Lake Panorama will have a new dredge in operation for next boating season.  The new dredge is scheduled to arrive April 1st of 2014, and will be replacing HORIZON, the lake’s current dredge, which has been in service since 1999.

The LPA uses a dredge to remove rocks, sand, and silt from the bottom of the lake and that material is then pumped to nearby silt basins so that waterways remain usable for boaters.

General Manager John Rutledge says the Association has been working with a dredge supply company from Louisiana for over a year to construct the new dredge, and they’ve been very happy with how the project has unfolded to this point.

“The budget on it was over $2 million and it includes a dredge and a booster pump.  It’s gonna be a huge investment for the LPA in making sure that Panorama is going to remain boatable in the future.  So this is a good upgrade for us.  The other dredge has been in service for a lot of years, it’s reaching a point where we’re getting a lot of maintenance expense on it so it’s a good time for us to make this move.”

Rutledge says the new dredge will work on the far upper reaches of the lake once it is operational.  This area hasn’t been dredged since 2004 and has re-filled with silt, sand and debris materials.

Rutledge says the investment in a new dredge is all about keeping Lake Panorama as clean as possible so that members can benefit in the long-term.

Anyone with questions about the project can contact the LPA Office at 641-755-2301.