31 Pennsylvania lakes to undergo $88 million in major improvements. Here's what's planned

Design, planning and construction is underway at 31 lakes across Pennsylvania at an estimated cost of more than $88 million.

“It’s an exciting time to be in the dam safety program for the Fish and Boat Commission. ... We are on track, to rehab our entire portfolio of dams,” said Paul Urbanik, director of engineering for the Pennsylvania Fish and Boat Commission. “That’s a big deal.”

Over the last 12 years, the agency has improved 16 lakes. The process involves several phases that can takes years to complete, including a permitting process through to the Department of Environmental Protection's dam safety program that, when approved, evolves into bidding and construction, he said.

“I think the projects themselves have been going great," he said.

After the work is done, another permitting process involves refilling the lake.

For example High Point Lake in southern Somerset County is in the permitting phase to have its breast and spillway replaced. The work is expected to cost $7.5 million.

There will be embankment improvements and construction of a spillway - similar to the one completed in 2022 at Somerset Lake. Urbanik estimates the lake will be lowered in 2025 to allow the work to begin.

“It hasn’t been determined yet if we are going to completely dewater it or just lower it,” he said for the work to start. “We try to hold the water in the lake as long as possible and salvage as many fish as possible."

The agency likes to remove the fish from lakes that are going to be lowered for repairs and improvements during the fall months when the water is cold. In the spring, the agency’s staff is busy stocking trout across the state.

Here’s a look at the costs for the various lake improvements across the state.

Under construction

The agency has two projects that are to be completed this year.

• Lower Woods Lake in Wayne County has a $4.8 million project.

• Children’s Lake in Cumberland County is anticipating $4.7 million in improvements to be completed by mid-summer.

Permitting phase

There are three impoundments in Wayne County needing spillway and dam embankment rehabilitation improvements.

• Belmont Lake is looking at a $4.2 million project to replace the spillway and improve the embankment. Urbanik said the permits should be approved this summer.

• Miller Pond and White Oak Pond are both to be reconstructed, with each project costing more than $5.8 million starting late in 2024. Both lakes have already been drained for safety reasons.

In 2025, work should begin on two more waterways. Harris Pond’s improvements in Luzerne County will cost an estimated $2.7 million.  Kahle Lake’s spillway project in Venango County is expected to cost $8.1 million.

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Design phase

The following lake projects are being designed:

• Beechwood Lake in Tioga County is estimated at $6.2 million.

• Hemlock Lake in Indiana County is looking at a $4.9 million project.

• Virgin Run Lake in Fayette County needs $4.6 million in improvements.

• Cloe Lake in Jefferson County needs embankment drainage work expected to cost about $860,000.

• Stevens Lake in Wyoming County has a $2.4 million project.

• Rose Valley Lake in Lycoming needs $5.9 million in repairs.

• Fords Lake in Lackawanna County is slated for a $3.2 million project.

• Hunters Lake in Sullivan County needs $3.3 million in work.

• Shaeffer Mill in Cumberland County is looking at about $110,000 in improvements.

• The pond at Springfield in Cumberland County, Benner Spring Supply in Centre County and Bellefonte Shad Supply in Centre County, all are to be eliminated.  These three are different dam removal projects with a combined estimated cost of $405,000.

Planning

Looking ahead, Pennsylvania has several lake projects that are labeled in the planning phase.

• Lily Lake in Luzerne County is estimated at $480,000.

• Stump Pond in Susquehanna County is $3.4 million.

• Union City Supply Dam is a small earthen dam with a concrete spillway that supplies water to the agency’s Union City culture facility in Erie County. The $1 million project will include a spillway replacement, valve box replacement and improvements to the earthen dam section.

• Browns Pond in Warren County is slated for $3.5 million in improvements.

• Duman Lake in Cambria County is estimated at $4.7 million.

• Douglas Pond in Wayne County has a $3.7 million project.

• Lake Winola in Wyoming County has a $480,000 plan.

• C.F. Walker Lake in Snyder County needs improvements estimated at $725,000.

• Projects are in early planning at Kaercher Creek Lake in Berks County, Mauch Chunk Lake in Carbon County and Briar Creek Lake in Columbia County.

Completed

In the last 12 years the following 16 lake and dam projects were completed at a total cost of $82.7 million from a variety of state and local sources:

• Speedwall Forge Lake in Lancaster improvements cost $8.6 million.

• Nessmuk Lake in Tioga County totaled $1.1 million.

• The project at Canonsburg Lake in Washington County totaled $2.7 million.

• Dutch Fork Lake, also in Washington County, was a $5.1 million effort.

• Glade Run Lake in Butler County received $2.8 million in upgrades.

• Colyer Lake in Centre County was a $4.7 million project.

• Hereford Manor’s improvements in Beaver County totaled $4.1 million.

• Opossum Lake in Cumberland County had a $3.4 million project.

• Leaser Lake’s work in Lehigh County came in at $3.7 million.

• Tamarack Lake’s project in Crawford County was completed at a cost of $10.8 million.

• Mountain Springs Lake in Luzerne County was a smaller project at $198,000.

• Kyle Lake in Jefferson County was a $5.9 million improvement.

• Donegal Lake in Westmoreland County was rebuilt in late 2019 and refilled in 2020 for $6.6 million.

• Minsi Lake in Northampton County was restored with $6.5 million.

• The breast on Somerset Lake was replaced for a total project cost of $10.1 million.

• Meadow Grounds in Fulton County where $6.3 million was spent to rebuild and refill the waterway in 2021.

Brian Whipkey is the outdoors columnist for USA TODAY Network sites in Pennsylvania. Contact him at bwhipkey@gannett.com and sign up for our weekly Go Outdoors PA newsletter email on this website's homepage under your login name. Follow him on Facebook @whipkeyoutdoors ,Twitter @whipkeyoutdoors and Instagram at whipkeyoutdoors.

This article originally appeared on Erie Times-News: New spillways under construction in Pennsylvania lakes and waterways