Lake Miami was the first fish and wildlife area constructed by the Iowa State Conservation Commission in 1967.  Lake Miami was constructed at a cost of $231,000.00 for the dam, $140,000.00 for the land, and $20,000.00 for the parking area, sanitary facilities, etc.   In 1968 the county built a road providing access to the County Conservation Park located along the northeast shore of the lake adjacent to State owned land.  Lake Miami is one of 131 significant publically owned lakes in Iowa as identified by the Iowa Department of Natural Resources Lake Restoration Program.

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In 1967 the lake measured 135.5 surface acres with a water volume of 1336 acre-feet.  In 1986 it was estimated that the lake surface area was 122 surface acres with a water volume of 1159 acre-feet.  In 2012 the estimated surface acres are 129 with a water volume of 1129 acre-feet. 

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In 2001 a TMDL load capacity report was done (See Appendix B).  The TMDL was written because the Lake is on the impaired waters list.  The loading capacity for Lake Miami is 1,120 tons per year of sediment and 1.4 tons (2800 pounds) per year of phosphorus.  As a result of the previously mentioned conservation projects in the watershed sediment delivery was reduced to 484 tons per year as documented in the TMDL.  However the TMDL did not address gully erosion. 

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The drainage area of Lake Miami is 4,000 acres with a lake surface area of 129 acres.  The lake has a mean depth of 8.3 feet and a maximum depth of 19.5 feet.   The stream coming into Lake Miami is Bluff Creek and the Lake outlets back into Bluff Creek with the dam being located at the North end.  The lake to watershed area ratio is 1:31 indicating that the watershed has a large impact on the condition and happenings of the lake.

 

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