During the winter months, Buckeye Lake in Lancaster, Ohio, is reduced to three feet. Once March rolls around, the lake is typically refilled to six feet, so that lakeside residents can finally put their boats in the water and enjoy soaking up some long awaited sun on Buckeye.

However, due to dam issues, state officials have been proposing leaving the lake at its winter depth of three feet, and this has stirred up local residents and business owners.

Next week, state officials will be holding an open meeting that is expected to draw in hundreds of concerned residents.

If state officials do not approve to raise Buckeye Lake like they do every year, residents will not be able to put their boats in the water and enjoy recreational activities, and waterside businesses will not be able to thrive at all.

“If the lake is lowered for even one summer, most of the small businesses cannot survive for a second summer,” said Dr. Steve DeBruin, who owns Feeder Creek Veterinary Services in Millersport.

Buckeye Lake resident Matt Bauman warned that keeping the lake at 3 feet will cause a “major fish kill” and “horrible algae bloom” in the summer heat.

“I don’t think we’ll recover,” said Bauman, also a member of Buckeye Lake for Tomorrow.

For residents who are moving to Lancaster, be aware that if you are buying a home alongside Buckeye Lake and officials do not find a way to fix the dam and raise the lake’s water level, property values will decrease.