Argyle Lake Fish Ladder Sustains Breach

It was no April Fool's joke – weakened soil was to blame for a breach around the newly installed fish ladder at Argyle Park, leading to a downed tree and "sinkhole"-like appearance on the western edge of the waterfalls.

Mayor Ralph Scordino said the breach was reported to the village over the weekend, leading to Skip Gardner, Scott Glenn and the rest of the village's crew to begin repairs on Easter Sunday and throughout Monday. The fish ladder and the area surrounding it was surrounded by yellow caution tape as crews began repairs.

"We lost a tree right there," noted Mayor Scordino. He said crews had previously been trying to adjust valves on the ladder before the breach. He guessed water got underneath the recently installed device and swept out the unpacked soil.

The rushing water drained Argyle Lake way past its previous low from a few weeks ago during the inital installation, raising alarm among some residents.

"We're going to get the same kind of concrete we used on the boating ramp," Scordino told Patch. "We're going to put it on the sides and underneath. Our guys are on it."

There was no expected time of completion for the repairs, but crews did remain working at the park throughout Monday afternoon.