Avon's Nottingham Lake Sprouts A Leak, Lake Liner Needs Replacing

What do you do when your lake disappears?

This isn't a question of mirages and parallel universes. In Avon, home of the 15-acre Nottingham Lake, it's a reality.

The lake is about 7 feet lower than its usual level, and town authorities were struggling to find the problem. According to the Vail Daily, town engineer Jeff Schneider started looking for a leak in the lake's liner by dropping milk in the water and watching for a swirl. Divers scoured the lake-bed but came up empty handed.

Finally, Harry Chu found the leak when he saw a leaf slowly circling. The fisherman found a hole two inches in diameter, and 18 inches deep, writes the Associated Press.

Another leak, discovered in December, 2011, was successfully plugged with expanding foam and improvements to the liner. Officials fear this time around the lake may have to be completely drained, and the entire liner replaced.

According to the Nottingham Park master plan, the lake was originally constructed in 1980 to provide an emergency water supply for Avon.