Pride in 75: Yough Lake celebrates 75th anniversary
Carol Gulya, Farmington, spokesperson for Friends For the Yough Lake welcomes attendees to the 75th anniversary celebration of Youghiogheny River Lake, held Saturday, Aug. 19 at the beach area near the dam. Flanking Gulya are Colonel Nicholas Melin (left), Commander of the U. S. Army Corps of Engineers Pittsburgh District, and Vincent Klinkner, resource manager at Youghiogheny River Lake. (Photo by Ben Moyer)
U. S. Army Corps of Engineers water safety dog Bobber (left), Corps Pittsburgh District Commander Nicholis Melin, and Youghiogheny River Lake resource manager Vincent Klinkner prepare to bury two time capsules at the 75th anniversary celebration of Yough Lake.
Ben Moyer
Somerset County game warden Brian Witherite (left) and Fayette County game warden Brooke Hargenrader care for a sedated black bear the officers brought to the Yough Lake celebration for the educational benefit of visitors.
“Yough Lake,” as we think of it locally, is mostly a place to relax on a boat. But to the U. S. Army Corps of Engineers, managing the 16-mile-long impoundment, accurately known as Youghiogheny River Lake, is a diverse and complex mission.
On Saturday, Aug. 19, the Corps of Engineers and cooperating agencies, organizations, businesses, and individuals celebrated Youghiogheny River Lake’s 75th anniversary at the beach and boat launch on the lake’s east shore near the dam. Attendees listened to speeches by Corps officials, and toured displays and exhibits offered by partner agencies and groups.
Youghiogheny River Lake’s primary purpose is to minimize, or prevent, flooding downstream on the Youghiogheny and Monongahela rivers. The lake opened to the public and began fulfilling its varied mission in 1948 — 75 years ago. Construction of its earthen dam, impounding the Youghiogheny River, was finished in 1943 but steel needed to complete the discharge gates and other infrastructure was in short supply domestically during World War II. Steel, then, went to the war effort. So, Yough Lake could not begin serving downstream communities as it does now until the post-war supply chain delivered the needed steel.
“This 75th anniversary of the opening of Youghiogheny River Lake is a momentous occasion,” said U. S. Army Corps of Engineers Pittsburgh District Commander, Colonel Nicholas Melin. “A century ago, floods in this basin were a way of life. The flood of 1936 was so intense that people paddled boats on the streets of Pittsburgh. As a direct result of congressional authority, Youghiogheny River Lake is now one of sixteen reservoirs within the Upper Ohio River Basin that protect their communities downstream, and ultimately in Pittsburgh.”
Among the 16 flood control reservoirs managed by the Corps’ Pittsburgh District are Loyalhanna Lake in Westmoreland County, Kinzua Dam/Allegheny Reservoir in Warren County, Conemaugh River Lake in Cambria County, and Stonewall Jackson and Tygart lakes on the upper Monongahela River in West Virginia. All these impoundments have designed-in capacity to retain floodwater, then release it slowly to prevent floods downstream. In severe region-wide flood events, the Corps can coordinate water releases from each dam, timed to minimize flooding in Pittsburgh where every drop of rain in the basin eventually arrives.
“We’re happy to be hosting this event,” said Andrew Byrne, U. S. Army Corps of Engineers public affairs specialist. “It’s an exciting opportunity to get together with the public we serve every day.”
Byrne said that Youghiogheny River Lake has prevented $716 million worth of flood damage in downstream communities like Ohiopyle, Connellsville, West Newton, and Pittsburgh. Flood damage prevention by all 16 impoundments in the Corps’ Pittsburgh District totals in billions of dollars.
While Youghiogheny River Lake holds back flood waters, it also provides outdoor recreation and environmental benefits.
“The lake (Youghiogheny) has hosted 463,000 visitors to boat, fish, swim, camp, and enjoy this setting so far in 2023,” said Colonel Melin. “It also releases clean water as needed to dilute pollution events downstream, and a hydro-electric plant here at the dam generates non-polluting electricity that powers 8,000 homes in the area. Yough Lake is more than stone and rock. It’s saved lives, provided quality recreation, and helped manage our natural resources. It’s part of the landscape here now.”
One highlight of the celebration was provided by game wardens from the Pennsylvania Game Commission. Game Warden Andrew Harvey, Somerset County, captured a black bear for research purposes and brought the sedated young female to the anniversary celebration so attendees could learn how officers gain important biological data from captured bears.
“We keep her eyes covered to protect them from the sun while the bear is under sedation,” Harvey said. “We’ll extract a tooth that will tell us the bear’s age, take a blood sample, and then attach ear tags so she can be identified later.”
Fayette County game warden Brooke Hargenrader had attempted to capture a bear in German Township for the event but was unsuccessful.
The Friends for the Yough Lake, a volunteer organization that assists the Corps of Engineers with implementing various projects coordinated much of the 75th anniversary celebration.
“The Friends for the Yough Lake are extremely appreciative of our local businesses and groups for their support of the 75th year celebration,” said Friends for the Yough Lake spokesperson, Carol Gulya, of Farmington. “A special ‘Thank you’ goes to Yough Lake Marine, Caney Valley SS Marine, Beaver Creek Anglers, Lakeside Marine, Woodford Oil, Turkeyfoot Fish and Game, Chestnut Ridge Chapter of Trout Unlimited, Beggs Printing, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and our Friends’ members for their support and contributions.
Colonel Melin, Youghiogheny River Lake resources manager Vincent Klinkner, and U.S. Army Corps’ water safety dog Bobber planted an eastern redbud tree to commemorate the occasion and buried two time capsules to be opened in 2048, at Yough Lake’s centennial anniversary. The capsules contained personal messages to the future from attendees.
“Our vision at Youghiogheny River Lake is to stand the test of time in all things,” resource manager Klinkner said. “We’ll move forward making the critical decisions to upgrade our recreational offerings, manage natural resources, and maintain our dam to endure and serve.”