Ohio State Lake to Undergo Drainage, Infrastructure Work

A popular lake on the Ohio State University campus was fenced off today, as work commences to improve the lake’s sustainability.

The Lantern reports that the university has been working on Mirror Lake since 2013. Intending to prevent water loss due to leaks in the lake’s structure, the university drained the water in 2013 and launched a study to test the lake’s sustainability. Part of the study entailed drilling a well near the lake in order to test the lake’s water.

The lake was refilled in August of last year as the study concluded. The study found that the lake is sustainable, which means it doesn’t need outside sources of water to maintain the water level.

The study cost $28,000.

With the fences in place, work will be done so that the lake will be able to use local groundwater to sustain itself. The lake will be drained once again to make way for the installation of pumps, meters, and pipes connected to the well.

Construction and alternative fencing provide critical protection for infrastructure projects such as this.

The project has a budget of $160,000, said Dan Hedman, the Director of Marketing and Communications at the university’s Office of Administration and Planning. He also predicts the project will be done in May barring variables such as the weather.

“As always, we consider all factors related to the timing and realize there is never a perfect time to conduct this type of work on a popular campus feature,” Hedman said. “However, enhancing the sustainability of Mirror Lake is extremely important to the university’s long-term efforts.”

The university hopes that the new work will save it $40,000 every year.

For the most part, students are happy with the infrastructure work, believing it will change the university for the better.

“I feel like OSU is always trying to better itself, so making Mirror Lake more sustainable is a good idea,” said Logan Sherman, a sophomore social work student.

Ainsley Camp, a junior communications and English major, also welcomes the construction as she hopes it will improve the university’s overall legacy in the years to come.

“Hopefully one day, when my kids go here, they can jump in Mirror Lake, too,” Camp said.