In 2019, the Northeast Ohio Regional Sewer District (NEORSD) made various repairs to the Lower Lake dam and spillway based on Ohio Department of Natural Resources (ODNR) requirements. This included the installation of new stone along the western bank, placement of a staff gauge to measure the water depth, and minor re-grading.
Earlier this year, the water level in Lower Lake was temporarily lowered to complete some final "punch list" items for this project. At the time, NEORSD noted some additional deterioration of the masonry spillway. As a result, the City’s engineer began monitoring the condition of the spillway. In early July, the engineer observed that water was not going over the spillway, but rather through the deteriorated vertical face of the structure. After performing a detailed inspection, the engineer recommended a repair to the spillway.
As a reminder, Lower Lake is a Class 1 dam meaning failure of the dam will result in loss of life and property downstream. It is imperative the City inspects the structure for safety and performs any repairs as recommended by the engineer.
The repair, tentatively scheduled for later this year, will require the City to lower the water level in Lower Lake again. Please note that the lake is drained by opening a valve. When the lake is ready to be refilled, the City closes the valve and the lake slowly returns to its normal depth. The rate this will happen is dependent on rain fall.
