It may not seem likely now, but, by the end of October, most of the water in northwest and southwest Anderson Lakes could be gone. The Nine Mile Creek Watershed District has officially begun the work of drawing down the lake water levels. The draw-down ultimately sets out to kill an invasive species that has overwhelmed the lake—Curly Leaf Pondweed.

A dry lake bottom would freeze over the winter, thereby killing the non-native plant. Additionally, the move would consolidate lake sediments and lower the phosphorus levels, according to a news release from the Watershed District.

How fast that plan will take shape, is a little bit tougher the gauge. The original plan to draw-down the lakes riled up homeowners last year. But, after some meetings about the need for the draw down and some compromises, the homeowners and the Watershed District got on the same page.The first step in the draw-down process that has happened is the removal of stop logs in the lake.

Essentially the first part of the draw-down lets gravity do the work. With the removal of the logs, the lake will drain down to an elevation of 837.5 feet above sea level. How long that draining process will take is hard to say.

“It’s really completely weather dependent,” said Kevin Bigalke, watershed district administrator.

He estimated it could be a month for the lake to reach its low point. From there, the watershed district will pump the water out using electric pumps. That pumping could take month to month and a half.

The pumps are electric generated pumps, “there should be very minimal noise at most.”

The pumps are going to be on a raft, one in northwest Anderson, one in southwest Anderson.  There will be submerged pipes extended off the pumps that will pump the water from southwest to northwest then northwest to the outlet.

From there it goes back to storm water system.Northwest Anderson will have 18-19 acres of water left in it “in the deepest part of the lake,” he added.At that point, they’ll have to chemically treat the curly leaf left in that water.

The district had planned to bring that water down another foot, which would have left 8-10 acres of water at that part of the lake. Working with property owners, “we had decided to leave some additional water.”

“That 18-19 acres is a compromise in working with lake shore owners on northwest Anderson lake”

As to the fill-up for the entire lake, it will be closer to two years, estimated Bigalke.