By Nicole June
CLARKSVILLE, Tenn. (CLARKSVILLENOW) – Local and state officials as well as members of the community gathered Thursday, September 28 for an update on continuing improvements at Dunbar Cave’s Swan Lake.
The project, a joint effort by Dunbar Cave State Park and the Tennessee Department of Environment and Conservation (TDEC), has completed its second phase and now moves onto phase three, which includes the planting of native vegetation and beautification efforts.
Now that the dam and spillway at the lake have been repaired, TDEC workers have been able to raise the level of the lake, which had previously run almost dry. According to TDEC Special Projects Manager Ronnie Bowers, the lake is anywhere from 6 to 20 feet deep throughout.
Bowers’ vision for the remainder of the project includes more planting and an island in the middle of the lake near the cave that will serve as a bird sanctuary. He has proposed a bridge to join the outer bank to the berm that crosses the middle of the lake, but officials said this will be dependent upon future funding.
Dunbar Cave Park Ranger Adam Neblett said the overgrown vegetation that had clogged the lake bed has been removed, as well as sediment buildup from the past several years. New access points have also been created along the lake for visitor use.
Neblett emphasized the importance of community participation at the park.
“The park has always had a very small staff and we are limited in what we can do, so we utilize volunteers like the Friends of Dunbar Cave, and also Boy Scouts, Girl Scouts, and master gardeners. We wouldn’t be able to do what we do without assistance from the community,” he said.
Aerial photos by David E. Smith:
The park remains open to visitors who wish to see the new access points along the lake or hike the existing trails in the surrounding woods. Aesthetically, the park will further take shape once the seeded grass begins to grow and more native plants are able to spring up around the lake.
Bowers said the surface of the lake is currently covered in clumps of pollen and algae, but said this is a normal process that will simply take time to clear up, giving way to a smoother lake surface.
David Benton, Director of Facilities and Land Management for TN State Parks, said a plan for stocking the lake with fish has not yet been discussed.
State Rep. Joe Pitts, who organized Thursday’s meeting, is pleased with the progress at the park.
“There are a lot of people who drive by the park every day who are interested in the progress who have noticed that it’s not in its usual pristine condition,” Pitts said. “I think it’s [the progress] fabulous and it’s really better than I thought.”
Pitts also attributed much of the project’s success to local nonprofit group Friends of Dunbar Cave.
“The Friends of Dunbar Cave have been around a long time and they’ve been kind of getting things moving. They can’t do it alone, but certainly they can add value to that,” he said.
For more information about Dunbar Cave State Park, visit the official website.
Below is a series of galleries showing the various stages of Swan Lake throughout the years:
THREE YEARS AGO:
TWO YEARS AGO:
SIX MONTHS AGO: