Drained lake a good site?

[Mojos working]

Recently, the DNR drained a shallow lake about 20 miles from me. I think it is around 80 acres, built in the 30's during the depression. It does have a small beach area that I can hit in spring. Is there any point in MD the bottom area before they dig and refill?
Mojosworking

 

[bill from lachine]

Mojos,

I'd go for it should be some keepers for your efforts.

Regards + HH

Bill

 

[SoCalDesertFox]

Recently, the DNR drained a shallow lake about 20 miles from me. I think it is around 80 acres, built in the 30's during the depression. It does have a small beach area that I can hit in spring. Is there any point in MD the bottom area before they dig and refill?
Mojosworking

If that area allowed boating and water sports and such, yes go MD as much of that lake bottom you possibly can. Be very wary of barely-covered sinkholes that you can fall into now that the water is (mostly) gone. You'll probably find tons of lost coin and jewelry, plus tons of trash! Get a few buddies together and cover as much area as you can!

 

[Jason in Enid]

Don't hesitate. Get there and hunt that swim beach now!

If you do hunt the bottom area of the lake, be prepared for tons of beer cans, boat parts and maybe a few coins or piece of jewelry.

 

[Crappies-n-Coins]

May want to begin here?


Metal Detectors

Metal Detectors

Metal detector use is prohibited in state parks and recreation areas except in the following areas:

1. Designated beach areas. From May 22 to September 7 inclusive each year, metal detectors may be used on designated beach areas from 4:00 a.m. to 11:00 a.m. each day. From September 8 to May 21 inclusive each year, metal detectors may be used on designated beach areas from 4:00 a.m. to 10:30 p.m. each day.

2. Drained lakes. When an artificial lake has been drained or the water level lowered for any reason, metal detector use may be allowed from 4:00 a.m. to 10:30 p.m. only after the lakebed has been thoroughly surveyed for archaeological resources and a survey report has been completed and approved by the State Historic Preservation Office. Please check with local park staff to ensure this has been done.

Tools used for digging are limited to the following:

1. Probes not over 12 inches long, one inch wide and one-quarter-inch thick.

2. A sand scoop or sieve not over 10 inches in diameter.

When digging is done to locate an item, the excavation shall be limited to three inches square when using probes and 10 inches in diameter when using sand scoops or sieves. The disturbed area is to be restored as nearly as possible to its original condition.

A litter apron or bag is to be worn or carried during metal detector use and litter dug up is to be disposed of in approved trash containers.

All items found are subject to the provisions of Iowa Code Chapter 556F, "Lost Property."

Owners of lost items may use a metal detector in areas where their use is normally prohibited only upon special arrangement with the park ranger or with the park manager in charge of the area. A written approval must be granted before metal detector use may begin.

 

[lastleg]

Heil ! ! !

 

[Mojos working]

Thanks for tips

 

[trsynsh]

When I was a kid I was out on a lake in middle TN with my dad and some of his friends. His boss stupidly tried to toss his Rolex from boat to boat and it missed and sank. We tried to recover the thing but the water was entirely too deep and murky. If they ever drain that lake and someone goes MD'ing around there they're going to be ecstatic, that was like a $40,000 watch. Who knows, maybe some folks dropped some similar valuables when their was water there. Best of luck! Let us know if you find anything decent.

 

[SoCalDesertFox]

When I was a kid I was out on a lake in middle TN with my dad and some of his friends. His boss stupidly tried to toss his Rolex from boat to boat and it missed and sank. We tried to recover the thing but the water was entirely too deep and murky. If they ever drain that lake and someone goes MD'ing around there they're going to be ecstatic, that was like a $40,000 watch. Who knows, maybe some folks dropped some similar valuables when their was water there. Best of luck! Let us know if you find anything decent.

I used to live in TN. They'll never drain those lakes! You might as well get SCUBA licensed and start diving!

 

[ButtonBidder]

Let me know if ya find my keys

 

[SoCalDesertFox]

Let me know if ya find my keys

There's an idea - trawl the lake with a couple massive and powerful magnets.

 

[jeff of pa]

Recently, the DNR drained a shallow lake about 20 miles from me. I think it is around 80 acres, built in the 30's during the depression. It does have a small beach area that I can hit in spring. Is there any point in MD the bottom area before they dig and refill?
Mojosworking

Hit every spot you can.

Dig every Signal You can !

My best spot ever was a Drained lake that was used for Swimming & fishing from approximately the 20's.
the rewards were plentiful.

Expect Gold, diamond & Silver Rings etc.
Silver Coins.
Religious medals from 40's war years especially. seemed everyone swam with one the wealthy wore sterling medals .
Military items. If any military Personnel swam there on their vacations
Diving goggles. & Flippers.
Oars.
Fishing Paraphernalia including whole rods, lead sinkers and flies.
Bottles.
Brass bullet casings & maybe Live Rounds.
(some people discarded boxes of Live rounds in lakes feeling it was a safe dump)
If there are steep banks people can fish off,
Expect complete tackle Boxes from the 30's up that slid into the water.
or out of Flipped canoes .
(if a Canoe flips, Naturally the rider is More interested in Survival Then retrieval)
if there is a road going by, Expect litter. (some from people being chased or Paranoid)
including guns, Pay phones & parking meters & other formerly stolen items.
if there are extra deep pits.
don't rule out Federal Litter (caches) also. like confiscated slot machines.
(tell tale signs of a Police Dump, large rock on a bank,
that looks out of place leading into the water. After dumping the cache,
they may have dumped a few loads of Rock to Hamper recovery like they did here)
Seriously it's only limited by the places popularity.
expect Boat anchors. Real store bought & home Made by pouring cement in large Coffee and meat cans from the 50's and 60's
and adding a Hook, window weights etc. anything metal & heavy
Don't rule out Aluminum Boats or cars under the Mud.



if still muddy Expect Cone Top Beer cans in good enough shape to take home
and sell or display. the thicker & Fresher the Mud the less oxygen.
once it dries & cracks the air gets in & the rusting starts.

I only wish I had a camera & on TreasureNet when
this one was being drained http://www.sweetarrowlakepark.com/History.html

 

[QMaze]

Why did they drain it? Might even find human bones who knows.

 

[Tom_in_CA]

mojos-working, it will depend on how prolific the usage was for swimming. If it had scores of frolicking swimmers/splashers, then certainly it can be good. Also depends on if the water level has been down that low before, and perhaps simply already hammered by past md'rs. Here in CA that's our problem, is that the lakes, over the decades go up and down so frequently, that any exposed swimming beach now in the drought, was invariably already exposed several times over since the 1970s, in past dry spells. But perhaps in Iowa, the water-table is such that the water depths don't fluctuate as wildly ?

If the beach is a heavily used fishing area, then that usually bodes for tons of nuisance trash. Same for water-skiing: Those boat people tend to have thrown over tons of cans. But if it's strictly swimming, and not much else, then yes: that bodes well.

As for what crappies-n-coins cited, to me, when I read that, I see one giant "yes allowed". As for the side-notes on "archaeolgical" stuff, that's just boiler plate so that you're not tromping on *obvious* historic monuments. And I would not hesitate to search for fumble finger losses.

 

[Mojos working]

Thanks for all the tips. Lake held water pretty well, I'm going to have to wait till March , getting 8 inches of snow now (Grrrrrrr) Will hit hard in spring, kinda know the park person. Beach is probably 200 ft wide.