2008 Woodie Awards
Weeds dam Lake Ceva after construction
By Myles Ma
Issue date: 8/29/07 Section: News
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The lake was drained to a depth of two feet last November in order to rebuild the dam located between Lake Ceva and Lake Sylva. The construction was ordered by the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection (NJDEP) because the dam had become damaged over the years. As work on the dam continued into the Spring semester, the weeds began to grow on the lake bottom.
Construction on the dam was completed under budget by the May 31 deadline after seven months of work and the water has been restored to its previous depth.
Now there is an abundance of weeds and a lack of fish and other wildlife that called the lake home. The lake was refilled naturally from its normal sources - runoff from nearby roofs, roads and highways.
According to William Rudeau, director of Campus Construction, the weeds are annuals and should die off with the first winter frost.
"The dam's in perfect shape," Rudeau said. "The guys did a beautiful job."
Prior to construction, Lake Ceva's fish population was transported to neighboring Lake Sylva, while the other wildlife, including a number of snapping turtles, were allowed to find another home themselves.
"The thing with turtles, for the most part, is that they don't require intervention overall on our part," Lisa Barno, chief of freshwater fisheries at the Fish and Wildlife division of NJDEP, said. "They are terrestrial by nature, they will move out of the location and when the circumstances are fit for them inhabiting (the lake), they move right back."
Barno added that the construction crew is required to notify the Fish and Wildlife division if they see turtles in distress, though she said instances of this have been rare in other draining projects undertaken by the division.
The fish are set to be restocked on an undecided date by the Fish and Wildlife division, which oversaw the transportation of the fish from Lake Ceva to Lake Sylva in November. The new fish will come from a Fish and Wildlife hatchery in New Jersey.
Viewing Comments 1 - 2 of 2
Publius
posted 8/30/07 @ 8:27 PM EST
What about those lovable turtles we all read about last year? I smell a followup story...
Stephen
posted 9/04/07 @ 5:50 PM EST
The front lake used to be one of the most beautiful parts of the college campus. As an alumni, I find it a discrace what the directors have actually not done to the front lake. (Continued…)
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