Clevelanders rally to save Horseshoe Lake

Residents of Shaker and Cleveland Heights are advocating for the repair of the historic Horseshoe Lake Dam amid plans to turn the dam into a flood plain to manage stormwater better. This news follows years of maintenance repairs due to sinkholes and cracks in the dam’s masonry.   

Horseshoe Lake is classified as a level one dam, meaning that dam failure will cause damage to more densely populated areas nearby, like University Circle. 

The $28 million project proposed in June 2021 by the Northeast Ohio Regional Sewer Division will remove Horseshoe Lake entirely while replacing and dredging Shaker’s Lower Lake. Locals and historians reacted negatively to the recommendations, causing contention between city leaders and nature lovers.

Why save Horseshoe Lake?

Horseshoe Lake has been a fixture within the Cleveland community for over 170 years. It was created in 1852 when the North Union Shakers needed to generate power for a woolen mill. The dam is a historical landmark that symbolizes the area’s growth.

In 2003, the Audobon Society designated the Shaker Parklands as an “Important Bird and Biodiversity Area.” However, the land is currently facing conservation issues, including the absence of native habitat and declining tree canopy cover. 

Given the dam’s significance to the area, Grassroot efforts began in opposition to the NEORSD’s plan. Cleveland and Shaker Heights residents utilized a Facebook group, an online petition, legal counsel and yard signs to raise awareness toward saving Horseshoe Lake. 

The Facebook group named “Dam it. Horseshoe Lake”, was created in March 2021 by longtime Cleveland Heights resident Bert Stratton. He has fond memories of visiting the dam.

“…when I lived in the Heights, 46 years ago, during the first 17 years, I lived a couple of miles away, and I would ride my bike over to Horseshoe lake and relax. It’s not like I didn’t know or care about nature. I always have, that’s why I took an interest in [creating the Facebook group],” he said.

Another activism group emerged from “Dam it. Horseshoe Lake” after Shaker Heights residents began networking. This resulted in the creation of “Friends of Horseshoe Lake”, which raised money to hire a representative from the Mansour Gavin law firm to review the NEOSRD’s plan and form a case. 

“… I came to the conclusion that the only way we would make progress [with our activism] is if we hired an attorney who was skilled in handling these types of cases, said David Goldberg, the group’s organizer. “Anthony Coyne, the firm’s managing partner, has helped us tremendously.”

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City leaders’ responses

Cleveland and Shaker Heights jointly lease Horseshoe Lake. They have to approve the NEORSD’s plans before construction can begin. 

On September 27, Shaker Heights City Council voted in favor of the proposal. Councilmember Nancy Moore said “we all love the beauty of Horseshoe Lake,” but she voted to support the resolution based on safety and the environment. 

“We have a person on our staff called the dam-tender. And after every rainfall, it is his responsibility to go out and inspect the dams. We are so concerned that there may be, given the current active state of failure, a catastrophic weather event that will create a breach in the dam,” Moore said.

Kyle Dreyfuss-Wells, CEO of the NEORSD, gave a presentation at the start of the meeting and said if there is a 100-year storm, the flooding potential of Horseshoe Lake and dam would pose a “public health and safety issue of the highest level.”

“What it looks like from Shaker Heights’ and Cleveland Heights’ emergency action plan is 16 feet of water at Lee Road in two minutes. What we’re talking about is a catastrophic breach of Horseshoe Lake Dam that continues down into University Circle, where there is flooding at Adelbert and East 107th in 30 minutes.  So you have buildings flooded at Case [Western Reserve University] in 30 minutes,” Dreyfuss-Wells said.

The September 27 Shaker Heights Council meeting can be heard in its entirety here.

Cleveland Heights City Council has yet to vote on the matter. The council is currently waiting for a consultant to review the NEORSD’s recommendations before making a decision, and it is unknown when that will be completed.

The Cleveland Heights Historical Society stated in a press release, “Our cities’ home values are augmented by the fabulous aesthetic and recreational uses afforded by these prime assets—the Shaker Lakes. We strongly urge preserving, to the highest level, the beauty and integrity of these habitats and historic dams, lakes, and stone spillways and bridgework.”