The Northeast Ohio Regional Sewer District shocked residents in Cleveland’s East Side Suburbs in late July when it revealed to Ideastream Public Media that it wants to remove the Lower Lake Dam and drain Lower Lake to reduce the chance of a catastrophic flood downstream along Doan Brook in Cleveland’s University Circle.

The district now wants to replace the lake with 17 acres of low-lying parkland, an approach similar to the plan the sewer district has for the former Horseshoe Lake about a mile upstream from Lower Lake. The district drained Horseshoe Lake in 2019 under orders from the Ohio Department of Natural Resources, which said the dam could fail and cause flooding.

For some residents, the switch on Lower Lake revived bitter memories of their unsuccessful efforts to save Hor

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