The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service is draining Little Grassy Lake to conduct studies and repair its infrastructure, as the result of “massive flooding, erosion and deterioration due to climate change,” the agency said in a Dec. 5 press release. But many in southern Illinois are concerned about what will happen with the lake and how long the repairs will take. 

The December press release came after the FWS and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers announced that they would conduct studies on the Little Grassy Lake Dam beginning in September of 2024. 

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The FWS conducted a dam and spillway safety modification study to “address structural deficiencies and improve functionality,” according to an article by Justin Sexton, the refuge manager of Crab Orchard National Wildlife Refuge. 

“The Little Grassy Lake dam and spillway structure on the refuge has aged beyond its engineered design life,” Sexton wrote. The lake and its infrastructure were built in 1942 and were used by the Department of Defense (then the Department of War) as part of the Illinois Ordinance Plant, which manufactured ammunition during World War II, according to Sexton. In 1947, Little Grassy, Devil’s Kitchen and Crab Orchard lakes became part of Crab Orchard National Wildlife Refuge. 

“The reason they built around this lake is because they needed water supply for fire suppression for the munitions industry,” Sexton said. 

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“Dam engineering has come a long way since the late ‘30s and ‘40s,” Sexton said in an interview. He said that high-hazard dams aren’t often built with roads on top like Little Grassy Lake Dam but are usually separated so that problems with one don’t affect the other.

The water in Little Grassy Lake should not go over the road, which is what the spillway is for. Sexton said that if water goes over the top of the road at Little Grassy, it indicates a significant failure in the dam. 

“The road is the dam,” Sexton said. “So, you know, and you don’t want it to go over top the road. That’s why you have that spillway.” 

The lake itself is small in comparison to Crab Orchard Lake, which is almost 7,000 acres. “Little Grassy is about a thousand, and Devil’s Kitchen, a little more than that,” Sexton said. Although the lake is small, it is quite deep, Sexton estimating it to be about 70 to 80 feet deep. 

Despite the lake’s small size, it is classified as a high-hazard dam.

 “If there is a failure of a high-hazard dam, there can be significant loss of life and property downstream in the adjacent areas,” Sexton said. “So failure in my eyes is not an option because there would be loss of life and loss of property downstream.” 

For these reasons, many in the southern Illinois community and in cities like Marion and Carbondale that are near Little Grassy Lake have questions about the FWS and the U.S. Army Corps’ plans to rehabilitate the lake’s infrastructure, especially the Little Grassy Lake Dam. 

The December press release that first announced the lake’s drainage came as a surprise to many in southern Illinois, including Congressman Mike Bost. In a letter to Martha Williams, the director of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Bost asked seven questions about the FWS’ plans. 

Bost said that he was surprised after seeing the FWS’ press release “quietly announcing the lake would be completely drained.” He also wrote, “To my knowledge, there was no proactive communication with my office or the public regarding this issue.” 

Bost’s concerns for communication come after the FWS’ own statement in the September article by Sexton that there would be opportunities for public input. 

Sexton wrote, “As this project progresses over the next two years, there will be opportunities for public input.” He also said in an interview, “We’ll be seeking public comment in the future from the public about what alternatives we’re looking at.” 

Since the December press release, the FWS has continued to drain the lake and conduct studies on the dam and the lake’s infrastructure. 

“So currently right now we are draining the lake due to safety concerns with the spillway,” Sexton said. “The spillway has met its life expectancy, and some deficiencies were found that are going to have to be fully rehabilitated.” 

The FWS decided to repair the dam due to concerns found after recent storms passed through the southern Illinois region. 

“So when we had the storms that came through, Hurricane Helene and Milton…basically we were in a 4-foot reduction as an interim risk reduction measure for the spillway, so it wouldn’t over top the spillway,” Sexton said. “That’s what we were trying to prevent.” 

Sexton said that the storms indicated that there was no way to rely on the dam’s valve and spillway in extreme weather conditions. 

“We decided we had to open that valve and leave it open until we can fully rehabilitate the spillway,” Sexton said. “So that’s where we’re at now. We’re draining the lake, just letting it flow through that pipe and that valve will stay open until we can fully rehabilitate the spillway.” 

