Legacy Lake Dredging Project
Lee’s Summit Parks and Recreation is undertaking a major restoration effort at Legacy Lake to protect one of the community’s most important environmental and recreational assets. The Legacy Lake Dredging Project began in November 2025 and is scheduled for completion in May 2026.
Why Legacy Lake Matters
Legacy Lake is a vital resource within Legacy Park, serving both the community and the environment. The 28-acre lake provides essential habitat for a wide variety of wildlife, including fish, turtles, snakes, and migratory birds that rely on the lake as a stopping point during seasonal migrations. It also offers popular recreational opportunities, including fishing, paddleboarding, canoeing, and kayaking.
Beyond recreation, Legacy Lake plays a critical operational role. The lake supplies irrigation water for all sports fields and the amphitheater turf within Legacy Park and serves as a fire-suppression resource for park facilities. The park was intentionally designed so that stormwater runoff from the park and surrounding areas flows back into the lake, creating a self-sustaining system with a total watershed of 2.66 square miles.
Since 2014, the lake has provided approximately 44.6 million gallons of irrigation water annually at no cost, resulting in an estimated $370,000 in yearly savings. Over the lake’s 23-year lifespan, this has amounted to more than $8 million in total savings for the department.
The Need for Dredging
In 2019, an engineering survey revealed that approximately 38,000 cubic yards of sediment had accumulated on the lake bottom. This sediment buildup reduced the lake’s average depth by at least three feet and decreased its water capacity by approximately 30 percent.
The reduced water volume has significantly impacted irrigation operations, requiring Lee’s Summit Parks and Recreation to implement a “drought irrigation plan” for the past three years. While minimum water levels for fire suppression have been maintained, they remain at risk. In addition, the sediment buildup has negatively affected the lake’s ecological health. Shallower water allows invasive aquatic plants to establish, altering oxygen levels and contributing to algae growth along the shoreline.
The only long-term solution to restore the lake’s depth, capacity, and overall health is dredging.
Engineering and Project Planning
To address the issue, LSPR partnered with HDR, an engineering firm, to complete a Preliminary Engineering Report evaluating dredging options and costs. HDR recommended the use of a hydraulic dredge, which removes sediment while maintaining lake water levels and pumps the material to a settling pond.
HDR completed a bathymetric survey to determine the amount of sediment that must be removed to restore the lake to its original depth. Additional topographic and geotechnical surveys were conducted at the proposed settling pond site east of the amphitheater, including soil borings to a depth of 12–15 feet. No rock or subsurface conditions were identified that would hinder construction, and environmental reviews confirmed that the project would have no impact on bat habitats.
Dredging Process and Timeline
The Legacy Lake dredging project is being completed in several phases:
-
Development and construction of the sediment settling pond
-
Installation of silt transfer and water return pipes
-
Dredging of the central portion of the lake
-
Removal of transfer piping
-
Sediment dehydration period
-
Rough grading of the disposal area
-
Final grading and seeding
Long-Term Benefits
Dredging Legacy Lake will restore its original depth and water capacity, improving irrigation reliability, protecting fire suppression reserves, and enhancing overall water quality. The project will also improve habitat conditions for aquatic life and reduce algae growth, helping ensure the lake remains a healthy, attractive, and functional centerpiece of Legacy Park.
Lee’s Summit Parks and Recreation is committed to the long-term stewardship of Legacy Lake. This significant investment will ensure the lake continues to serve the community, the environment, and park operations for decades to come.