Pennsylvania to repair 'hazardous' dams on 10 lakes across state

Three dams in Southwestern Pennsylvania are on a list of “hazardous” dams that qualify for special funds from the state.

Gov. Tom Wolf announced Friday the release of $23.8 million in funding for a multi-year, $43.5 million plan to repair 10 hazardous dams managed by the Pennsylvania Fish and Boat Commission.

The local dams are located at Hemlock Lake, Indiana County; High Point Lake, Somerset County; and Virgin Run Lake, Fayette County.

“The lakes formed by these dams not only offer recreational opportunities in communities, they provide tremendous economic benefits through tourism,” Wolf said. “Proactively replacing and upgrading hazardous dams is an important safety measure that will help ensure these tourist attractions remain available to Pennsylvanians and our visitors.”

Dams included on the list are considered near the end of their designed structural life span. In the case of High Point Lake, the PFBC investigated a partial failure of the dam as recently as September 2018.

“With the commitment of these funds, our agency can move forward with plans to ensure that these lakes continue to be focal points for local recreation and drivers of regional economies,” said PFBC Executive Director Tim Schaeffer.

The remaining $19.7 million in funding is being provided by the Fish and Boat Commission.

The other dams identified as priority projects are:

• Cloe Lake, Jefferson County;
• Fords Lake, Lackawanna County;
• Harris Pond, Luzerne County;
• Hunters Lake, Sullivan County;
• Kahle Lake, Venango County;
• Rose Valley Lake, Lycoming County; and
• Stevens Lake, Wyoming County.

The facilities will remain open to public fishing, boating and other recreation during the design and permitting phases, which are expected to take several years. Construction timelines are expected to vary based upon design, permitting, funding and environmental considerations.