its multi-purpose pool. When full, Wilson Lake has a surface area of , a surface elevation of , and a volume of . When filled to maximum capacity, it has a surface area of , a surface elevation of , and a volume of . The streambed underlying the reservoir has an elevation of . Since the reservoir's initial flooding, sedimentation has gradually accumulated on the reservoir bottom thus raising its elevation. Infrastructure Wilson Dam is an earth-fill embankment dam with a foundation of rock and soil. It stands tall and long. At its crest, the dam has an elevation of . An uncontrolled, spillway is located at the southeast end of the dam. The dam's outlet works consist of one gated conduit wide and long. When the reservoir is filled to maximum capacity, the spillway has a discharge capacity of . When it is filled to flood control capacity, the outlet works conduit has a discharge capacity of . Management The Kansas City District of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers manages Wilson Dam, Wilson Lake, and of land surrounding the reservoir for the purposes of flood control, recreation, fish and wildlife management, and downstream water quality improvement. Corps staff maintain the dam and outlet works, conduct dam safety inspections, and make water release changes to the Saline River outflow in accordance with the Kansas City Water District Control Section. They also provide visitor assistance, conduct park maintenance and patrolling, and perform wildlife food plot management. Operations such as trash removal, fee collection, and facility cleaning are outsourced to private contractors. Of the land surrounding Wilson Lake, the Corps directly manages and has licensed the Kansas Department of Wildlife, Parks and Tourism (KDWP) to manage of native prairie and cropland as the Wilson Wildlife Area. Management activities include prescribed burning, tree and native grass plantings, invasive species control, and agricultural leases. Fisheries management activities include fish sampling and stocking, population monitoring, habitat work, and aquatic vegetation enhancement. Parks and recreation The Corps of Engineers manages three parks at Wilson Lake: Lucas Park, Minooka Park, and Sylvan Park. Lucas Park is located on the north shore of the reservoir's eastern end and includes the Rocktown Natural Area. Minooka Park, named after the Otoe word for "good earth", lies on the south shore of the central part of the reservoir. Sylvan Park lies below Wilson Dam immediately northeast of the reservoir.