EMMONS — It’s full speed ahead as the community of Emmons has pulled together to restore State Line Lake.

“All we know is this is gonna happen, and we’re not gonna stop until it does,” said Loren Honsey, board president for State Line Lake Restoration.

State Line Lake covers 452 acres east of Emmons, visible from U.S. Highway 69. Gateway Park is on its western shore and Pheasant Links, a golf course and hunting club owned by Diamond Jo Casino, is on the north shore.

Unfortunately, years of erosion have contributed to the dam literally falling apart, with cracks leaking water down the side, and the once beautiful lake being invaded by carp. The water is a murky yellowish color, not conducive to wildlife.

The access point into the lake from the park has also deteriorated along the way.

“It’s more or less a big mudhole now,” said Honsey. “The water is dirty. There’s no ducks, no fish, no muskrats or game of any sort.”

He and friend Wayne Knutson started talking about how nice it would be to have a clean lake about two years ago. They started talking to others, and the State Line Lake Restoration organization was born. Members of the group, now at about 150, met with the Department of National Resources in the spring, and since then, things have continued to evolve.

Their goal is simple: to have a clean, active, viable lake.

“It’s a beautiful lake and would be quite a recreation area — attracting hunters, fishers, trappers, plus, we all like wildlife,” he said.

Honsey said the project will be similar to that done at Lake Geneva and Pickerel Lake.

Once a new dam is installed, rotenone will be sprayed to get rid of carp and “all the rough fish that root up the bottom.”

The lake will then be restocked with northern pike and perch.

Honsey welcomes the sight of fishing boats, but because the lake is only 6 1/2 feet deep at its deepest point, it will not make for good waterskiing.

State Line Lake Restoration is working on filing nonprofit status so it can receive grants, and it is working with Ducks Unlimited.

Currently, Ducks Unlimited is surveying the outlet and then engineers will design the dam. Honsey said the design will more than likely be a variable flow dam and include a fish barrier to keep the carp from returning.

He said applying for nonprofit status was advised, as the price tag on a new dam alone is $250,000. That doesn’t include other costs in the planning process, including surveying.

“You don’t just come up with that overnight,” he said.

It’s for this reason that the organization has also started fundraising. A golf tournament at Pheasant Links Golf Course in August raised about $2,600, and the group has T-shirts for sale.

State Line Lake Restoration is also selling memberships: $25 for a single and $40 for a family.

“It’s a lifetime membership and you get to say you’re involved with trying to clean up and improve our lake,” said Honsey.

Looking back, Honsey can’t believe their desire to restore the lake has come to fruition so quickly.

“When we first talked, we were told it would take three to four years,” he said. “We’re in our first year and moving along really well.”

Restoration board

The State Line Lake Restoration Board includes Loren Honsey, president; Wayne Knutson, vice president; Todd Politz, treasurer; Josh Rentz, secretary; and board members Bruce Epland, Andy Henschel, Jared Stricker and Ken Larson. For T-shirts or memberships, contact Wayne Knutson at 507-297-5339 or any of the board members. The group has also started a Facebook page, under State Line Lake Restoration Organization.