Construction will commence Wednesday October 23. Work will occur in 3 different lakes replacing aging outflow or inlet drains that serve vital flood prevention purposes and to repair damaged sections of lake walls. Because we are nearing the holidays, the work will be staged so that work is limited to one section at a time with clean-up completed prior to each holiday. No lakes will be drained for this work. In each location a coffer dam will be used to isolate the area affected by construction with any water in the work area displaced into the non-affected portions of the lake. Attached is a map detailing the work, but it is also explained below:
Phase 1 work will be on Lake E. This lake is located within Waterside Way and Still Harbor. Lake E and Lake D (which will be discussed below) are unique because they do not directly receive storm water runoff from the streets. The lakes are primarily decorative. The lake water levels are achieved by rainfall or from an irrigation waterline which ultimately sources the water from the larger lakes. This transfer of water is done manually by the HOA as part of their management of the community and its lakes. Lake E has a large inlet which prevents the lake from flooding nearby homes during rainstorms. The inlet feeds excess rainfall into the larger nearby lakes. The current inlet is part of the original community construction and was built with bricks. It is being replaced by a new concrete structure.
Additional work in Lake E includes the replacement of a section of wall which is both cracked and has portions leaning into the lake. Unlike Lakes G and H (located near the Reservoir) where the “walls” were just a decorative edge cap, at Lake E and all the other lake locations, the walls are a significant concrete structure approximately 4.5 feet deep. The walls in our lakes are valued at $15 Million dollars. They are a major asset to the Lakes on Eldridge community. Last year in a first ever occurrence, the lake levels were allowed to fall to more than 25” below the top of the lake. This caused major stress and damage to the walls. To avoid a repeat of this problem, the MUD has shared with the HOA 3rd party structural engineering recommendations to protect our walls. To summarize, the HOA needs to maintain the lake levels to within 12” of the top of the lake. This routine maintenance aligns closely with historical norms and will both meet the HOA’s primary responsibility to keep our community beautiful and also reduce the destructive impact to a major asset. It is important to remember while water does have a cost, the lakes are also the source of irrigation for the community. Lake water isn’t just beautiful to look at. It provides life to our landscaping and protects the valuable asset of the lake walls.
Finally at Lake E and B, we will remove a few Cypress trees that are very close to the edge of the walls. The trees have matured to such a degree that they are producing many knees which are hard above ground tree roots. These roots are pushing against the walls creating the potential for further damage. Only those trees within 5’ of the edge are considered for removal.
The work at Lake E will begin October 23 with construction, including clean up, completed before Thanksgiving.
Phase 2 work will be done between Thanksgiving and Christmas at Lake D. This lake is located near Shermans Pond, Ridgewood Reef, Lake Shore Ridge and Lake Center Run. It is south of the clubhouse. Again, this is a decorative lake that does not receive storm water runoff and is filled manually by the HOA. It also has a major inlet drain to prevent flooding which is an original brick construction. This inlet drain in the south east corner will be replaced with concrete as well as the adjacent damaged section of wall.
Phase 3 work is scheduled to begin in January. This is the largest set of work and will be at Lake B, which is the large lake immediately in front of the clubhouse. This project includes the replacement of 3 major outflow pipes into the lake including one that must be rerouted completely around the water feature on Waterside Way. The current pipe is directly under the water feature. We will cap the old pipe at the manhole and reroute street drainage to the lakes in another new path. This outflow pipe and the two others affected in this project were originally installed as corrugated metal pipe and are being replaced with concrete. They are part of our multi-year upgrade/replacement plan that began in 2020. Because this work is near the edge of Lake B, there will be sections of the unofficial walking path around the lakes temporarily closed as work proceeds. Signs will be posted and a more detailed explanation of the construction shared with the community when Lake B construction is ready to proceed. Lake B work will also include 3 separate sections of wall repair and the removal of some Cypress trees. If the weather is cooperative, this work should be complete by the end of February.
If you have any questions, Members of the MUD Board of Directors will be sharing this construction plan at the HOA Board of Directors meeting at 6:15 pm on Tuesday, October 22. Also feel free to contact any member of the Board directly or through our website at www.hcmud341.org/contact.
