Army Corps of Engineers will reduce the water level of Seneca Lake for the winter
NEW PHILADELPHIA — Millions of visitors enjoy the lakes of the Muskingum Watershed Conservancy District (MWCD) on an annual basis to enjoy outdoor recreation ranging from fishing and boating, to camping and hiking among a variety of other opportunities. While relaxing on the water or reeling in a big catch are obvious benefits of the lakes, the most important function is to mitigate flooding for the entire Muskingum Watershed region.
To prepare for winter, on an annual basis the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) conducts a temporary drawdown of the normal pool elevation of the lake levels. The drawdown allows for additional flood storage capacity needs during the winter thaw and spring rains and allows MWCD personnel to access near-shore areas for shoreline stabilization projects and other reservoir maintenance activities. 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 next summer recreation season.
For Guernsey County area, Seneca Lake will be drawn down 8 feet from the normal pool level of 832.2 to 824.2 and is scheduled to begin on Nov. 1. The release duration is scheduled to take 42 days.
This article originally appeared on The Daily Jeffersonian: Seneca Lake water level to be reduced to prevent winter flooding
