The Horseshoe Lake Saga

Major change is happening in the Shaker Lakes parklands right under our nose…

Our beautiful Horseshoe Lake is gone. The 12 acre lake is largely dry with invasive plants growing unchecked. It was drained in 2019 under the orders of The Ohio Department of Natural Resources (ODNR) after they determined the 170 year old dam was unsafe and posed a risk to life from flooding downstream. This “damned dam” was constructed in 1852 by North Union Shakers, in order to create needed power for their woolen mill that was once located in a now forested gully area situated between Lee Rd. and the lake’s spillway. Its existence is largely unknown and has now all but disappeared.

Much better known, and easier to find, is the North Union Shaker’s saw mill, located in the gully area just west of the Lower Lake between Coventry Rd. and the little roadway affectionately referred to as Lover’s Lane. Once a four story structure, the mill now has only its foundation plus the ruins of our club’s Wildflower Garden. It was our club’s first project, and it began in 1931 and was active until World War II. Flooding, vandalism, and the lack of available labor during the war were the primary factors that brought this project to a close.

The North East Ohio Regional Sewer District (NEORSD) proposes removing the dam at Horseshoe and allowing the northern and middle branches of the Doan Brook to return to their natural state. Many local organizations have voiced approval of this plan, including the The Nature Center at Shaker Lakes, the Shaker Historical Museum, the Doan Brook Watershed Partnership, and the city councils of both Shaker Hts and Cleveland Hts. There is also opposition, namely The Friends of Horseshoe Lake, a grass-roots organization of nearly 200 neighboring homeowners who have hired an engineer to propose alternative answers to draining the lake.

NEORSD is moving forward with their plan for Horseshoe Lake, despite some controversy. They are still in the pre-design phase and have hired a landscape architectural firm to help redesign this 60 acre park, and have also invited Land Studio to the table. One of the major issues that needs answering is where to put the massive amounts of sediment that must be dredged. Removing it from the property is cost prohibitive, so how can they best situate the “stuff” so that it is a positive feature creating interesting elevations and new land areas. Other important issues being considered are how to best utilize the site’s historic features and how to handle the invasive plants.

Recently NEORSD sponsored several activities for community involvement. In August a massive open house was held at Horseshoe Lake with numerous tents stationed throughout the park. It was like a summer carnival and was well attended, upbeat and very effective. Incidentally, from the information gathered that day, the word most often used to describe the park today is “peaceful,” and when asked what people want to see there in the future, they said “a natural environment, just a step away from urban.”

This December NEORSD hosted a very clever and effective game at the Shaker Library that was a take-off of the popular video SimCity. Groups of approximately eight people sat around a table with a large map of Horseshoe Park. Each group was given numerous in-scale cutouts of amenities that you could choose and place on the map.. These amenities included water, marshland, streams, bridges, overlooks, play areas, outdoor classroom, a wildlife observatory, boardwalks and gathering places. Each group had an imaginary budget of $100, and each of the cut-out amenities had a specific cost. What a reality check, and boy did it force one’s priorities to the surface! Money sure tethers our dreams!

NEORSD is prepared to spend $28 million of their regional stormwater management funds. $14 million is slated for the Horseshoe Lake site, and the other $14 million for the construction of a class one dam at the western end of the Lower Lake. Their money can only be spent for storm management. Any park amenities would need to be funded elsewhere.

So who will pay for these amenities and who will maintain them into the future? These important questions are yet unanswered. Should it be our cities? Might it come through philanthropy? Perhaps we bring in the Metroparks or the Audubon Society? Should local garden clubs consider becoming involved?

Meanwhile, the lake remains a weed patch.