September 10, 2007
MINOR REPAIR WORK SLATED TO BEGIN THIS WEEK AT SALT FORK LAKE DAM
Water levels unaffected at Guernsey County recreational facility
COLUMBUS, OH - Work is scheduled to begin Tuesday near the dam at Salt Fork Lake in Guernsey County to allow for better drainage of rainwater from the structure’s right abutment. The project is expected to take about a week to complete, depending on the weather.
“The integrity of the dam is not threatened and the scheduled work will not impact recreation on Salt Fork Lake in any way,” said Dan West, chief of Ohio State Parks. “Boating, swimming and fishing activities will continue as usual.”
The planned construction includes installation of additional drainage pipe in the right abutment, downstream of the earthen dam. An Ohio State Parks construction crew will do all the work.
A year-long renovation project to install a new drain system at the downstream toe of the dam was completed in the spring of 2006. Careful monitoring by park staff and dam safety engineers with the Ohio Department of Natural Resources (ODNR) and Gannett Fleming, Inc. revealed a rainwater drainage problem in the right abutment in January, spurring the need for this week’s improvement.
Salt Fork State Park is Ohio’s largest state park, with more than 20,000 acres, including the 3,000-acre lake. More than 1.8 million people visited the park last year to fish, boat, hike, golf, picnic, camp and stay overnight in the park’s resort lodge and cottages.
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For Additional Information Contact:
Jane Beathard, ODNR Media Relations
(614) 265-6860