A new era will begin at the improved Lake Vesuvius Recreation Area later this month after the dam valve is closed and the lake holds water for the first time in three years.

Much of the 143-acre area of the Wayne National Forest was closed and the lake was drained in January 2001 to allow for improvements to the dam and boat ramp that included constructing a boardwalk and fishing pier.

The mud-filled lake bottom will be a thing of the past Dec. 15 when the

spillway valve is closed, allowing the lake to begin refilling.

"It won't be a big show," Ironton District Ranger Gloria Chrismer said of the valve closing. "We will just screw the thing down and clap our hands."

Though it is impossible to tell exactly how quickly the lake will fill, the ground saturation and frequent rains may help speed up the process, which could take only a few days or a few months.

"If it keeps raining like it has, it won't be long," Chrismer said. "The lake has a huge watershed, so if we get even a moderate amount of rain it starts to fill up."

The handicapped-accessibility and overall improvements will make a tremendous difference in the recreation area, she said.

But, the Forest Service has no intentions of stopping here.

"We are looking at this as not the end, but as the beginning of more things to come to make this more recreational-friendly," Chrismer said. "We are doing some planning to see where we go from here."

A reopening ceremony is being planned for late May or June of next year.

Originally, construction was scheduled to be completed and the dam valve was to be closed by the end of October, but wet weather put the project behind schedule.

The $4.1 million dam and spillway renovation project has already been completed.

The $1 million boardwalk project is nearly completed. J&H Erectors Inc. of Portsmouth has put the decking down, but is still finishing the handrail on the 1,400 foot boardwalk that connects the boat ramp with the dam. It also includes a shaded fishing pier.

The boat ramp parking lot has been expanded and a second entrance has been added. The boat ramp itself has been widened and new restrooms and dock points were added. The parking lot will be paved this spring.

Old Christmas trees have been added to the lake bottom to create fish habitats. The lake will be restocked with bluegill, bass, catfish and crappie starting this spring.

Seeing the lake filled will be an added bonus for Chrismer, who joined the district in July and has yet to see the lake in its full splendor.

"It is really exciting. The folks in the district are excited. The public is very excited," she said. "Of course, I have never seen it with water, so it will be nice for me as well."