Carlyle Lake
Encyclopedia
Carlyle Lake is a 26000 acres (105.2 km²) reservoir
largely located in Clinton County, Illinois
, with smaller portions of the lake within Bond
and Fayette
counties. It is the largest man-made lake in Illinois, and the largest lake wholly contained within the state.
, thereby creating a reservoir filled to a mean elevation of 446 feet (136 m) above sea level. The region of Southern Illinois where Carlyle Lake now stands is relatively flat, and the lake is relatively shallow.
As part of the lake's planning process, 600 graves were exhumed from seven small rural cemeteries, and 69 oil wells were capped. Construction of the dam began on October 18, 1958, and the reservoir's planned expanse slowly filled with water. The lake was dedicated on June 3, 1967.
, South Shore State Park
, and the Carlyle Lake Wildlife Management Area operated by the Illinois Department of Natural Resources.
Carlyle Lake is managed for flood control purposes, which means that the lake level fluctuates sharply with the seasons. Creeks that flow into the lake sometimes alternate between being three-mile-long estuaries and being mud flats. For this reason, it is not an ideal lake for some forms of shoreline recreation
, such as swimming.
Carlyle Lake is used by many for boating
, particularly sailing
, and fishing
. Many use the lake to catch channel catfish
, flathead
s, largemouth bass
, white bass
, crappie
, and bluegill
. The bass
scene is particularly lively, with several tagged-bass and catch-and-release championships annually.
The lake is separated into two unequal halves by a 3.5-mile-long (6 km) railroad embankment, and five bridges, carrying the tracks of the Burlington Northern Santa Fe.
The lake continues to be managed by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers.
The lake is the subject of Sufjan Stevens
' song, Carlyle Lake on The Avalanche: Outtakes and Extras from the Illinois Album.
Reservoir
A reservoir , artificial lake or dam is used to store water.Reservoirs may be created in river valleys by the construction of a dam or may be built by excavation in the ground or by conventional construction techniques such as brickwork or cast concrete.The term reservoir may also be used to...
largely located in Clinton County, Illinois
Clinton County, Illinois
-Demographics: As of the census of 2000, there were 35,535 people, 12,754 households, and 9,221 families residing in the county. The population density was 75 people per square mile . There were 13,805 housing units at an average density of 29 per square mile...
, with smaller portions of the lake within Bond
Bond County, Illinois
Bond County is a county located in the U.S. state of Illinois. It is part of the St. Louis Metro Area. According to the 2010 census, it has a population of 17,768, which is an increase of 0.8% from 17,633 in 2000. Its county seat is Greenville, Illinois....
and Fayette
Fayette County, Illinois
Fayette County is a county located in the U.S. state of Illinois. According to the 2010 census, it has a population of 22,140, which is an increase of 1.6% from 21,802 in 2000. Its county seat is Vandalia...
counties. It is the largest man-made lake in Illinois, and the largest lake wholly contained within the state.
History
The lake was created by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, which built Carlyle Dam across the Kaskaskia RiverKaskaskia River
The Kaskaskia River is a tributary of the Mississippi River, approximately long, in central and southern Illinois in the United States. The second largest river system within Illinois, it drains a rural area of farms, as well as rolling hills along river bottoms of hardwood forests in its lower...
, thereby creating a reservoir filled to a mean elevation of 446 feet (136 m) above sea level. The region of Southern Illinois where Carlyle Lake now stands is relatively flat, and the lake is relatively shallow.
As part of the lake's planning process, 600 graves were exhumed from seven small rural cemeteries, and 69 oil wells were capped. Construction of the dam began on October 18, 1958, and the reservoir's planned expanse slowly filled with water. The lake was dedicated on June 3, 1967.
The lake today
Grouped around the lake are the Dam West, Dam East, Coles Creek, Boulder and Coles Creek Recreation Areas operated by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and the Eldon Hazlet State Recreation AreaEldon Hazlet State Recreation Area
Eldon Hazlet State Recreation Area is an Illinois state park on in Clinton County, Illinois, United States....
