Overland Park intends to improve the water quality in its lakes, including Regency Lake in the city’s southern half this year, by dredging sediment from the lake floors.
But city staff warn the process is likely to be disruptive — and probably a little stinky — for residents who live near the lake.
Regency Lake is located in the 14-acre Regency Lake Park at 14800 Lamar Ave., northeast of 151st Street and Metcalf Avenue.
Last week, the Overland Park City Council’s Community Development Committee in a 6-0 vote recommended approval of a bid for the project at Regency Lake Park to G-B Construction.
In all, the city has budgeted about $1.42 million for the work, according to the capital improvement plan list.
What will be removed from Regency Lake?
In anticipation of the work, the city and the Kansas Wildlife and Parks Department moved the roughly 1,000 fish that are usually in Regency Lake to a temporary home in Wilderness Lake, further south near 159th and Nall.
Overland Park expects to remove an estimated 12,100 cubic yards of sediment from Regency Lake. That sediment includes things that have washed into the lake, as well as weeds and algae.
Taking care of all of that will help improve the water quality in the lake, but Brett Maasen, parks and forestry manager, said the process can be “a little gross.”
“It’s kind of stinky, to be honest with you. You’re talking about stuff that’s been underwater for many years,” he said, “so there’s a little bit of smell that comes with it.”
The hope, Maasen said, is to restore the lake to a 10-foot depth. Currently, sediment on the lake’s bottom has raised the depth to about six feet in some parts of the lake.
Regency Lake to get other improvements too
- In addition to the dredging, Overland Park plans to replace the concrete inlet into the lake to cut down on future erosion.
- The city will also replace Regency Lake’s gate valve, which controls the flow of water into and out of the lake. Officials are unsure how old the valve is.
- Plus, they plan to map the depths and underwater features of other lakes that Regency Lake drains into, including the privately-owned Lions Gate Lake nearby.
Overland Park is dredging other lakes, too
- Last year, the city did the same process at Wilderness Lake in southern Overland Park.
- Looking ahead, Overland Park also plans to dredge Kingston Lake at 15254 Lowell Ave. in 2028, which is expected to cost another $1.5 million.
Next steps:
- The bid for the project at Regency Lake goes to the Overland Park City Council for consideration next.
- Then, the city plans to have a neighborhood meeting about the project on Sept. 12.
- After that, the work could begin that same month and is likely to wrap up next spring.
- When all of it is complete, the fish that were relocated will be returned to Regency Lake.
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