Dam Breach To Start Nov. 1 At Horseshoe Lake

SHAKER HEIGHTS, OH — The emergency dam breach at Horseshoe Lake will start Nov. 1.

Work was originally slated to begin in late October but will be pushed to the start of November, according to city of Shaker Heights' website.

River Reach Construction will remove a chunk of the dam, Shaker Heights officials previously said. The goal is to flow collected water out to the Doan Brook, stopping the lake from overflowing. The project will be performed south of the stone observation deck, the city said.

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"This is a necessary step to protect public safety, as a failure of the Horseshoe Lake dam would cause catastrophic property damage and probable loss of life downstream, according to the Ohio Department of Natural Resources, the State's dam regulatory agency," Shaker Heights officials said in a statement.

A group of residents had rallied to try and save Horseshoe Lake, urging the sewer district and the cities of Shaker Heights and Cleveland Heights to find an alternative way to preserve the dam.