Dutch Fork Lake to be drained as result of flood damage to spillway
An assessment of Pennsylvania Fish and Boat Commission (PFBC) properties in the aftermath of flooding associated with Hurricane Ivan has revealed serious damage to the spillway at Dutch Fork Lake in Washington County. Following consultation with dam safety officials at the Department of Environmental Protection (DEP), the PFBC is taking prompt action to begin draining the lake.
The dam at Dutch Fork Lake is characterized a “high hazard dam,” meaning if the structure were to fail there would be a significant risk of downstream property damage.
“While there is no immediate threat of dam failure at this time, the Commission is draining Dutch Fork Lake as a precautionary measure in the interest of public safety,” said PFBC Executive Director Dr. Douglas Austen. “The lake will be lowered in a controlled manner to limit disturbance in Dutch Fork Creek.
Dutch Fork Lake will remain drained while the Commission pursues the funding needed to address the dam’s deficiencies.”
DEP Deputy Secretary for Water Management Cathy Curran Myers, lauded the Commission’s decision. “DEP’s Division of Dam Safety is working closely with the Fish and Boat Commission to drain the reservoir to remove a potential threat to downstream residents. The Fish and Boat Commission deserves credit for acting quickly to address this problem. I encourage the owners of all dams, large and small, to perform a thorough inspection of their structures following this flood event.”
In conjunction with starting the draw down, the PFBC is removing season, size and daily creel limit restrictions for fishing at Dutch Fork Lake in Washington County.
The relaxing of fishing restrictions, which takes place immediately, does not apply to Dutch Fork Creek upstream and downstream of the impoundment. The Commission will conduct fish salvage operations in conjunction with the draw down of the lake. Enhancing opportunities for anglers to harvest fish prior to salvage efforts provides both additional recreational opportunities and can help reduce the number of fish that will either be captured/transported or potentially stranded when the water level drops. Individuals or organizations interested in assisting with formal fish salvage operations can contact the PFBC’s Southwest Regional Office at 814-445-8974. The Commission has not established a date for formal fish salvage efforts; lake conditions will dictate timing.
The Commission faces a $100+ million backlog of infrastructure needs.
Rebuilding the dam at Dutch Fork Lake – a highly popular recreational facility that draws anglers and boaters from across the Pittsburgh area – is estimated to cost nearly $3 million.
Commission operations are funded from the sale of fishing licenses and boat registrations. Currently there is no funding source the agency can tap into to address major capital project needs, such as rebuilding the dam at Dutch Fork Lake. A Green Ribbon Panel created by the General Assembly and Governor Rendell is actively exploring legislation to address a wide scope of environmental and natural resource funding needs.
The draining of Dutch Fork Lake further illustrates the importance of including funding for PFBC projects in any future funding initiatives.
Dutch Fork Lake is closed to all boating. The fall trout stocking scheduled for the week of October 18 is cancelled. The stocking of the Delayed Harvest area on Dutch Fork Creek scheduled for the week of October 4 will continue as planned.