Governor Plans Announcement About Buckeye Lake

Residents eager to learn how the state will replace a deteriorated dam at Buckeye Lake are hoping Governor John Kasich has good news ready for them.

He scheduled an unspecified announcement about the lake Thursday in Columbus as locals await details of the project’s design, timeline and cost.

The 4.1 mile earthen dam is nearly 180 years old and has been weakened by several hundred homes, docks and other structures built into it. The U.S Army Corps of Engineers concluded the dam is at risk of failing.

The state has kept the water level at roughly half its typical summer depth as a precaution. That limits boating and water activities, upsetting businesses and residents who say the local economy and tourism are taking a big hit.