Draining of lake in Shaker Heights ignites concerns

SHAKER HEIGHTS — Last week’s draining of Lower Shaker Lake — at least the second occurrence this year — has park-goers scratching their heads, as well as holding their noses.

Officials opened the valves on the lake around July 14, sending a steady and high current of water rushing downstream through the Doan Brook gorge, eventually leaving the lake — and some fish — high and dry.

“We noticed some deterioration along the spillway area and our engineer had to get in the lake — it had to be drained — to make an assessment for what needs to be done,” Shaker Heights Public Works Director Patti Speese said Monday.

This came after the Northeast Ohio Regional Sewer District temporarily lowered the water level in late May in order to perform what was thought to be the final steps of the dam rehabilitation there, part of a $2.34 million project that also includes Green Lake.

Substantial completion on Lower

Lake was announced ahead of schedule a year ago, and the draining in May was considered necessary simply for a few more repairs as part of general maintenance and upkeep.

Aside from general Shaker Heights and Cleveland Heights parkland aesthetics, the draining also leaves a stench, as well as concerns for fish and wildlife, most recently turtles.

This latest time around, “we closed the valve so the lake can fill back up and are eagerly awaiting the recommendation (from NEORSD),” Speese added.

As of Tuesday there were “no recommendations at this time,” NEORSD Watershed Team Leader Jeff Jowett said.

It was unclear if the latest concerns over spillway deterioration were part of the most recent repairs or something else that had developed.

The draining of the lake is also believed to factor in to the exposure of what appeared to be an “old, rusty hand grenade” around Lower Shaker Lake that led to the closure of Brook Road on Friday, as Shaker and Cleveland Heights police called in the bomb squad for its removal.