Army Corps Recommends Draining Buckeye Lake

If you play, live or work around Buckeye Lake the news is not good. A report – released Wednesday – from the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers says there is a likelihood of a catastrophic failure of the 177 year-old Buckeye Lake Dam. It goes on to say that immediate replacement of the dam is needed. If it failed it would include significant economic damages and probably loss of life and immediate steps must be taken to reduce the risk. The report, which was requested by the Ohio Department of Natural Resources, says the safest solution for eliminating the risk of flooding due to dam failure is to drain the lake permanently. By leaving the lake at winter level, less water will seep through the dam. The report says people in the flood zone could be hit by an eight foot wave of water, mud and debris if the dam were to fail. O-D-N-R Communications Manager John Wisse says his staff will continue to evaluate the report’s findings; any decisions resulting from our review will be announced at a later time – most likely nothing announced before late next week. The complete report from the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers can be found by clicking the links with this story.