Carbondale Reporter

U.S. Representative Mike Bost updated his constituents on the situation regarding Little Grassy Lake in a Facebook post dated December 12. He said, "The lake will drain at one foot per week and remain accessible for limited recreational use, though the final water level is unclear."

"This morning I met with U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Director Martha Williams to address confusion about the draining of Little Grassy Lake," said Bost, according to Facebook. "While dam repairs are necessary, FWS's communication with the public and Congress has been unacceptable. The lake will drain at one foot per week and remain accessible for limited recreational use, though the final water level is unclear. I pushed for clear answers to our ongoing questions and assurances that the lake will be refilled and restored."

Bost has been vocal about the communication between the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (US FWS) and the citizens affected by the plan to drain Little Grassy Lake to repair the dam. On December 6, he expressed his discontent, saying he would "do everything in my power to hold the agency accountable and get the answers you deserve."

Screenshot of U.S. Rep. Mike Bost's Dec. 12 Facebook post | U.S. Rep. Mike Bost's Facebook page

Little Grassy Lake was constructed in 1942 near Crab Orchard National Refuge. Concerns for individuals living near the wildlife refuge prompted US FWS to decide to completely drain Little Grassy Lake. The service announced this decision on December 5 and will continue a two-year process to evaluate and rehabilitate the Grassy Lake Dam and Spillway to reduce potential dam failure.

According to Bost, he wrote a letter to Martha Williams, Director of US FWS, shared in a Facebook post on December 10. 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," Bost wrote.

Bost has served as Illinois' 12th District representative since January 6, 2015. With two decades of experience in the Illinois State House of Representatives as House Republican Caucus Chair, he is also a lifelong resident of Murphysboro and former U.S. Marine Corps member from 1979-1982. Before joining politics, Bost worked for 24 years at Bost Trucking Service as a driver and truck manager and later joined the Murphysboro Fire Department after graduating from the University of Illinois’ Certified Firefighter II Academy in 1993.