Wayne National Forest - Ironton Unit
From Recreation.gov
**Wayne National Forest closes Lake Vesuvius; surrounding recreation area remains open** ** ** **PEDRO, Ohio (Sept. 18, 2025) **— The Wayne National Forest has closed Lake Vesuvius in Lawrence County, Ohio, for public safety in order to repair the lake dam’s gate. The closure area covers Lake Vesuvius’s normal maximum pool level only. The recreation area surrounding the lake remains open, including trails, campgrounds, and most other facilities. The Boat Launch is closed and will be dredged this fall and winter to clear sediment accumulated during heavy spring rain runoff. “Visitors should observe the closure and be aware of personnel working in the area,” said Forest Supervisor Lee Stewart. “We appreciate your cooperation during these essential maintenance procedures, and we will do our best to minimize recreation impacts and maintain other operations normally.” Dam conditions remain stable and safe, and there is no cause for concern as long as visitors observe the closure. The lakebed may be wet and hazardous as it emerges and dries, and the public should not attempt to walk on it to avoid getting stuck in thick mud. The full closure order and map are posted on the Forest’s Alerts webpage at [https://www.fs.usda.gov/r09/wayne/alerts][1]. Forest employees opened the dam’s gate valve on August 13 to perform standard annual maintenance. However, the dam gate is unable to close due to malfunction or debris obstruction, and personnel must access the gate shaft to determine repairs. The lake will be drawn down 31 feet below normal pool levels in order to assess and fix the pool gate; increased water flow downstream of the dam is expected during this time. While water levels are low, staff will also take the opportunity to conduct a full infrastructure assessment at Lake Vesuvius. In addition to dredging the Boat Launch, they will evaluate the Boardwalk, remove hazard trees, and repair portions of the NF 1955 road that was damaged by ice storms in 2021. [1]: https://www.fs.usda.gov/r09/wayne/alerts
Cold Weather Advisory issued January 19 at 8:03AM EST until January 20 at 10:00AM EST by NWS Wilmington OH
* WHAT...Very cold wind chills as low as 10 below zero expected. * WHERE...Portions of southeast Indiana, northeast and northern Kentucky, and central, south central, and southwest Ohio. * WHEN...From 5 PM this afternoon to 10 AM EST Tuesday. * IMPACTS...The cold wind chills as low as 10 below zero could result in hypothermia if precautions are not taken.
Cold Weather Advisory issued January 19 at 1:40AM EST until January 20 at 12:00PM EST by NWS Charleston WV
* WHAT...Very cold wind chills as low as 6 below expected. * WHERE...Portions of northeast Kentucky, southeast Ohio, and central, northern, southern, and western West Virginia. * WHEN...From 9 PM this evening to noon EST Tuesday. * IMPACTS...The cold wind chills as low as 5 below zero could result in hypothermia if precautions are not taken.
From Recreation.gov
**Wayne National Forest closes Lake Vesuvius; surrounding recreation area remains open** ** ** **PEDRO, Ohio (Sept. 18, 2025) **— The Wayne National Forest has closed Lake Vesuvius in Lawrence County, Ohio, for public safety in order to repair the lake dam’s gate. The closure area covers Lake Vesuvius’s normal maximum pool level only. The recreation area surrounding the lake remains open, including trails, campgrounds, and most other facilities. The Boat Launch is closed and will be dredged this fall and winter to clear sediment accumulated during heavy spring rain runoff. “Visitors should observe the closure and be aware of personnel working in the area,” said Forest Supervisor Lee Stewart. “We appreciate your cooperation during these essential maintenance procedures, and we will do our best to minimize recreation impacts and maintain other operations normally.” Dam conditions remain stable and safe, and there is no cause for concern as long as visitors observe the closure. The lakebed may be wet and hazardous as it emerges and dries, and the public should not attempt to walk on it to avoid getting stuck in thick mud. The full closure order and map are posted on the Forest’s Alerts webpage at [https://www.fs.usda.gov/r09/wayne/alerts][1]. Forest employees opened the dam’s gate valve on August 13 to perform standard annual maintenance. However, the dam gate is unable to close due to malfunction or debris obstruction, and personnel must access the gate shaft to determine repairs. The lake will be drawn down 31 feet below normal pool levels in order to assess and fix the pool gate; increased water flow downstream of the dam is expected during this time. While water levels are low, staff will also take the opportunity to conduct a full infrastructure assessment at Lake Vesuvius. In addition to dredging the Boat Launch, they will evaluate the Boardwalk, remove hazard trees, and repair portions of the NF 1955 road that was damaged by ice storms in 2021. [1]: https://www.fs.usda.gov/r09/wayne/alerts
From Recreation.gov
**Wayne National Forest closes Lake Vesuvius; surrounding recreation area remains open** ** ** **PEDRO, Ohio (Sept. 18, 2025) **— The Wayne National Forest has closed Lake Vesuvius in Lawrence County, Ohio, for public safety in order to repair the lake dam’s gate. The closure area covers Lake Vesuvius’s normal maximum pool level only. The recreation area surrounding the lake remains open, including trails, campgrounds, and most other facilities. The Boat Launch is closed and will be dredged this fall and winter to clear sediment accumulated during heavy spring rain runoff. “Visitors should observe the closure and be aware of personnel working in the area,” said Forest Supervisor Lee Stewart. “We appreciate your cooperation during these essential maintenance procedures, and we will do our best to minimize recreation impacts and maintain other operations normally.” Dam conditions remain stable and safe, and there is no cause for concern as long as visitors observe the closure. The lakebed may be wet and hazardous as it emerges and dries, and the public should not attempt to walk on it to avoid getting stuck in thick mud. The full closure order and map are posted on the Forest’s Alerts webpage at [https://www.fs.usda.gov/r09/wayne/alerts][1]. Forest employees opened the dam’s gate valve on August 13 to perform standard annual maintenance. However, the dam gate is unable to close due to malfunction or debris obstruction, and personnel must access the gate shaft to determine repairs. The lake will be drawn down 31 feet below normal pool levels in order to assess and fix the pool gate; increased water flow downstream of the dam is expected during this time. While water levels are low, staff will also take the opportunity to conduct a full infrastructure assessment at Lake Vesuvius. In addition to dredging the Boat Launch, they will evaluate the Boardwalk, remove hazard trees, and repair portions of the NF 1955 road that was damaged by ice storms in 2021. [1]: https://www.fs.usda.gov/r09/wayne/alerts
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