Increasing thickness of organic sediments resulted in the necessity to dredge the lake.

The first large-scale operation was to dredge the lakes and other water features. 320,000 tonnes of silt had to be removed.

The first year was spent dredging a lake fed by a creek and natural springs.

Since the early 1960s, many calls were made for dredging the lake and restoring its recreational potential, but city leaders were either unwilling or unable to fund the expensive proposition.