Johnson County Parks and Recreation has begun work on what will be a nearly two-year effort to improve the quality of the water at the Heritage Park lake.
As such, parkgoers at the Olathe park can expect some restrictions in trail use and park activities.
Here’s the timeline for the project, and how it will impact the surrounding park area.
The 41-acre lake is getting dredged
- The lake at 159th Street and Pflumm Road was built in 1980.
- The project entails dredging the lake and 1,500 feet of stream of all sediments and materials — as well as removing the lake’s island and silo to increase the lake’s storm water capacity.
- The parks department will also construct a wetland area with native aquatic species and a water control structure in hopes of improving the water quality.
Nearby trails and areas will close off as a result
- Trails around the lake are now closed to the public, and will stay that way until the project finishes up.
- The parking lot, playground, and fitness areas near Shelter 1 and Shelter 4 will also be closed off — although people can still use Shelter 4’s restroom.
- Parkgoers can use a mowed trail detour from the Heritage Trail entrance to get to the marina parking lot.
The project will continue until the end of 2024
- The dredging work will continue through this summer and into the fall, pausing for the winter months.
- Dredging will pick back up in the spring of 2024 and continue into the summer and fall of next year.
- Later on in 2024, the dam sidewalk will potentially also close for construction.
Go deeper: Find more information about the Heritage Park lake water quality project here.
