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The effort to build the lake was led by longtime city
Utilities Commissioner Willis J. Spaulding. Voters approved a bond referendum in 1930 to pay for part of the lake. Spaulding Dam is named after the commissioner, who oversaw Springfield’s electric and water departments from 1909 until 1943.
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The 1950s drought also led to plans to build a second lake as a long-term backup water source. Nearly all the land for Lake II (later named Hunter Lake, after former utilities commissioner John Hunter) had been purchased by the early 21st century. However, bureaucratic hurdles and continuing public
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Initial discussions of constructing a lake in
Springfield began in 1925. Three water sources originally were considered for construction of the lake — the Sangamon River, the South Fork of the Sangamon and the Sugar Creek Valley. Engineers determined that Sugar Creek was the most economical option.
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The lake has undergone both drought and flood over the past 80 years. The worst drought, which lasted from 1952 to 1955, drew the lake down more than 12 feet below full pool, reducing its water storage to 7.4 billion gallons and threatening operations of both the power plant complex and the water
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The first historically documented settlement of the valleys of Sugar and Lick Creeks, now part of Lake
Springfield, took place in the 1810s. The Edwards Trace, an ancient road between Kaskaskia and Peoria, ran along the eastern side of the valley. The town of
337:
Lake
Springfield can be seen from Interstate 55. The limited-access highway crosses the lake on two bridges between mileposts 88 and 89. The lake is accessible from exit 88 (East Lake Shore Drive), exit 90 (Toronto Road), and exit 94 (Stevenson Drive).
324:
The lake was created in the 1930s as a source of water for
Springfield and to provide cooling water for the City Water, Light & Power coal-fired electrical generating plant. It has also served as a focus of local recreation. High-powered
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is located on the east side of the lake, and offers trails and other exhibits. The public beach closed in the 2000’s and never re-opened. The historic Beach House building located on the beach is still available to rent by reservation.
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and Sugar Creek. Water discharged from these watercourses into Lake
Springfield fluctuates with the seasons and with changes in local precipitation, and City Water, Light & Power has asked for permission to build a buffer lake,
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paid much of the lake’s $ 5.64 million cost. 110 properties were purchased in order to build the lake. Most of those who owned land needed for the lake were willing sellers, thanks partly to the
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bridge. Its principal tributaries are Sugar Creek and Lick Creek, and its waters discharge through
Spaulding Dam to the lower Sugar Creek valley, which flows into the Sangamon River.
635:
during various stretches since the 1980's. The last boat races on the lake were in 2019. There is a large firework show located on the south end of the lake every year around
426:, but not all. Leander Shoup had to be “escorted from his land by the sheriff and ten deputies,” according to a City Water, Light and Power history of the lake.
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took shape around a mill near the junction of the two creeks. Also known as "Crow's Mill", the town was the site of a quarry that produced the limestone for the
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There are fish fries, slo-pitch softball tournaments, and other various activities that take place at the clubs located on Lake
Springfield. There is an annual
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There are numerous parks located around Lake
Springfield. Most parks have pavilions that are available to the public, and many have docks with fishing access.
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located at the south end of the lake provides boat rentals, kayak rentals, a restaurant, and other various boating amenities.
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passed through the valley and the town of Cotton Hill until it was rerouted to the east to the present-day alignment of
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306:. It is the largest municipally-owned body of water in Illinois. The lake and the lands adjoining it are all owned by
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Recreational boating is popular on Lake
Springfield, especially in the summer months. Some activities include
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treatment plant. That prompted construction of an emergency connection to the South Fork to supplement the lake.
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353:. There are eight city parks around the lake. Lake Park, just north of the zoo, has preserved ruts of the
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located around the lake where boaters are allowed to tie up away from the main boating areas. A private
298:. It is 560 ft (170 m) above sea level. The lake was formed by building Spaulding Dam across
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Lake Springfield is a highly ranked fishing lake. Species that are doing well, as of 2016, include:
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Lake Springfield in Illinois: Public Works and Community Design in the Mid-Twentieth Century
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8:
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Maximum length 27.5 in (70 cm), maximum weight 13.5 lb (6.1 kg)
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Maximum length 15 in (38 cm), weight can reach 2 lb (0.91 kg)
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Maximum length 22 in (56 cm), Mmximum weight 6.5 lb (2.9 kg)
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are allowed on much of the lake, and the lake is known for warm-water fish.
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310:, the municipal utility for the city of Springfield, which operates the
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pioneer trail; a historical marker was posted near the trace in 2002.
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doubt about the need for the new lake left it unbuilt as of 2022.
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at the lake's north end. Multiple city parks border its shores.
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that takes place during the summer months. There have been
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In the end, however, federal relief programs such as the
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922:. Mount Pleasant, S.C.: America Through Time/Arcadia.
