Winthrop will lower Winthrop Lake from late October to rebuild its 73-year-old dam. The road on top narrows to about one lane until early 2027, and the fish are being moved.

Winthrop University will lower the water in Winthrop Lake this fall so contractors can rebuild the lake’s 73-year-old dam. Work starts in late October and should be finished in early 2027.

The university’s Board of Trustees approved a $674,000 contract with Faulkner Development & Engineering on Sept. 17, according to a Winthrop news release issued Tuesday.

The lake sits in the Winthrop Athletics, Recreational and Research Complex, the area around the Winthrop Coliseum. The university said it is used by the campus and the wider community for recreation and research.

What the work includes

The university listed the project’s scope as:

  • a new reinforced concrete emergency spillway, with 48-inch piping through the dam
  • removing trees and their root balls from the face of the dam
  • a new wooden guardrail along the road at the dam’s face
  • a slightly narrower road along the top of the dam
  • filling in old drain piping that has collapsed

The road on top of the dam

The top of the dam is a road. It leads to Winthrop’s track, soccer and lacrosse fields and to the back of the university’s farm property, the release said.

While the work is underway, that road will be cut to about one lane.

How low the lake will go

Winthrop has not given a target water level. The release said the plan is to lower the pond and keep monitoring and adjusting the level with an on-site pump until the project is done. “Ideally, as much water as possible will be left in the lake,” the university said.

The lake is a stormwater pond for the surrounding area and the headwaters of Manchester Creek. Its water levels, and the flood risk to nearby campus buildings and neighborhoods, are overseen by the state Department of Environmental Services’ Dams and Reservoirs Safety Program, the university said.

Where the fish are going

Winthrop biology faculty worked with the South Carolina Department of Natural Resources earlier this fall to move bluegill and bass out of the lake. They went to the pond at Miracle Park on Eden Terrace.

A second round of removal will move the remaining fish to the pond at Manchester Meadows, the university said.

Tennis courts next door

Construction is also starting this month at the Winthrop Memorial Tennis Courts, near the complex entrance on Eden Terrace. The university said a philanthropic gift, not yet announced, will pay for “new opportunities” at the courts. It has not said what will be built.

What it means for you

  • Expect a lower lake around the Winthrop Coliseum from late October into early 2027.
  • Expect one lane on the road across the top of the dam while crews are working. Allow extra time if you drive to the track, soccer or lacrosse fields.
  • Fishing: the bluegill and bass have been moved to Miracle Park and, in the second round, Manchester Meadows, 337 E. Mount Gallant Road. Our parks and trails guide has its hours.
  • Walking: the Eagle Trail circles the coliseum and the lake. The university has not said whether any part of it will close. Our walking and biking trails guide lists other routes.
  • For road work elsewhere in town, see our road construction and closures page.