Millions of visitors enjoy the lakes of the Muskingum Watershed Conservancy District (MWCD) on an annual basis to enjoy outdoor recreation ranging from fishing and boating, to camping and hiking among a variety of other 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 (USACE) conducts annual 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 2023 – 2024 drawdown dates and lake levels are as follows:
| Reservoir |
Normal Pool |
Winter Level |
Total Drawdown (feet) |
Begin 2023 Drawdown |
Release Duration (days) |
Suggested intermediate refill schedule by
March 15, 2024 |
| Atwood |
928.00 |
920.00 |
8.0 |
November 8 |
42 |
926.00 |
| Charles Mill |
997.00 |
992.00 |
5.0 |
November 15 |
35 |
995.00 |
| Clendening |
898.00 |
893.00 |
5.0 |
November 15 |
35 |
896.00 |
| Leesville |
963.00 |
958.00 |
5.0 |
November 15 |
35 |
961.00 |
| Piedmont |
913.00 |
908.00 |
5.0 |
November 1 |
35 |
911.00 |
| Pleasant Hill |
1020.00 |
1012.00 |
8.0 |
November 1 |
42 |
1018.00 |
| Seneca |
832.20 |
824.20 |
8.0 |
November 1 |
42 |
830.20 |
| Tappan |
899.30 |
894.30 |
5.0 |
November 15 |
35 |
897.30 |
| NOTE: Due to planned construction at Atwood, Charles Mill, Seneca, and Pleasant Hill Lakes, we request that additional drawdown occur to the elevations noted. All reservoirs with extended drawdown will be held at the requested elevation until February 15, 2024, and then returned to normal winter schedule elevations. |
Shoreline projects planned for the Winter of 2023 – 2024 include:
- Charles Mill Lake – South Peninsula Cottage Area: Coir log, rock riprap, and native plantings will be installed to stabilize approximately 1,900 feet of eroding shoreline on the west shore of the South Peninsula cottage area.
- Atwood Lake – Arcadia Drive: Rock riprap, coir log, and native grass plantings will be used to stabilize a 500-foot section of eroding shoreline in the Atwood Pines cottage area.
