The lake is owned by the Southern Illinois Power Cooperative (SIPC), who created the impoundment in 1962, by damming the South fork of the Saline River, to supply cooling water for a coal-burning electric power plant.
The lake is owned by the Southern Illinois Power Cooperative (SIPC), who constructed the reservoir in 1962, by damming the South fork of the Saline River, to provide cooling water for a coal-fired power plant.