Canal Erosion Could Pose Problem

A problem is eroding a portion of the canal along the Muskingum River.

Due to an issue with a one hundred year old sewer drain under the canal along Canal Street a sinkhole is swallowing a section of the canal wall.

"It’s a situation that need to be remedied. The bridge sewer could collapse. It could allow the canal water to erode the levy and find it’s way back into he river," said Public Service Director Mike Sims. "Once that happens you have a good chance of losing a portion of the levy itself."

That would also mean a larger cost to fix the problem, which Sims estimates at $150-250,000. While, the city would like to see the project done sooner rather than later, the Ohio Department of Natural Resources wants to wait, keeping the area open for the summer boating season.

"We’ll try and come up with a viable plan between now and the first of October so we can bid out the project in accordance with the Ohio Revised Code," explained Sims. "We’ll have a better plan of attack instead of going into panic mode."

Lock tenders are at the site daily, which has been roped off and filled with rock. They watch for a drop in that rock. Should it drop significantly, ODNR said they will close the canal and allow repairs to be made. Until then the city hopes for no flash flooding, which could cause more erosion.