Buckeye Lake construction's next step
BUCKEYE LAKE - Anyone keeping an eye on the progress of the Buckeye Lake Dam project would have noticed heavy equipment arriving on site this week.
It is part of the phase one construction of the $110 million project that began last year.
Ian Nickey, spokesperson for the construction project, said the soil mixing machinery was delivered and assembled this week at the Liebs Island and North Shore Park construction access points.
In an e-mail, Nickey said that the soil-mixing equipment will be used to install the cut-off wall and "[T]he same, or very similar, equipment will be used in phase two to construct the supporting structure for the cut-off wall," or the outer layer of the new dam.
He added that phase one is still on schedule.
Crews have also been busy working on a stability berm, which has progressed past Mud Island and the Amil Gate Spillway. The berm is being built from the two main access points and will meet in the middle.
The stability berm is also being lined with large stones to help keep erosion of the berm at bay, according to Nickey.
Crews have been working two 10-hour shifts, weather permitting, in order to finish the lake in time for phase one's June deadline in order to allow the raising of the water level.
The Ohio Department of Natural Resources lowered the lake's water levels below the winter pool last year. Actual construction on the lake began in the late fall, with the removal of docks from the dam and installing the stability berm.
A U.S. Army Corps of Engineers’ report that found the dam to be in danger of catastrophic collapse was released last year. The Ohio Department of Natural Resources stepped in, lowering the water below the winter pool depth in an effort to keep a collapse from happening.
Local businesses that relied on summer tourism experienced a poor summer season due to the lowered level of traffic.
The removed docks
The docks removed by the state are still being held for any residents wishing to come claim them. They will be held for up to 60 days after removal; anyone wishing to claim their dock should contact ASI between 8 a.m. and 5 p.m. Monday through Friday, at 740-467-9903.