A festival to promote outdoor safety and raise awareness about the Conemaugh River reservoir, bordering Indiana and Westmoreland counties, will be held from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturday at Conemaugh River Lake, 1665 Auten Road, Conemaugh Township.

Tours of the dam, children’s activities, safety demonstrations and a free lunch are planned for the festival, which is sponsored by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers’ Pittsburgh District and the Tunnelton Volunteer Fire Department.

Community organizations and first responders will be featured and a variety of agencies will have informational booths, according to the Corps’ Pittsburgh office.

The dam provides flood protection for the lower Conemaugh Valley, the Kiskiminetas Valley, the lower Allegheny Valley and the upper Ohio River Valley. When rainfall, melting snow or stream flows indicate the possibility of flooding, run-off is retained behind the Conemaugh Dam. Water is stored until it can be released without increasing flood conditions downstream, the Corps said.

Since its completion in 1952, Conemaugh has prevented more than $2.2 billion in flood damage, according to the Corps. When Hurricane Ivan struck the area in September 2004, Conemaugh Dam prevented more than $375 million in flood damage. Conemaugh Dam is able to reduce flood levels at The Point in Pittsburgh by four feet.

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