As part of the flood risk management operation of the reservoirs and dams in the Muskingum River Watershed, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) conducts annual temporary drawdown of the normal pool elevation of the lake levels. The drawdown allows for additional flood storage capacity needed during the winter thaw and spring rains. Drawdown will begin in early November and the return to normal pool elevation will initiate in February. Normal pool elevations will be obtained in time for the summer recreation season.
The temporary 2018-2019 drawdown dates and lake levels are as follows:
| Reservoir | Normal Pool | Winter Level | Total Drawdown (feet) | Begin 2018
Drawdown |
Release
Duration (days) |
Suggested intermediate refill schedule by
March 15, 2019 |
| Charles Mill | 997.00 | 994.00 | 3.0 | November 1 | 30 | 995.00 |
| Pleasant Hill | 1020.00 | 1014.00 | 6.0 | November 15 | 42 | 1018.00 |
The drawdown provides flood storage capacity for the spring rains while also providing the opportunity to complete maintenance improvements in and around the reservoirs. As a continuation of this program, one project within Atwood Lake Park is scheduled during this year’s winter drawdown at an estimated cost of $1,529,000.
This project is being funded by a Clean Ohio grant which will cover up to 75% of the total project costs, including design and other non-construction costs. The project is approximately 1,400 feet in length and is needed to protect the failing slope along the peninsula roadway between the Area D and Area F campgrounds.
MWCD manages over 300 miles of shoreline throughout the 10 MWCD lakes located in central and eastern Ohio. Over 8.2 miles of MWCD shoreline has been stabilized at a cost of $8.8 million since 2009. Funding for shoreline projects is from several sources including the MWCD maintenance assessment, grants from Clean Ohio and revenue from oil and gas. The ten MWCD owned lakes include Atwood, Leesville, Tappan, Clendening, Piedmont, Seneca, Charles Mill, Pleasant Hill, Wills Creek and Beach City.
Source: MWCD
