CLINTON, Miss. (WJTV) – Most neighborhoods don’t have lakes, but one Clinton neighborhood is fighting to keep theirs. 

The Lakeview Heights Community in Clinton currently faces this unique dilemma. It is due to its lake dam being labeled as hazardous by the Mississippi Department of Environmental Quality (MDEQ). The agency’s guidelines require that lake dams be able to withstand a “100-year rainfall event” to reduce the risk of flooding.  

Failure to keep the lake up to code would eventually result in MDEQ draining it. A barren lakebed would likely become an eyesore and lower property values. 

The financial burden is on the neighborhood to ensure its lake is up to code. Because of that, the Lakeview Heights Community began efforts this spring to raise $50,000. The neighborhood’s fundraising initiative, “Save The Lake,” has raised about half of that, according to a September Facebook post.

Lakeview Heights’ biggest fundraising event yet is its Lantern Celebration set to occur on Saturday, October 21 at dusk. The fundraising committee members and neighborhood residents are selling floating lanterns for $20 each. Lanterns will be launched by committee members on the lake’s banks around 6:30 p.m. Residents, “Save The Lake” supporters and the public will then witness the lake come to life by candlelight.

For those who want to buy a lantern, mail your check and lantern purchase form to 416 Wayne St, Clinton, Mississippi 39056. For those who want to donate directly, send cash or a check to P.O. Box 844, Clinton, Mississippi 39060. Specify that the donation is for the “Save The Lake” initiative. Click here to access the GoFundMe page. 

For more information, follow Lakeview Heights Community Club on Facebook or contact a fundraiser committee member.