BARRY COUNTY, MI – State park managers plan to shrink a popular boating and fishing lake between Grand Rapids and Kalamazoo amid concerns that an aging dam could fail and wash out a road.
While local officials and residents who use Hall Lake for kayaking, canoeing and fishing oppose the drawdown, the Michigan Department of Natural Resources says deteriorating conditions and high repair costs make the reduction the “only viable option” at the Hall Lake Dam.
“It is the DNR’s goal to ensure that Hall Lake and surrounding amenities remain valuable natural resources that are both safe and sustainable,” said Joseph Jandernoa, park manager for Yankee Springs Recreation Area, home to the lake, in a statement issued July 11…