Shaker Heights City Council is expected tomorrow to approve a short-term solution for a failing 170-year-old dam Tuesday.
Recent rainfalls have caused cracking in various areas on the face of Horseshoe Lake dam. The lake was previously drained to protect a total failure, but the lake fills during rainfall, putting pressure on it.
Frank Greenland, director of Watershed Programs for the Northeast Ohio Regional Sewer District, warns that failure of the dam could have dire consequences.
“Should the dam blow out, there could be significant property damage in the downstream path of the flood water, as well as the potential for loss of human life,” he said.
Greenland recommends removal of the dam and restoration of stream segments. The short-term solution includes removing a portion of the dam and creating a pathway to divert water to into the Doan Brook, which is expected to take four weeks.
