The reason behind – or underneath – the disappearing lake at Lone Elk Park

ST. LOUIS COUNTY, Mo. - A sinkhole the size of an SUV is draining the lake at Lone Elk Park.

The St. Louis County parks department employees first noticed the lake’s level was lower over the weekend. Then, they discovered the hole. So far, they estimate it has drained about one-third of the man-made lake – and counting.

County parks design and development manager Tobi Moriarty pointed to a couple of possible explanations for why the hole opened up, including the recent 2.4 magnitude earthquake that rumbled in Eureka and the park on April 20.

“It could be the additional head pressure from the higher lake elevation, but it very easily could've been that earthquake. That would make a lot of sense,” Moriarty said.

This isn’t the first time there’s been a sinkhole in the lake at Lone Elk Park. A similar hole formed in 2016. That one was 20 feet deep and 12 feet wide. It took about $25,000 worth of material to fix.

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