UPDATE: After this story was published a consent order was updated that allows repair as an option for the dam, and sets a deadline of July 30, 2026, for work to begin.
The folks trying to save Coalburg Lake have been given a one-year reprieve by the state, which had ordered the owner to start breaching the dam by July 31, said Hubbard Township Trustee Jason Tedrow.
Tedrow said it appears the Trumbull County commissioners will not fund a study that would have determined what it will take to fix the leaking dam, which the state considers to be in poor condition. So, dam advocates are looking for other funding, he said.
A state official said it will take several million dollars to fix the dam and that a federal grant that might be available requires a 35-percent local match.
The state had sued dam owner Coalburg Land Partners LLC and received a court order that the owner breach the dam. Coalburg Land Partners has cooperated with efforts to save the dam, Tedrow said.
Coalburg Land Partners has taken “risk reduction” measures such as reducing the lake level and removing trees and other vegetation from the dam, a state official said.
The dam is in Hubbard Township and created Coalburg Lake, which is in Hubbard and Brookfield townships. Advocates who want to fix the dam want to open the property for public park-like use.
Tedrow said he knew fixing the dam would be a “tall order,” but he wanted to try if there is money available.
“We’re getting the ship in the right direction,” Tedrow said.
The Coalburg Lake Dam Fund has been created with the Community Foundation of Western PA and Eastern OH to raise money for the effort. Go to the foundation’s website at comm-foundation.org to donate, or scan the QR code on one of the “Save Coalburg Lake” yard signs around town.
