Water level to drop at Iowa’s Three Mile Lake ahead of restoration

Creston, Iowa – Lake water levels at Three Mile Lake, in Union County, Iowa, will be lowered this week as a part of a lake restoration project.

Managers will maintain the lake at approximately eight feet below normal lake levels until the fall of 2024, when the water will be lowered up to 11 feet to expose areas of shoreline and lake bed for construction. Water being released through the lake’s outlet structure will be released slowly to avoid downstream impacts.

Construction activities will begin this fall and be completed in the spring of 2025, when managers will allow the lake to refill. The lake will remain open for boating and recreation throughout the project with boat access maintained at the main boat ramp. Boaters should use caution with the lower water levels as tree stumps, cedar tree brush piles, and underwater reefs may be at or near the water’s surface. 

The restoration project will improve and protect water quality in Three Mile Lake and provide new recreational opportunities for this popular destination. Planned activities include stabilizing the shoreline, improving the jetties, installing fish habitat and modifying the existing in-lake silt basin.