FILLING HAS BEGUN AT LYMAN LAKE

"So far, so good," is the report from Lyman Run State Park Manager Chip Harrison as the restoration of the park's centerpiece, a manmade lake, continues.

On Monday, park officials began impounding water. Harrison said the first increment will be completed on Sunday, when the lake depth is expected to reach about 13 feet, after which there will be a 10-day holding period.

Monday's go-ahead came after a seven-year process of demolishing an earthen dam, building a new one, testing and permitting.

Lyman Run State Park averaged about 130,000 visitors annually when the artificial lake was the park's centerpiece. It was a popular attraction for anglers, swimmers and boaters.

Filling of the lake basin must follow a closely regulated plan that is likely to take several months, according to state officials. The lake may be available for some late-season 2008 recreation.

Built in the early 1950s, the old dam at the 595-acre state park experienced seeps and leakage that required close monitoring almost since its construction. Safety concerns forced breaching and draining of the lake in April 2000. As the dam was removed, contractors discovered excessive amounts of rocks used as construction material, with roots, branches and other organic matter used as fill.

In April 2004, Allan A. Myers Inc. of Worcester began the nearly $17 million project to remove the old dam and spillway and construct the new, 50-foothigh earthen dam and spillway. The dam has a modern zig-zag design and is 1,000 feet long.

Hairline cracking in the concrete spillway required sealing before the refilling permit could be issued.

Lyman Run State Park has also added new restrooms and shower facilities at two of its campgrounds.