Folks who've been near McKelvey Lake on the east side of Youngstown recently may have noticed that the lake has been much more shallow than usual. As it turns out, there is a reason for this.

Jeff Larue of Aqua Ohio tells 21 News the lowering of the lake's water level is all part of upgrades to build the lake up.

Aqua Ohio currently owns McKelvey Lake, but is handing it off to the city of Youngstown, who applied for a $10 million grant to build it up to include hiking, biking and camping.

The lowering of the water is so the city can facilitate work to modernize the dam and the spillway because the Ohio Department of Natural Resources (ODNR) is requiring it due to its age.

Larue compared this process to buying a house, as part of the agreement was to get the lake ready to go so that the city can take it over and continue their plans with it. 

Tune in to 21 News at 6:00 p.m. and stay tuned to our website for more updates on this story.