NORTH SIOUX CITY, S.D. (KCAU) — After last year's historic flooding, McCook Lake is looking much improved after South Dakota's cleanup efforts.

Leaders with the McCook Lake Association told KCAU 9 that the $1 million cleanup was completed on time and on budget by the deadline, and additional workers with the association stayed extra days after August 1, removing debris.

While the lake is open, local officials say there is still work to be done.

"There is a lot of debris on the shore up on north shore where the homes once stood. So we gotta work on getting that debris cleaned up,” Renae Hansen with the Izaak Walton League said. “Once the lake association starts pumping water into the lake, if that debris is still there, it becomes a hazard in the lake."

Water levels are still low, but t

See Full Page