ROCK HILL, SOUTH CAROLINA – Later this fall, the Winthrop Lake water level will be reduced to allow for an extensive dam renovation and modernization on the decades-old infrastructure at the Winthrop Athletics, Recreational and Research Complex.
Winthrop Board of Trustees’ members approved on Sept. 17 a contract with Faulkner Development & Engineering for $674,000 to work on the 73-year-old dam. Work will begin in late October and is expected to be completed in early 2027.
The renovation project will reduce the roadway width along the top of the dam, during the construction activity, to about one lane.
The project scope, includes:
• Installing a new reinforced concrete emergency spillway structure and 48” diameter piping through the dam.
• Removing trees and tree root balls along the dam’s face.
• Installing a new wood guardrail along the road at the dam’s face.
• Slightly reducing roadway width along the dam. The top portion of the dam is a roadway that provides access to the university’s track, soccer, and lacrosse fields and the back of its farm property.
• Infilling the existing collapsed drain piping.
Control of the lake water levels and preventing flood risks to surrounding campus facilities and neighborhoods are overseen by the Department of Environmental Services Dams and Reservoirs Safety Program. The lake serves as a stormwater pond for the area and is the headwaters of Manchester Creek. The plan is to reduce the pond water level and continue to monitor and adjust water levels using the on-site pump until the project is complete. Ideally, as much water as possible will be left in the lake.
The Winthrop Lake is used by the campus and community for recreation and research. Biology faculty members worked earlier this fall with the S.C. Department of Natural Resources to relocate bluegill and bass from the Winthrop Lake to the nearby Miracle Park pond on Eden Terrace. A second removal is planned to move remaining fish to Manchester Meadows pond.
In addition to the dam renovation, construction will begin this month at the Winthrop Memorial Tennis Courts close to the complex entrance on Eden Terrace. A philanthropic gift to Winthrop yet to be announced will make possible new opportunities at the courts.
For more information, please contact Judy Longshaw, news and media services manager, at 803/323-2404 or e-mail longshawj@winthrop.edu.
