For first-time visitors to our office conference room, one of the first comments I typically hear is what an awesome view we have. For those who haven’t had the pleasure, our office overlooks Fernhill Lake, which I recently learned is the official name (I think). Since I started working at Howell many years ago, I have never been quite sure of what the actual name was. Google Maps lists it as Fernhill Lake and Township Line Reservoir; Bing Maps (if anyone still uses it) adds a third name, West Chester Reservoir; and Apple Maps just calls it Fernhill Lake.

And while it is a nice view and home to a few bald eagles, it has also been the source of entertainment at times. Whether it was a certain employee talking about how entertaining it would be to have a fox on a zipline to “fly” across the lake and scare the geese away, or a heated debate of who in the office could drive a golf ball across the lake (answer: no one – Bryson DeChambeau isn’t showing up to work at Howell), Fernhill Lake has provided plenty of discussion over the years.

All of that could change, however, as AQUA, which owns the reservoir, recently wrote a letter to West Goshen Township informing them of their plans to draw down the lake and remove a portion of the dam.

Fernhill Lake was created in 1935 with the construction of the dam located along the East Branch of the Chester Creek. The reservoir was originally part of the surrounding area’s water supply, but is no longer used for that purpose. Whether it be the aging infrastructure of the dam needing costly repairs to meet the current DEP requirements, the desire to allow the East Branch of Chester Creek to naturally flow from its headwaters to the confluence with the Delaware River in Chester, or a combination of both, it looks like changes are coming to Fernhill Lake.

Projects like this are becoming increasingly common as dams and other infrastructure continue to age and owners face the challenge of investing millions of dollars in upgrades and rehabilitation. Similar dam-removal or decommissioning projects have occurred elsewhere in the region, including the Milltown Reservoir, located downstream of Fernhill Lake on the East Branch of Chester Creek, and the Beaver Creek Dam in East Brandywine Township.

Whatever the changes, for however long they take, we’ll keep enjoying our waterfront view from the office.