Lake vanishes almost overnight; sinkhole drains man-made body of water near St. Louis

Associated Press ^ | June 11, 2004 | Associated Press Staff

[MeekOneGOP]

Lake vanishes almost overnight

Sinkhole drains man-made body of water near St. Louis

09:05 PM CDT on Friday, June 11, 2004

Associated Press

WILDWOOD, Mo. – To people around Wildwood, it is nothing but freaky: an entire 23-acre lake vanished in a matter of days, as if someone pulled the plug on a bathtub.

Lake Chesterfield went down a sinkhole this week, leaving homeowners in this affluent St. Louis suburb wondering whether their property values disappeared along with their lakeside views.

"It's real creepy," said Donna Ripp, who lives near what had been Lake Chesterfield. "That lake was 23 acres – no small lake. And to wake up one morning, drive by and it's gone?"

What once was an oasis for waterfowl and sailboats was nothing but a muddy, crackled pit outlined by rotting fish.

The sight had 74-year-old George English scratching his head.

"It's disheartening, getting out on your deck and seeing this," he said as he stood next to wife, Betty, and the "lakeside" condominium they bought in 1996 for its view. "One day it's a beautiful lake and now, bingo, it's gone."

Sam Leone/St. Louis Post-Dispatch

Residents of Wildwood, Mo., are concerned about their property values now that the 23-acre Lake Chesterfield is nothing more than a muddy indentation.

Some residents said they noticed that the lake, after being swelled by torrential rains weeks earlier, began falling last weekend. The Englishes said they noticed the drop-off Monday.

By Wednesday, the man-made lake – normally seven to 10 feet deep in spots – had been reduced to a mucky, stinky mess.

David Taylor, a geologist who inspected the lake bed Wednesday, told the St. Louis Post-Dispatch that the sinkhole was formed when water eroded the limestone deep underground and created pockets in the rock. The sinkhole was "like a ticking time bomb."

The lake and surrounding housing development date to the late 1980s. The development now includes more than 670 condominiums and houses, about one-tenth of them bordering the lake.

Because the lake is private property, the subdivision's residents will have to cover the cost of fixing it, probably through special property assessments. Mr. English expects it to cost $1,000 a household.

It is a price Mr. English said he is willing to pay. He just wants the unsightly pit gone, either by refilling it with water or dumping enormous amounts of dirt into it to create green space or usable land.

"I think it'll come back again," he said. "You have to hope they can fix it."

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Online at: http://www.dallasnews.com/sharedcontent/dws/dn/latestnews/stories/061204dnnatsinkhole.29cc.html

[MeekOneGOP]

Alright. Who pulled the plug ??

[cripplecreek]

stranger things have happened.

http://www.lft.k12.la.us/chs/la_studies/ParishSeries/IberiaParish/LakePeigneur.htm

[flashbunny]

This is clearly bush's fault!

[miltonim]

lol

[Ichneumon]

Because the lake is private property, the subdivision's residents will have to cover the cost of fixing it, probably through special property assessments. Mr. English expects it to cost $1,000 a household.

I can fix it more cheaply than that. Just buy several cases of:

[Bernard]

This is in Missouri? All they need to do is have Senator Carnahan cry them a river, then route the water where it is needed. Case closed.

[djf]

I saw this one on the tube last night. Odd.

Well, all the acid rain disolved some of the limestone, and it just ran out!

Damn suv's.

Seriously, I'd be out there with my metel detector before they fill it again.

Or try to annex the new property...

[Lurking in Kansas]

This is what happens when everyone flushes at once.

[elli1]

Something similar happened to a small lake outside of Oklahoma City back 10-15 years ago. First question I have is wondering if the property tax premium that ''waterfront'' property owners often experience will be adjusted.

[MeekOneGOP]

Wow !

[LoneRangerMassachusetts]

Hmm. Are they Democrats or Republicans?

[AD from SpringBay]

Don't hold your breath - taxes never go down.

[Missouri]

Ping

[cripplecreek]

Must have been a sight to see the barges shooting out of the salt mine.

[MrsEmmaPeel]

When I glanced at the title (before reading the story) I was thinking about Lake George, Australia. That Lake regularly disappears then reappears again. But the cause is a dry/wet season phenomenon.

[Tazlo]

How close is this to the New Madrid fault? Is this a precursor for another BIG ONE?

[Bahbah]

"Because the lake is private property, the subdivision's residents will have to cover the cost of fixing it...."

Here is the good news.

[Bahbah]

Happily, we no longer have a Senator Carnahan.

[Bluntpoint]

Well, looking at the picture, it seems seniors, women and children were hardest hit.

[bad company]

OH MY GOD!!!!!! IT'S THE DAY AFTER TOMORROW!!!!!!!!!!