GENEVA-ON-THE-LAKE, Ohio — Geneva-on-the-Lake once again has a public beach.
A celebration took place Thursday to commemorate the completion of a $1.3 million project, which involved creating a heavy stone barrier parallel to the coast to help reduce the impact of waves while still allowing water to freely flow to the beach.
Watch the story here:
Earlier this year, crews began work to restore the beach at the park after a warmer winter in 2020 eroded 80 feet from the shoreline.
Watch that story from 2020 here:
Mayor Dwayne Bennett said the project was the culmination of seven years of behind-the-scenes work. Funding came from a combination of state grants, including support through the Appalachian Community Grant Program.
"We hauled in over 300,000 cubic yards of sand," Bennett said.
For Bennett, restoring the beach was also about responding to what residents and visitors wanted most.
RELATED: Erosion took a Lake Erie beach in 2020 — now a $1.3 million project is bringing much of it back
"That was our number one request in the village, was direct beach access that they can walk to," Bennett said. "It's going to be a great change for the community and our tourists."
For residents such as Ed Dana, the reopening is deeply personal.
"We used to play frisbee and football up and down this beach," Dana said. "You could walk from this pavilion all the way down to the state park without getting in the water. I grew up in this park. I'd hate to see it wash away."
The restoration also represents the latest chapter in a broader effort to reclaim shoreline lost to erosion along Lake Erie.
Officials hope the success at Geneva Township Park can eventually serve as a model for protecting additional stretches of coastline.
Clay LePard is the Ashtabula, Geauga and Portage counties reporter at News 5 Cleveland. Follow him on X @ClayLePard, on Facebook ClayLePardTV or email him at Clay.LePard@wews.com.