, South Shore State Park
South Shore State Park
South Shore State Park is an Illinois state park on in Clinton County, Illinois, United States. It houses the largest manmade reservoir in Illinois, Carlyle Lake....
, and the Carlyle Lake Wildlife Management Area operated by the Illinois Department of Natural Resources.
Carlyle Lake is managed for flood control purposes, which means that the lake level fluctuates sharply with the seasons. Creeks that flow into the lake sometimes alternate between being three-mile-long estuaries and being mud flats. For this reason, it is not an ideal lake for some forms of shoreline recreation
Recreation
Recreation is an activity of leisure, leisure being discretionary time. The "need to do something for recreation" is an essential element of human biology and psychology. Recreational activities are often done for enjoyment, amusement, or pleasure and are considered to be "fun"...
, such as swimming.
Carlyle Lake is used by many for boating
Boating
Boating is the leisurely activity of travelling by boat, or the recreational use of a boat whether powerboats, sailboats, or man-powered vessels , focused on the travel itself, as well as sports activities, such as fishing or water skiing...
, particularly sailing
Sailing
Sailing is the propulsion of a vehicle and the control of its movement with large foils called sails. By changing the rigging, rudder, and sometimes the keel or centre board, a sailor manages the force of the wind on the sails in order to move the boat relative to its surrounding medium and...
, and fishing
Fishing
Fishing is the activity of trying to catch wild fish. Fish are normally caught in the wild. Techniques for catching fish include hand gathering, spearing, netting, angling and trapping....
. Many use the lake to catch channel catfish
Channel catfish
Channel catfish, Ictalurus punctatus, is North America's most numerous catfish species. It is the official fish of Missouri, Iowa, Nebraska, Kansas, and Tennessee, and is informally referred to as a "channel cat". In the United States they are the most fished catfish species with approximately 8...
, flathead
Flathead catfish
The flathead catfish , also called the yellow cat, opelousas, and shovelhead cat, are large North American freshwater catfish. This is the only species of the genus Pylodictis...
s, largemouth bass
Largemouth bass
The largemouth bass is a species of black bass in the sunfish family native to North America . It is also known as widemouth bass, bigmouth, black bass, bucketmouth, Potter's fish, Florida bass, Florida largemouth, green bass, green trout, linesides, Oswego bass, southern largemouth...
, white bass
White bass
The white bass or sand bass The white bass or sand bass The white bass or sand bass (MoroneIt is the state fish of Oklahoma.- Range :White bass are distributed widely across the United States, particularly in the midwest. They are very abundant in Pennsylvania and the area around Lake Erie...
, crappie
Crappie
Crappie is a genus of freshwater fish in the sunfish family of order Perciformes. The type species is P. annularis, the white crappie...
, and bluegill
Bluegill
The Bluegill is a species of freshwater fish sometimes referred to as bream, brim, or copper nose. It is a member of the sunfish family Centrarchidae of the order Perciformes.-Range and distribution:...
. The bass
Bass (fish)
Bass is a name shared by many different species of popular gamefish. The term encompasses both freshwater and marine species. All belong to the large order Perciformes, or perch-like fishes, and in fact the word bass comes from Middle English bars, meaning "perch."-Types of basses:*The temperate...
scene is particularly lively, with several tagged-bass and catch-and-release championships annually.
The lake is separated into two unequal halves by a 3.5-mile-long (6 km) railroad embankment, and five bridges, carrying the tracks of the Burlington Northern Santa Fe.
The lake continues to be managed by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers.
The lake is the subject of Sufjan Stevens
Sufjan Stevens
Sufjan Stevens is an American singer-songwriter and musician born in Detroit, Michigan. Stevens first began releasing his music on Asthmatic Kitty, a label co-founded with his stepfather, beginning with the 1999 release, A Sun Came...
' song, Carlyle Lake on The Avalanche: Outtakes and Extras from the Illinois Album.
External links
- Carlyle Lake - U.S. Army Corps of Engineers
- History (Source of depths and shoreline)