Too much rain is keeping the lake dry.

Ironically, it has rained so much this summer that it will cause the refilling of Lake Vesuvius to be delayed until late November or early December.

The 143-acre Lake Vesuvius Recreation Area was closed and the lake was drained in January 2001 to allow for improvements to the dam and boat ramp areas that included constructing a boardwalk that will connect the boat ramp with the top of the dam.

The $4.1 million dam and spillway renovation project has been completed, except for some landscaping.

The $1 million boardwalk project is almost done. J & H Erectors Inc. of Portsmouth is putting the decking and handrail on the 1,400 foot boardwalk.

It was originally hoped that the construction could be completed and the dam valve could be closed by the end of October but the mud and constant rains have delayed the project.

"Due to the unusually wet summer we have had, with two or three weeks where it has rained constantly, we pushed the construction schedule back a couple of weeks," said Cindy Henderson, a U.S. Forest Service inspector for the dam and boardwalk project.

The construction should be completed by the middle of November. After the final inspections, the valve will be closed, Henderson said.

"J & H is an excellent company. The constraints on project have all been acts of God," Henderson said. "The contractors have done an excellent job."

After the dam valve is closed, it will depend on how much rainfall the region gets to determine how quickly it fills. It could take a few days or a few months.

The boat ramp parking lot has been expanded and a second entrance has been added. The boat ramp itself has been widened and dock points will be added. The parking lot still needs to be paved, but is scheduled to be completed by the end of the year.

The fish restocking schedule should not be affected, Henderson said. The lake will begin to be restocked, before the end of the year if enough water is in the lake.

Henderson said the public is welcomed to visit the lake and see what has been done but they must stay in the observation areas and stay out of the construction zone.