The Bluffton news. [volume] (Bluffton, Ohio) 1875-current, 1949-05-05
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Council , lPENDABlE I
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Spot

Higher water level at Buckeye
lake this summer may make it i'm
possible to operate the municipal
swimming pool, focal point in
community recreation for more than
three decades, according to opinion
expressed Monday night at meet
ing of the town council.
Even should water. recede suffi-
ciently to permit use of the pool,
the swimming season. will be ma
terially shortened, perhaps enough
to make it impractical to clean up
the premises and operate the ven
ture.
Council pessimism regarding use
of municipal swimming facilities this
summer came after an inspection of
the grounds, and was reflected in
their decision not to hire a pool
manager at this time or make plans
for opening of the pool until pres
spt conditions may be relieved.
| GROUNDS UNAsR WATER
With water in Buckeye quarry at
fits highest stage in history, all OF
the grounds up to the raised land
on which the bath house sets is un.
der water and thick growths OF
algae in shallower depths are be-
coming noticeable.
Walks are submerged under sew
eral feet of water, the floating beach
is cooked into the air, with all ap-
proaches by land cut off, and the
fence and walk which formerly
bordered the water edge are ap-
proximately three feet under water.
Higher water at the lake has re-
suited from q decision by the Cen
trail Ohio Light and Power Co., own
er of the property, to raise the level
as much as possible as an additional
safeguard for adequate water re-
quired for cooling purposes in the
nearby former National quarry used
| by its rapidly expanding electrical
Il
generating plant.
QUARRY INTER CONNECTION
With the two quarries only lit
| tie over 200 yards apart, power
company engineers have learned that
maintaining high level of water in
the larger quarry also requires more
water in the Buckeye, because of
underground connections between the
two lakes.
Obtaining sufficient cool water for
plant purposes has become major
problem for the utility, as the local
generating installation continues a
rapid pace of expansion. Among
other recourses adopted by the Cen
tral Ohio has been installation of an
extensive system of sprays along the
east bank of the main lake serving
the plant, but higher water level
also is a necessity.
CANNOT BE LOWERED
In offering the town renewal of a
lease on the Buckeye for the coming
year, officials of the utility pointed
out last month that water in the
lake must be maintained at a high
level as possible. One of the pro-
visions of the lease is to the effect
that drainage valve in the quarry
cannot be opened therefore any loss
of water can come only through
natural means.
1t was the opinion of Central Ohio
engineers that the Buckeye water
level will recede with the advent of
hot weather in a normal summer,
probably enough to permit operation
of the swimming pool by early July.
Councilmen renewed the lease for
the Buckeye grounds, despite the un-
certainty of swimming pool opera
tions, so that all preliminaries will
be out of the way if it is possible
to plan for summer swimming, and
also to make it possible to continue
using the community park installed
at the opposite end of the quarry.