To be sure, Clark Lake has sights not typically seen by boat or from shore.  Clark Lake’s Underwater Wonderland showcases the Ghost Village Yacht Club at the west end.  Divers use it for scuba practice.  The monument memorializing a fatal airplane crash in 1990 remains ensconced near the Kentucky Point Cove. Those two areas of the lake are to be preserved.  But for the rest of Clark Lake, it’s time to come clean.  That’s the message from a group of Clark Lakers who have formed to lead the charge.  Check out the previous article by clicking here.

Jack Burns, Joe Collins, Bill Vinson, Tucker Boyers, Dan Omo, B.J. Lyons

How does the Clark Lake Cleanup work?

Underwater lurks a massive collection of junk – bottles, cans, lawn chairs, poles, stakes, and an assortment of abandoned boats.  Who hasn’t lost a pair of sunglasses or even a cellphone?

The weeds have not started growing yet and boat traffic has not stirred sediment.  From the surface, the water remains clear enough to investigate the bottom.

Not all of Clark Lake’s Underwater Wonderland is pretty.  Restoring Clark Lake’s pristine condition requires your help.  Between now and May 18th, gather items you find and bring them to Eagle Point on Saturday, May 18th, at 2 pm.  Then join your trash-hunting neighbors for the Clark Lake Clean Up Weigh In Party.  The Shipwreck store will be open for snacks and beverage sales.  Weather permitting, the Eagle’s Nest Lakeside Patio will open as well.

Some will focus on coming clean on May 18th.  But you can start now.  Scanning the bottom in any area of the lake will reveal offending items.  How many Blatz beer cans or Royal Crown Cola pop bottles from long ago await a deposit in a dumpster?

Now is the perfect time to root out these ugly blemishes.  If you find a large item like a pole, boat lift, or large cement block, one of the committee members has volunteered to help.  B.J. Lyons’ barge is capable of lifting heavy or awkward items off the bottom.  These finds should be directed to the comment section of this article or by emailing ClarkLakeSpirit@gmail.com.  Along with describing the offending item and its location, be sure to include your contact info.

Divers Mast also plans to take part.  They regularly scuba in Clark Lake, and will be on the lookout from a perspective that most others can’t.  Here’s a video recorded by Kelly Kohn during one of those dives.

Below is a map of the location at the west end of the lake.  This area is to be preserved.

The message?  Start now, or on May 18th for sure, and bring your “treasure” to Eagle Point at 2 pm.

In case you’re wondering about the other site to be preserved, here’s where it’s located and the story that goes with it.

Another underwater preservation site is located by triangulating two locations in the Kentucky Point Cove to Pleasant View.   In August 2016, brothers Connor and Will Stewart donned scuba gear and restored an underwater monument.  The story of this marker began on Saturday, August 25, 1990.  That’s when Harry Faling, while flying a single-engine plane over the lake, nose dived into the water. Clark Lakers rushed to the scene to rescue Harry.  He had not survived.  So, sadly the effort turned into a recovery.  Left underwater was a debris field of hundreds of parts.  John Koplin, who lived in the Kentucky Point Cove until he passed away in 2020, snorkeled the area over a period of weeks and fished out remnants.  One part was a wheel housing.  John created an underwater monument from it.  He poured concrete into a mold and inscribed Harry Faling’s name with date of birth and death.  He then placed it precisely at the point of impact.  For the complete account of the crash, click here.