Visitors at Silver Lake Park in Dover and drivers along the North State Street bridge may notice a change in the lake starting next week.
With the recommendation from the Silver Lake Commission, city staff members are slowly draining about 2 feet from the lake from Oct. 9-20.
The drawdown, usually once a year, allows residents along the lake to more easily repair docks and piers and clean up any debris that may have gathered along the water’s edge, according to Carolyn Courtney, executive assistant in the Dover Parks and Recreation Office.
City crews will be working to ensure fish and other water species are not harmed during the process.
“We monitor and record the depth daily,” said Courtney. “The maximum depth reduction is two feet from where we started.”
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If the area receives a lot of rain during the drawdown, the water level may not change much, but another drawdown won’t be scheduled until next year.
Courtney said residents along the lake are notified in July with the drawdown dates, and boaters with a Silver Lake license are notified as well.
The city is announcing the dates to the public now so the rest of the community will know why the water level is changing.
The Silver Lake Commission members plan the drawdown as one of their efforts to improve the lake and park.
Commission members are usually residents who live on or near the lake, appointed by the mayor and approved by the City Council. They aren’t compensated for their service.
Reach reporter Ben Mace at rmace@gannett.com.
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