After nearly six years, the pride of Delaware County could easily be ready for water enthusiasts before the 4th of July.

It's been a long road for Lake Delhi since its dam was breached July 24, 2010. The nine-mile-long lake was emptied in no time and the hearts of a large chunk of eastern Iowans went downstream with the water. The residents of Delaware County battled, though, and their lake is almost ready to be returned to them.

Friday, June 24 at 3 p.m., the floodgates will close and Lake Delhi will begin to refill. The president of the governing board of trustees of the Lake Delhi Combined Recreational Facility and Water Quality District, Steve Leonard, told the Des Moines Register the lake could refill anywhere from four days to three-plus weeks, depending on the weather.

The long wait is almost over. Lake Delhi will soon give us new pictures and adventures and the ache of what was lost will slowly wash away as it provides new memories for years and years to come.

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