There's a sign welcoming visitors to Lancaster's Como Lake Park, where for years, the lake has looked more and more like an island.

• Erie County began a $400,000 project last year to repair the lake's dam and dredge a build-up of silt
• Wet weather in the fall and spring postponed plans to dredge the lake
• County crews on Monday will begin the removal process, which should last about six weeks

Ray Kleinfelder has been going there for decades, and he's watched while the man-made lake has filled up with silt and weeds.

"It's a mess," Kleinfelder said. "They had sailboats here years ago in the lake, and the picnics. Coming by the last three or four years to see it like this, it's just a shame."

An Erie County Department of Public Works project has been in the works to bring it back to what it once was. Last year, the county repaired flood gates on the dam that helps control the flow of Cayuga Creek.

Then came tests to make sure the soil was free from contamination and permits to dredge the lake. The goal was to start dredging out the silt last year, so what happened?

"The wet weather that we had, it was unfeasible to get in get in and do the dredging last fall," said DPW Commissioner Bill Geary.

After a wet spring season, Geary says it's finally dry enough to get the job done. Heavy equipment is arriving now, and county crews will start the work next week.

"We're talking in access of about 1,500 truckloads [of silt]," Geary said.

The silt is about 10 feet deep in spots, and excavators will dredge down to the slate rock below. The materials removed will be transported along a temporary roadway to another area of the park, and deposited to expand its sledding hill. 

"Let's get all that material out and give them a brand new lake," Geary said.

The county is teaming up with a local contractor to train public works employees on dredging and shoring up the creek banks. With good weather, Geary says it will take about six weeks to finish. 

Can you put a price on beauty? This makeover will cost about $400,000.

And maybe someday soon, those sailboats Kleinfelder remembers will be back in Como Lake. 

"It should be beautiful and it should look like what it looked like 40 years ago," Kleinfelder said. "Hopefully, that's the way it comes out and we can start enjoying it again."