Here's What Happening At Lower Shaker Lake

SHAKER HEIGHTS, OH — Lower Shaker Lake may be drained again to allow for repairs to a deteriorating spillway, the city of Shaker Heights announced.

The Northeast Ohio Regional Sewer District began making repairs to the Lower Lake dam and spillway in 2019. The project included installing new stone on the western bank, installing a staff gauge to measure water depth and minor re-grading. In early 2020, the lake was lowered again to finish parts of the projects.

While the lake was lowered, officials from the sewer district saw additional deterioration on the masonry spillway. The Shaker Heights city engineer began monitoring the spillway and saw, in July, that water was going through the vertical face of the structure (rather than over the spillway).

The city again lowered the lake level so engineers could fully examine the structure. The lake has since been refilled.

"The city is now waiting for the engineer's recommendations to determine whether or not it is necessary to drain Lower Lake again to make any repairs to the spillway," officials said in a statement.

The Lower Lake is a Class 1 dam, meaning if the dam failed property and life could be lost downstream.