Water levels at the lake at Tuscarora State Park in Barnesville are below normal following a September drawdown for work at the dam’s sluice gate.

The Department of Conservation and Natural Resources noted that drought conditions are hindering efforts to refill the lake.

The agency said that the water level remains 12 feet down and that levels haven’t changed in more than a week.

The lake at nearby Locust Lake State Park is also low, and water is not flowing into the primary spillway. The result is very little water flowing into Tuscarora lake via Locust Creek, the agency said.

The dam is being allowed to refill naturally. However, the water level will not change until an adequate amount of rain falls, DCNR said.

While Tuscarora’s boat launch is inaccessible, visitors can launch kayaks, canoes and any other hand-carried watercraft along the shoreline in any accessible area, unless posted otherwise.