Location

Oberlin, Ohio

IMPACT

The community did not have a dam with a compliance problem, it had a park with a dam problem. Our team was able to balance the public’s desire for forested open space and reduce operation, maintenance, and inspection costs.

Morgan Street Dam Improvements

The Morgan Street Dam outlived its purpose as a drinking water source and was out of compliance with Ohio Department of Natural Resources (ODNR) regulations. The City needed an alternative that allowed the space to be used for passive recreation while addressing ODNR requirements.

Environmental Design Group provided surveying, an alternatives analysis, construction drawings of the preferred alternative, and most importantly, public involvement to reach a preferred alternative. We engaged with the public early and often throughout the alternatives analysis and used our regulatory knowledge to inform residents of implications when working with dams. We developed renderings to communicate with the public what the alternatives would look like to better reach a consensus. The final design will retain and modify for ODNR dam compliance the eastern pond and dam.