MWCD Winter Drawdown Schedule and Reservoir Projects Released

October 3, 2022

Millions of visitors enjoy the lakes of the Muskingum Watershed Conservancy District (MWCD) on an annual basis to enjoy outdoor recreation ranging from fishing and boating, to camping and hiking among a variety of other opportunities. While relaxing on the water or reeling in a big catch are obvious benefits of the lakes, the most important function is to mitigate flooding for the entire Muskingum Watershed region.  

To prepare for winter, on an annual basis the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) conducts annual temporary drawdown of the normal pool elevation of the lake levels. The drawdown allows for additional flood storage capacity needs during the winter thaw and spring rains and allows MWCD personnel to access near-shore areas for shoreline stabilization projects and other reservoir maintenance activities. Drawdown will begin in early November and the return to normal pool elevation will initiate in February. Normal pool elevations will be obtained in time for the next summer recreation season.

The temporary 2022 – 2023 drawdown dates and lake levels are as follows:

Reservoir

Normal Pool

Winter Level

Total Drawdown (feet)

Begin 2022 Drawdown

Release Duration (days)

Suggested intermediate refill schedule by

March 15, 2023

Atwood

928.00

920.00

8.0

November 15

42

926.00

Charles Mill

997.00

994.00

3.0

November 15

35

995.00

Clendening

898.00

893.00

5.0

November 1

35

896.00

Leesville

963.00

955.00

8.0

November 1

42

961.00

Piedmont

913.00

908.00

5.0

November 15

35

911.00

Pleasant Hill

1020.00

1014.00

6.0

November 1

42

1018.00

Seneca

832.20

827.20

5.0

November 15

35

830.20

Tappan

899.30

893.30

6.0

November 1

42

897.30

NOTE:  Due to planned construction at Atwood, Leesville, and Tappan Lakes, we request that additional drawdown occur to the elevations noted.  All reservoirs with extended drawdown will be held at the requested elevation until February 15, 2022, and then returned to normal winter schedule elevations.

Shoreline projects planned for the Winter of 2021 – 2022 include:

  • Tappan Lake East Shore / West Shore Cottage Area Shoreline: Two cottage areas in Lower Beaverdam Bay, totaling 6,800 feet of restoration will receive a combination of riprap, coconut fiber coir logs, and native grass plantings. The total estimated construction cost for the project is $1,114,000.00.

  • Atwood Lake – Arrowhead Cottage Area: Rock riprap, coir log, and native grass plantings will be installed to stabilize a 300-foot section of eroding shoreline at the east end of the Arrowhead Cottage Area.

  • Leesville Lake – South Fork Marina: Approximately 500 feet of rock riprap will be installed along the dock access drive to stabilize this section of eroding shoreline.

« Back to News