Carbondale Reporter

U.S. Representative Mike Bost announced via a Facebook post on December 10 that he had written to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service regarding concerns about Little Grassy Lake. "Like many Southern Illinoisans, I grew up on this lake; it’s been a vital part of our community for generations," Bost said.

"People are furious at U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, and they have every right to be," said Bost, U.S. Representative (IL-12), according to Facebook. "We were promised continued access to Little Grassy Lake for recreational activities – even as water levels were reduced for structural repairs – and that nothing would change without constructive communication with the public. As far as I'm concerned, those promises were broken. Like many Southern Illinoisans, I grew up on this lake; it's been a vital part of our community for generations."

In his post, Bost included an image of the letter addressed to Martha Williams, Director of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. The letter expressed surprise at a recent decision: "In response to outreach from my staff, FWS reassured the public it would continue to have access to the lake for water-based recreational activities throughout the dam safety modification study and during a portion of the dam repairs, albeit at lower lake levels. You can imagine my surprise upon seeing FWS’ December 5, 2024, press release quietly announcing the lake would be completely drained. To my knowledge, there was no proactive communication with my office or the public during this decision."

Screenshot of U.S. Rep. Mike Bost's Dec. 10 Facebook post | U.S. Rep. Mike Bost's Facebook page

According to a December 5 announcement by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS), Little Grassy Lake will be completely drained starting this month as part of efforts to protect communities around Crab Orchard National Wildlife Refuge. The refuge is undergoing a multi-year evaluation and rehabilitation process for the Little Grassy Lake Dam and Spillway, which began on September 10, 2024. Draining the lake is intended to address concerns about the compromised spillway, constructed in 1942 and currently operating under an emergency action plan.

Bost has served as the representative for Illinois’ 12th District since January 6, 2015. He brings two decades of experience from his time in the Illinois State House of Representatives where he served as House Republican Caucus Chair. A lifelong resident of Murphysboro and former U.S. Marine Corps member from 1979-1982, Bost worked at Bost Trucking Service before joining the Murphysboro Fire Department after graduating from the University of Illinois’ Certified Firefighter II Academy in 1993.