On Monday, the Cleveland Metroparks will begin to drain Hinckley Lake. News 5 went to the lake on Labor Day as people prepared to say goodbye for the next couple of years.
RELATED: Draining of Hinckley Lake expected to begin on September 18
“It's going to be sad because we're going to miss it, but we understand it's necessary to have a healthy lake and ecosystem,” said paddleboarder Sue Onuska.
Over the next three years, crews will remove silt deposits from the Rocky River that have accumulated in the man-made lake.
The project will help lift the height of the dam embankment with the hopes the nearly century-old lake can last another 100 years.
But what will happen to the animals and fish?
News 5 spoke with the Metroparks on Tuesday to find out, and they say they planned for this.
“We have already relocated more than 1,500 freshwater mussels from the lake. And one of the aspects of the lake draw-down is it is very slow. So that will give time for the fish species to migrate from the lake, either upstream or downstream. And also we'll still, we'll see this, and also we will see the same happen with beavers who may call the area home and also turtles,” said Sean McDermott, chief planning and design officer for the Cleveland Metroparks
He says it could take several weeks to a couple of months to draw down the lake.
He said that once the water is gone, it's important for people to stay out because it could be dangerous.
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