On Sept. 20, representatives from El Paso County hosted an informational meeting at Drake Lake in Falcon to discuss the status of temporary repairs as a result of heavy rains, and to garner ideas for future improvements. More than 20 people from the community attended and provided feedback.Tim Wolken, director of the EPC Community Services Department, presented a timeline of the history of Drake Lake (located off Mallard Drive) and the temporary repairs made to the northwest embankment, which was breached in July.The temporary repairs consist of a tarp and sandbags and are not intended to completely close the breach, but to stabilize the bank until a more permanent solution can be determined, Wolken said. ìWe are investigating the water rights, which were put into place prior to the county taking possession of Drake Lake in 2005,î he said. ìWe want to make sure that if we are going to invest in Drake Lake, we do not have to just drain it (based on the water rights). We want to spend and invest our money wisely.îMark Waller, district 2 representative from the EPC Board of County Commissioners, said the water rights issue is not so much about access to the actual water but the legal right to stop it from flowing elsewhere.Wolken said possible solutions to the breached bank include fortifying the breach to create a natural spillway; or repairing it completely and replacing the overflow drain adjacent to the southern dam. The drain currently bends at a 90-degree angle and regularly traps debris.Community members were united in saying they would like the lake refilled to its previous level and held there. Wolken said the water rights issue will ultimately determine what the county will do and how much it will cost.Other ideas for improvements to Drake Lake included the following: stocking it with fish and allowing fishing; adding a pavilion; adding a dock; adding signage to keep people from parking at the lake at night; and, if there is enough local interest, creating a trail from the lake to connect with the Rock Island Trail that runs adjacent to Highway 24.Waller said the bottom line is the number of variables to consider before deciding on further work projects at Drake Lake. ìWe are trying to figure out what the right steps are moving forward.î
