Mill Creek Park officials will investigate dredging of lakes

CANFIELD

The Mill Creek MetroParks staff will begin to investigate options for dredging the park lakes.

The board of park commissioners decided at a meeting Monday night to move forward with exploration of dredging as a way to improve the water quality of park lakes.

Lakes Newport, Cohasset and Glacier have been closed to the public since July 10 after Mahoning County District Board of Health tests determined that were elevated levels of E. coli bacteria in the water. Testing was prompted by a massive fish kill at the end of June, which the Ohio Environmental Protection Agency attributed primarily to sewage overflows from Youngstown’s combined storm and sanitary sewer system.

The park leadership, as well as city, state and federal officials, have been brain-storming solutions to the water-pollution problem, since the city’s plan to eliminate overflows into the park will require $47 million – plus an additional $100 million for upgrades to the city’s wastewater treatment center – and is not slated to be complete until 2033.

The county board of health has since initiated a 12-week water-testing program at Lake Newport, which is in its fourth week.

Park commissioners on Monday expressed support for the dredging option, which would remove built-up sediments from the lakes and therefore increase the lakes’ capacity.

Read much MORE in Tuesday's Vindicator.