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.
