 2011 Flood
The 2011 Missouri River Flood was a very big flood. It caused the Missouri River to reach record high levels. This flood also affected McCook Lake. The lake's water level rose more than five feet above normal.
To protect nearby homes and city sewers, lake managers took action. They reversed the flow of the pipeline. This allowed them to pump water from McCook Lake back into the Missouri River. They also created a "no-wake zone" on the lake. This meant boats had to go very slowly to prevent waves from washing away the shoreline.
The pumps at McCook Lake were damaged during the flood. But they were repaired and working again by 2012. All three pumps were fully working by April 2014.
Fish and Plants in McCook Lake
McCook Lake is home to many different kinds of fish. Some of the most common fish that people like to catch are white crappie, black crappie, largemouth bass, channel catfish, and walleye.
Other Fish Species
Other types of fish found in the lake include white bass, bluegill, gizzard shad, shortnose gar, bigmouth buffalo, freshwater drum, smallmouth buffalo, common carp, Shorthead Redhorse, and northern pike. In the 1990s and 2000s, new fish like channel catfish, white crappie, walleye, and saugeye were added to the lake.
Plant Life
The lake also has various plants growing in and around it. Common plants include cattails, bulrush, pondweed, and brittle naiad.
