WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Representative Mike Bost (IL-12) demanded answers Tuesday from U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service regarding its decision to fully drain and shut down recreational access to Little Grassy Lake in Williamson and Jackson counties.

In a letter to FWS Director Martha Williams, Bost challenged the agency’s lack of transparency and backtracking on previous pledges to maintain public access to the lake during structural repairs.

“People are furious at U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, and they have every right to be,” said Bost. “We were promised continued access to Little Grassy Lake for recreational activities – even as water levels were reduced for structural repairs – and that nothing would change without constructive communication with the public. As far as I’m concerned, those promises were broken. Like many Southern Illinoisans, I grew up on this lake; it’s been a vital part of our community for generations. I’ll fight to get the answers we deserve and make clear to the D.C. bureaucrats how much this lake means to the people of Southern Illinois.”

Little Grassy Lake, located in the Crab Orchard National Wildlife Refuge, has been a hub for recreation, outdoor education, and economic activity for 77 years. After previously indicating that repairs to the lake’s dam could be made without completely draining it, FWS reversed course in a press release posted to its website last week, a decision that will shut down public access for up to seven years.

Bost will be meeting with Director Williams in his Washington, D.C., office on Thursday to share his concerns directly. 

You can read the full letter here.