The valve was built in 1941, making it about 84 years old. Because of the lake’s infrastructure’s age, it is due for repairs. But Little Grassy Lake’s dam is not the only one in need of repair. In the FWS’ December press release, the FWS said, “Encompassing 1,000 acres, Little Grassy Lake is one of three reservoirs with high hazard dams within the refuge that need repair.” These reservoirs are Crab Orchard Lake, Little Grassy Lake, and Devil’s Kitchen Lake. 

These three lakes are in series, meaning that they are connected but have their own individual infrastructure.

 “Both Devil’s Kitchen and Little Grassy Lake were built as supplemental reservoirs to Crab Orchard Lake,” Sexton said. 

Because the lakes are in series, if Little Grassy Lake Dam fails, Sexton said that the effect on Crab Orchard and Devil’s Kitchen Lake is uncertain. “If Little Grassy fails, would it impact Crab Orchard? I don’t know. But in an extreme weather event…if one failed and caused the other to fail, that’s where our major concerns came, and that’s why we decided to lower the lake.”

In the near future, people in southern Illinois can expect the temporary suspension of some recreational activities because of the lake’s drainage, as Bost wrote in his letter. 

At the time of this article’s publication, all water-based activity on the lake is open to the public. “Right now all water-based recreation is still open, unless we find it unsafe to do so,” Sexton said. 

While all activities are open, some infrastructure like the boat ramps have become unusable because of the low water levels. Sexton said that, as the lake draws down, activities would be temporarily stopped if they became unsafe. “But you know if somebody wanted to put a canoe or kayak in there today, they’re more than welcome to do so,” Sexton said. 

The lake’s drainage also means the relocation of its fish and wildlife. “The wildlife really won’t be impacted,” Sexton said. 

Before Little Grassy was a lake, it was a canyon that was filled with water. Because it is a man-made structure, Sexton said much of the wildlife in the area will not be greatly affected by the lake’s drainage. As it is a man-made lake, the fish in the lake are supplied by fish hatcheries from around Illinois, including the Little Grassy Fish Hatchery. 

In addition to this, the Little Grassy Fish Hatchery will be impacted by the lake’s drainage because it sources its water from the Little Grassy Lake. The hatchery supplies supplemental fish to lakes throughout Illinois as part of the Illinois Department of Natural Resources for  recreational fishing, primarily supplying catfish. 

“They do have another location that they will be able to do similar operations from,” Sexton said. He said that the FWS is working with the Illinois Department of Natural Resources as they continue their study. 

“This lake is heavily managed, heavily manipulated from a fishery standpoint with our partnership with the Illinois Department of Natural Resources,” Sexton said. “So, our goal, too, is to put some new infrastructure in the lake that benefits the fishery and other aquatic species. I mean, there’s all kinds of rock structures, vertical structures, and things that you can build and construct. We’ll be seeking either grants or partnerships to be able to do some of that type of work.”  

Another impact that people in the southern Illinois area can expect is changes to Little Grassy Road. “So, we’re doing an alternatives analysis right now,” Sexton said.  “There are alternatives that have removing the road, moving a road and bridge.” 

The changes in infrastructure come because of the National Environmental Policy Act. “That will be part of our NEPA process that we have to go through and we’ll be seeking public comment in the future,” Sexton said. 

Bost asked questions in his letter to Williams, the FWS director, expressing concern with the process of public input in the dam’s repair. The congressman wrote, “Have there been opportunities for public input throughout this process, as promised? If so, please explain how those opportunities were made available. If not, how does FWS plan to incorporate public input and when?” 

In an interview, Sexton said that one opportunity for public comment will be during the NEPA process. “Part of the dam safety modification study will include us going through the NEPA process,” Sexton said. “That’s where we look at all the environmental impacts from alternatives selected to fix it. And that will include public comment.” 

For now, the FWS and the U.S. Army Corps continue their study on the dam. “We’re steadily working on this dam safety modification study,” Sexton said. “It’ll take two years to complete that. It’s a pretty extensive process.” 

Bost wrote in his letter that repairs on the dam were expected to take up to five to seven years. 

Photo Editor Enan Chediak can be reached at [email protected]. To stay up to date on all your southern Illinois news, be sure to follow The Daily Egyptian on Facebook and Instagram @dailyegyptian.

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