Lake Decatur News

Spend dollars up on dredging, cubic yards moved down. Combined with a reduction in the USACE federal budget, the situation threatens a perfect storm for domestic requirements. U.S. dredging this decade, measured in cubic yards, is only half as active as it was in the early 1960s, with maintenance down slightly since then and new work off considerably, according to the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers or USACE. The nation’s spending on dredging in unadjusted dollars has swelled tenfold since the 1960’s, however.

Great Lakes Dredge & Dock Corporation (GLDD) says it has signed an US$89 million contract with the City of Decatur (IL) to provide dredging services to increase the capacity of Lake Decatur. Lake Decatur, the largest lake on the Sangamon River, was created after the river was dammed in 1922. The reservoir serves as the primary raw water source for Decatur’s 76,000 residents and large industrial sector. In recent years, the city has been forced to enact water restrictions due to low water levels and drought conditions.