Photo Provided The photo depicts a previously completed shoreline project for the Muskingum Watershed Conservancy District.

NEW PHILADELPHIA, Ohio — Millions of visitors enjoy the lakes of the Muskingum Watershed Conservancy District on an annual basis with outdoor recreation ranging from fishing and boating to camping and hiking, among a variety of other exciting 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 conducts a 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 in the local area are as follows:

∫ Piedmont will be drawn down 5 feet from the normal 913-foot pool to 908 feet beginning Nov. 15.

∫ Seneca will be drawn down 5 feet from the normal 832.2-foot pool to 827 feet beginning Nov. 15.

∫ Tappan will be drawn down 6 feet from the normal 899.3-foot pool to 893 feet beginning Nov. 1. Planned construction at Tappan may lead to additional drawdown. That work includes changes to the 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.