Drain delay: Why Sharon Lake dredging project is on hold

If you want to drain a lake, particularly a popular suburban fishing destination, you can't just pull a plug.

Great Parks of Hamilton County found out that draining Sharon Lake in the suburbs north of Cincinnati won't be easy or cheap.

The park district has delayed the restoration project by almost a year as bids showed the project would likely be more expensive than previously thought.

Here's what you should know about this unusual project.

What is Sharon Lake?

It is a 35-acre lake in Sharon Woods Park popular for fishing, hiking and boating. The park district created the lake in 1936 when it built a dam on Sharon Creek. Last year, 626,334 people visited Sharon Woods Park.

Why is the district draining Sharon Lake?

Sediment from 35 years of runoff from surrounding roads and development has built up on the lake bottom. The sediment, and nutrients that come with it, caused a plant called duckweed to grow rampant. Duckweed robs the water of oxygen and sunlight, both important for fish and other plants, according to the park district.

Has the lake been drained before?

The park district drained the lake once before, from 1986 to 1988. Great Parks will install underwater rock structures that will allow for periodic dredging and hopefully prevent the lake from ever having to be drained again.

Why has the park district delayed the project?

Draining a lake brings a host of environmental concerns, regulations and costs. Draining a lake in a heavily populated area like the northern Cincinnati suburbs makes this an even more complicated project, said Bret Henninger, chief operating officer for Great Parks of Hamilton County.

"This is really specialized work, and it is hard to find a comparative project," Henninger said. "We’ve got contractors working in a lake basin. We get a heavy rain, the basin fills up, they have to pull up and sit on the sidelines. There’s risk and loss accumulation."

As a result of potential delays, two of the three companies that bid on the project came in much higher than the $8 million budget, one at $11.8 million, and the other at $13 million.

The other bid that came in under budget didn't meet state requirements for cost guarantees and couldn't legally be accepted under Ohio State law, he said.

The park district rebid the project.

On Dec. 14, the Great Parks of Hamilton County Board of Directors accepted a bid of $11.4 million from Prus Construction.

When will the lake now be drained?

The lake dredging has been pushed back about a year, set to begin sometime in the spring or summer of 2024, with "substantial completion" of the project by spring 2025.

Has the project changed?

Some details, such as a retaining wall and other infrastructure, were taken out of the bid package and will be completed at a later date, Henninger said.

What does the project entail?

Most of the project will remain intact. A new boardwalk and wetlands remain part of the plan.

How is this being paid for?

The project will cost $11.4 million, most of it from park levy money and $790,000 from grants.

What will happen to the fish?

Some will escape into Sharon Creek through the small drain in the dam. The water will drain out slowly, Henninger said. Some fish will perish and be eaten by predators.

In 2022, the state relaxed regulations and allowed for an unlimited cull for fishers to get rid of some of the fish ahead of the project.

This project will benefit the ecosystem in the long run, Henninger said.

"It is not that we're not going to see some fish die," Henninger said. "The important thing to remember is that long game. The fish are not doing well in that shallow lake. When you think about the long-term benefits there just to the fishery, this is a worthy project."

This article originally appeared on Cincinnati Enquirer: When will Sharon Lake get drained?