HINCKLEY TOWNSHIP, Ohio — Slowly but surely, the draining of Hinckley Lake in Medina County has begun as a nearly three-year-long restoration project begins.
Cleveland Metroparks leaders said it's time to drain this 87-acre man-made lake and reinforce it so it can last another hundred years.
According to Cleveland Metroparks leaders, the initial phase of the project will include temporarily draining Hinckley Lake while crews work to remove silt deposits that have accumulated over the last century from the Rocky River. Draining of the lake is expected to take anywhere from several weeks to a couple months to complete.
The $9 -10 million project will help lift the height of the dam embankment and clean out the amount of silt that has made its way into the lake.
The lake ranges in depth from 2-16 feet deep.
The aim of the work is to have the dam and the 150-foot-wide spillway meet "modern standards and provide improved protection in the event of severe flooding."
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History of the dam
Finished in 1927, the dam is the most prominent feature of the 87-acre man-made Hinckley Lake. The lake is home to bass, carp, catfish, trout, and bluegill, according to the Cleveland Metroparks.
The Ohio Division of Wildlife stocks about 2,400 rainbow trout every April at the lake and anglers can keep up to five rainbow trout and two bass (minimum size 12") per day.
“We have already relocated more than 1,500 freshwater mussels from the lake," said Sean McDermott, chief planning and design officer for the Cleveland Metroparks. "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."
Once the lake is drained, Cleveland Metroparks leaders are asking for people to resist walking on the lake bottom.
"The silt that is left behind, once the lake drains, can be very dangerous," McDermott added.
Access to Hinckley Lake will be closed once dam rehabilitation begins; however, Hinckley Reservation will remain open throughout the project's expected completion of summer 2026.
Clay LePard is a special projects reporter at News 5 Cleveland. Follow him on Twitter @ClayLePard or on Facebook Clay LePard News 5.
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