Lower Shaker Lake Project
UPDATE July 23, 2025 | Our Lower Shaker Lake Dam Reconstruction Project page has been archived. It remains available, but is no longer actively updated. This page, Lower Shaker Lake Project, is the new destination for Lower Lake-related updates.
The Sewer District continues working to determine the best outcome for Lower Lake dam on Doan Brook, as the Brook flows from the Heights area downstream through University Circle, into Rockefeller Park and out to Lake Erie. Flooding occurs during larger storms in the University Circle area near Case Western Reserve University. This update provides a summary of our recent work.
In 2021, we completed stormwater master planning under our Regional Stormwater Management Program to identify flooding and streambank erosion problems along Doan Brook and to develop potential solutions. During that phase of master planning, we noted that Horseshoe Lake dam and Lower Lake dam, both of which are Class I High Hazard dams, were out of compliance with Ohio Department of Natural Resources’ (ODNR) dam safety requirements and would need to be rebuilt to current standards or removed to address non-compliance deficiencies. This responsibility to resolve ODNR dam safety program non-compliance deficiencies falls to the Cities of Shaker Heights and Cleveland Heights as the owners and operators of both dams. Additionally, at that time, our stormwater models showed that the Lower Lake Class I High Hazard dam had notable benefit to reduce the flooding in University Circle, while the Horseshoe Lake Class I High Hazard dam did not have notable benefit and could be removed. With these findings, we began the Doan Brook Restoration at Horseshoe Park project in 2022, which is now nearing 100% design and construction will begin in 2026.
In 2023, the Sewer District began the pre-design process for the reconstruction of the Lower Lake Class I High Hazard dam to better understand how the dam could be reconstructed and the potential impacts to the park landscape. During our pre-design of the Lower Lake Class I High Hazard dam, the detailed design of the Doan Brook Restoration at Horseshoe Park project, other updated stormwater modeling, and continued partner coordination, we learned the following about Lower Lake Dam:
- No longer notable flooding benefit: The flood reduction in University Circle from the Lower Lake Class I High Hazard dam reconstruction is no longer considered notable. With updated stormwater models, we now know that the flood reduction benefits for specific buildings and roadways in University Circle are limited.
- Greater impacts to aesthetics: Rebuilding the Class I High Hazard dam at Lower Lake to meet ODNR requirements had significant impact on the park landscape, drastically changing the feel of the area due to the required concrete flood walls and a new 400-foot-long auxiliary spillway.
- Opportunity for flood mitigation via conveyance: Additional conveyance capacity for Doan Brook flowing through University Circle was something that the Sewer District identified during the initial stormwater master planning process in 2021. However, at that time, construction seemed impracticable due to several constraints. Through continued collaboration with our stakeholders in this area, we learned that the Cleveland Museum of Art (CMA) is redesigning the Wade Lagoon area within the CMA’s Fine Arts Garden. This redesign would provide us the opportunity to reduce downstream flooding in University Circle by installing an additional culvert pipe under the Wade Lagoon to convey more flow from Doan Brook underneath University Circle. Based on the updated modeling, this additional capacity will reduce the flooding in University Circle.
- Balancing Risk, Cost, and the Environment: We take our responsibility to our communities and the environment seriously. Decisions about dams, especially Class I High Hazard dams, involve risks, like probable loss of life and also carry environmental impacts. We know through research that dams disrupt stream function and impact water quality and the organisms that live in the stream. When considering long-term planning, Class I dams also require ongoing maintenance, eventual replacement, and still carry some risk of failure. Our original direction of dam reconstruction was based on flood mitigation, but as data and new analyses were refined, we confirmed that the dam would not improve flooding to the extent that we previously determined. In light of this information, we are adjusting our recommendation to better reflect the new data and our long-term commitment and responsibility to the watershed.
Our recommendation: Remove Lower Lake Dam, and further restore Doan Brook
By removing Lower Lake dam, the Cities of Cleveland Heights and Shaker Heights can eliminate the public safety threats of probable loss of life and damage to public infrastructure and property during a catastrophic failure or uncontrolled breach of the dam. Restoring Doan Brook within its historic stream valley can solve the roadway flooding at North Park Boulevard and Coventry Road while providing an ecological uplift to Doan Brook’s water quality and continued protection of the cultural and historic resources associated with the Lower Lake landscape.
After taking these factors into consideration, the Sewer District believes removal of Lower Lake Dam and restoration of Doan Brook through the current lake footprint is the best path forward. Stay tuned for more information as we plan to host a webinar to share our findings, further explain the rationale to this recommendation, and discuss any questions you may have.