The peninsula separating Upper and Lower Prior Lake, with a small channel connecting the lakes, is not naturally occurring. The peninsula was built to accommodate a railroad built by Charles Prior, who the city and lake is named after. After the railroad was removed, the channel permitted only one way traffic between pilings about 11 feet apart, although there was shallow water between the adjacent pines. In 1973, The Prior Lake Association members passed a motion to spend $6,000 to have the channel dredged. Two pontoon bridge barges were purchased from Denver, Colorado at a cost of $895 each and they were delivered in October 1973 at an additional charge of $350, for a total of $2,140.