CLARKSVILLE, TN (CLARKSVILLE NOW) – State officials are considering whether they should permanently drain Swan Lake at Dunbar Cave State Park, thus turning the artificial lake back into a natural stream.
The suggestion was made due to a host of financial and ecological problems, however, there are concerns about the irrigation of Swan Lake Golf Course. The park staff will host a meeting on Dec. 17 to gather community input on the proposal.
Swan Lake or Swan stream?
Dunbar Cave is managed by Tennessee State Parks, which falls under the Tennessee Department of Environment and Conservation (TDEC). They have released the Dunbar Cave State Park Strategic Management Plan, a 10-year plan that gave reports, history and ideas for the overall development of the park. According to the report, Swan Lake isn’t natural and was artificially constructed from a stream in 1933. The city deeded the park to the state in 1973, but with a condition that the city continue to be able to use the lake to water the city-owned Swan Lake Golf Course next door.
The report determined the lake’s condition was poor, and that it is “not sustainable and poses a multitude of management and operational issues.” The costs to address those stem from the construction of the lake, which it says wasn’t “engineered to any known standard.”
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The report also said the lake has no public use, and that it should be returned to its natural state as a stream channel. According to the report, “Poor initial engineering, siltation, age and karst geology have made the dam and spillway unreliable. Attempts at repair and modification have proven costly and unreliable.”
There are also environmental issues. The report said, “Today this ‘lake’ suffers from extreme siltation and nutrient load from the St. Bethlehem watershed that feeds this body of water. Algae and invasive aquatic vegetation overgrowth are common.” The report said returning the small lake to a stream will benefit the overall ecological health of the park and the waterway.
What about the golf course?
The Swan Lake Golf Course next door, which spans 6,000 yards, is owned and operated by the City of Clarksville and has been irrigated by Swan Lake for decades. Clarksville Mayor Joe Pitts said the city is working alongside TDEC to find a solution that respects the needs of both the state and the city.
“We are watching the state’s plan on the lake very closely, since the city deeded the lake to the state many years ago with the written provision that they would maintain the lake so we could use the water to irrigate the Swan Lake Golf Course,” Pitts said.
“We are exploring other options with TDEC, and are optimistic we will arrive at a solution. I am concerned about the aesthetic of draining the lake, including whether it will have a detrimental effect on the public’s enjoyment of the park,” Pitts said.
The public meeting will be held Tuesday, Dec. 17, at 5:30 p.m. at 401 Old Dunbar Cave Road.
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