The gravel which Is being worked was deposited In glacial times. Four to 10 feet 

 of topsoll must be removed to expose It. Most of the topsoll Is dumped Into the lakes. 

 The first digging was done with a dragline. In 1908, this was discarded In favor of a 

 steam dredge, which was operated until 1922, when electric equipment was Installed. 

 Digging has averaged about 3 acres a year, and future operations will extend over a 

 period of at least 15 years. New water areas will be south of the present lakes; the 

 company holds land as far south as Deer Creek. 



The water level In the lakes Is the same as that of the ground water. Surface 

 drainage from about 500 acres of farm land to the north and east flows Into the lakes. 

 Almost every year Salt Creek overflows the low land near the uam and floods Lincoln 

 Lakes. 



The Lincoln Sand and Gravel Company has made many Improvements for public recrea- 

 tion on the worked-over areas. A large public bathing beach, fig. 1, was constructed 

 In 1930 and 1931 at a cost of $16,000. This figure does not Include 300 carloads of 

 sand and gravel which were used. There Is a large modern bathhouse and a parking area, 

 A small charge for swimming pays the lifeguards and other operating expenses and pro- 

 vides enough extra Income for some new equipment each year. Figs. 2 and 3 are from 

 photographs taken at Lincoln Lakes. 



The fees for fishing and boating are as follows: 



Fishing — $1.00 per year (plus the state fishing license) 

 Boatlng~A few rowboats rent at 25 cents per hour, or $1.00 per day 



Privately-owned boats may be used on the lake at the following rates: 



Rowboats , $ 2.00 per year 



Canoes 2.00 per year 



Sailboats 3.00 per year 



Motorboats 5.00 per year 



Cottage sites may be leased for 10 years (renewable) at $35.00 per year. These 

 sites have a 50-foot lake frontage and are 100 feet long. Eleven cottages are now 

 In use. 



Hunting Is not allowed on this area because of the danger and the nuisance to 

 people seeking other recreation. 



A watchman-caretaker In the employ of the company handles the bait concession. 



Picnicking and hiking are free — and skating when the company finds that the ice 

 is safe, 



DESCRIPTION OF SPORTSMEN'S LAKE 



Sportsmen's Lake, dug In 1920 and 1921, figs. 4 and 8, Is an arm of Lincoln Lakes 

 with an area of 3.69 acres. It was diked off In 1938 In an effort to separate It from 

 the other lakes and to prevent Its being flooded by Salt Creek. The small lake Is 

 shaped somewhat like a glove with six fingers. These fingers are lined with a dense 

 stand of small willows. The shores are wooded except on part of the west side. While 

 the maximum depth in open water is I9i feet, most of the channels on the east side 

 are less than 10 feet in depth. The average depth of the entire lake is 9.8 feet; 

 the shoreline is 0.8 mile; and the volume is 36 acre feet. 



The levee built In 1938 was high enough to keep out ordinary floods on Salt Creek. 

 However, In March, 1939, Salt Creek flooded higher than at any time since 1926, and 

 water from Lincoln Lakes backed up into Sportsmen's Lake, covering the levee from 

 March 13 to 16 and again for two days in April. 



The Lincoln Sand and Gravel Company plans this summer to raise the levee high 

 enough to prevent all possibility of future flooding, 



4 



