SHARONVILLE, Ohio — Sharon Woods will look a little differently for at least a year as Great Parks of Hamilton County crews drain Sharon Lake with the final goal of improving it for wildlife and human life alike.
According to a press release from Great Parks, crews will begin work on draining the 35-acre lake on or around April 2.
The project has been in the works since 2017, when Great Parks began its plans to renew and improve the lake; once the lake has been fully drained, crews will re-position a buildup of sediment and silt to create a new wetland habitat. In addition, the future of the lake will include a new wetland boardwalk, fishing pier and docks.
During the work — which is estimated to span until mid-2025 — Sharon Lake will be closed. The lake is estimated to re-open by the fall of 2025, according to Great Parks.
"Great Parks is grateful for the partnership with the public in recent years to plan the future of Sharon Lake and we are now ready to begin the heavy construction that will bring to life our shared vision for this treasured recreation destination," said Todd Palmeter, CEO of Great Parks, in a press release.
Once the lake is opened once more, it will re-open for recreational use with one change — motorboats will no longer be allowed on the lake.
According to Great Parks, the lake improvements address priorities in the Great Parks Comprehensive Master Plan that include a heightened access to conservation areas, along with building ecological resiliency and sustainability.
Great Parks said currently, large blooms of duckweed have been threatening recreational activities like boating, in addition to presenting a threat to wildlife habitats and access to natural areas of the lake.
In order to safely re-build the lake's ecology, crews must drain Sharon Lake slowly over the span of several weeks — or even months. This is to maintain stability of the lake's banks, Great Park said. After that, it will take more time for the lake bed to dry enough for crews to move heavy equipment in for the work.
"Great Parks will then optimize the depth of the lake by re-positioning sediment to create new wetlands in some areas and increased depth in other areas," reads the press release from Great Parks. "New wetlands will improve water filtration and expand wildlife habitat."
In addition to the lake being closed off from visitors, portions of the trail around Sharon Lake will also be closed during construction. However, many trails within Sharon Woods will remain open, including the Gorge Trail. Visitors interested in seeing the work crews are doing on Sharon Lake will also be able to see it from the overlook at Sharon Woods Harbor, according to Great Parks.
In addition to re-building the lake at Sharon Woods, Great Parks also plans to improve the shared-use trail and build a new kayak launch. When the lake is completed, park officials said there will also be additional improvements made to the harbor.