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The lake is crossed by several bridges, including the
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115:
710:"City getting impatient for Hunter Lake answer"
341:Lake Springfield is close to the campus of the
242:17,500,000,000 US gal (0.066 km)
643:that happens on the north end of the lake.
953:Protected areas of Sangamon County, Illinois
948:Bodies of water of Sangamon County, Illinois
829:"IDNR - Fisheries: 2016 lake status summary"
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657:
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501:Length to 15 in (38 cm) is common
33:Bay Island on Island Bay in Lake Springfield
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906:Depression-Era History of Lake Springfield
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797:
780:
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688:. Freeport, Maine: DeLorme Mapping. 1991.
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481:Weight can reach 60 lb (27 kg)
934:A pictorial history of Lake Springfield.
858:"Fishing - City Water, Light, and Power"
836:Illinois Department of Natural Resources
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82:
52:
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918:Mazrim, Robert; Mann, Curtis (2021).
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517:Other fish found in the lake include
360:Lake Springfield tributaries include
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639:. There is another firework show on
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529:, green sunfish x bluegill hybrid,
13:
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343:University of Illinois Springfield
16:Reservoir in Springfield, Illinois
14:
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296:the city of Springfield, Illinois
290:is a 3,965-acre (16.05 km)
201:265 sq mi (690 km)
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968:1935 establishments in Illinois
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347:Abraham Lincoln Memorial Garden
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667:. City Water Light & Power
1:
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420:Works Progress Administration
349:, a local arboretum, and the
308:City Water, Light & Power
95:Show map of the United States
686:Illinois Atlas and Gazetteer
7:
900:Lake Springfield (Illinois)
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226:3,965 acres (16.05 km)
10:
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767:Geology of Sangamon County
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279:not a well-defined measure
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294:on the southeast edge of
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616:Lincoln Memorial Gardens
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258:560 ft (170 m)
250:57 mi (92 km)
958:Reservoirs in Illinois
813:Mazrim & Mann 2021
798:Mazrim & Mann 2021
781:Mazrim & Mann 2021
749:Mazrim & Mann 2021
737:Mazrim & Mann 2021
714:State Journal-Register
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389:Lake Springfield, 1936
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381:Lake Springfield, 1936
963:Springfield, Illinois
461:6–8 inches is common
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302:, a tributary of the
138:39.75944°N 89.60028°W
109:Springfield, Illinois
902:at Wikimedia Commons
762:Crook, Alja Robinson
712:. (Springfield, IL)
234:27 feet (8.2 m)
65:Show map of Illinois
351:Henson Robinson Zoo
312:Dallman Power Plant
143:39.75944; -89.60028
134: /
391:
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345:. It also borders
898:Media related to
665:"Lakes and Parks"
641:Labor Day Weekend
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400:Old State Capitol
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255:Surface elevation
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477:Flathead catfish
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424:Great Depression
402:in Springfield.
288:Lake Springfield
277:Shore length is
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186:Primary outflows
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596:paddle boarding
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555:yellow bullhead
531:freshwater drum
487:Largemouth bass
467:Channel catfish
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209: countries
168:Primary inflows
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535:redear sunfish
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527:green sunfish
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507:White crappie
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865:. Retrieved
862:www.cwlp.com
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840:. Retrieved
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783:, p. 7.
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739:, p. 9.
718:. Retrieved
716:. 2009-11-12
704:
685:
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669:. Retrieved
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613:
598:. There are
576:wakeboarding
569:
519:blue catfish
516:
448:Species Name
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340:
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287:
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247:Shore length
239:Water volume
223:Surface area
637:4th of July
580:windsurfing
396:Cotton Hill
367:Hunter Lake
327:motor boats
300:Sugar Creek
271:Springfield
267:Settlements
191:Sugar Creek
178:Sugar Creek
141: /
129:089°36′01″W
116:Coordinates
942:Categories
720:2010-02-15
671:2023-05-22
647:References
633:boat races
561:Recreation
497:White bass
369:, nearby.
362:Lick Creek
231:Max. depth
174:Lick Creek
126:39°45′34″N
629:triathlon
292:reservoir
160:reservoir
764:(1912).
592:kayaking
457:Bluegill
404:Route 66
333:Location
105:Location
867:May 14,
842:May 14,
584:sailing
566:Boating
547:saugeye
543:walleye
438:Fishing
373:History
926:
838:. 2016
692:
623:Events
604:Marina
588:tubing
572:skiing
451:Notes
832:(PDF)
610:Parks
600:coves
207:Basin
924:ISBN
869:2018
844:2018
690:ISBN
553:and
539:carp
155:Type
944::
860:.
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820:^
805:^
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729:^
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281:.
Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License. Additional terms may apply.
