Belleville Lake, but the dam accidentally opened and released the poison. This resulted in the unplanned killing of up to of fish in Belleville Lake, and the state issued a temporary ban on the use of rotenone in the future. In September 1973, Belleville Lake was partially drained as a plan to poison an increasing common carp population that was viewed as "trash fish" for competing with native fish species. The lake was going to be drained, because less poison would be needed with less water. Ford Lake Dam was closed to eliminate the water supply to Belleville Lake, and the French Landing Dam was opened further to allow the water to drain. The lake was only drained by about one-third before engineering failures caused two bridges to crack and a gas line to rupture due to the ground shifting. The water level was not lowered any further. The shallower western edge of Belleville Lake was drained completely, uncovering decades of debris and garbage, which included old safes, firearms, automobiles, sunken boats, and a historic cement roadway that was constructed in 1904. The original poisoning project was voted to continue after a brief hiatus. Rotenone was airdropped by helicopter for the first time in the state to eliminate the carp population. It resulted in a large cleanup project that resulted in of dead fish carcasses, of which 95% were carp. The bridges were repaired, and the lake was soon refilled and stocked with more native game species of fish. Geography Belleville Lake is an elongated reservoir that flows about through the central portion of Van Buren Township. The lake has a surface area of and sits at an elevation of above sea level. Belleville Lake mostly follows the original path of the Huron River, which serves as its primary inflow and outflow. The lake has a maximum depth of near the eastern end but much shallower toward the western end. The lake continues the flow of the Huron River, beginning approximately at Rawsonville Road and meandering to Haggerty Road—roughly parallel south of Interstate 94. Ford Lake is a short distance upstream from Belleville Lake, which itself is a reservoir created by the Ford Lake Dam. The two lakes are separated by a short one-mile (1.6 km) stretch of the Huron River. Belleville Lake is mostly surrounded by Van Buren Township within Wayne County. The city of Belleville is centered along