PA Dams Removed in 2014

[troutbert]

I found this on another site. Some of yinz may be familiar with some of these streams.
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American Rivers reports that these 17 dams were removed in Pennsylvania in 2014

Atlas Dam, Hokendauqua Creek, Lehigh County - The water supply dam for the Atlas Cement Plant,built in 1869,was 12-feet high and 600-feet long. It was removed to restore access to 25 miles of aquatic habitat.

Commodore Dam, Hinty Run, Indiana County - Built in the 1940s, this 16-feet high and 230-feet long dam created a lake used for public water supply by the Green Township Water Authority. It was removed o increase habitat connectivity for wild brook trout and eliminate a high-hazard dam.

Cove Valley Christian Camp Dam, Little Cove Creek, Franklin County - Owned by the Cove Valley Christian Camp, the removal of this 25-feet high dam is expected to improve water quality and passage for resident fish.

Derry Run Basin C Dam, Tributary to Little Conewago Creek, Dauphin, Lebanon, and Lancaster Counties - This 8-feet high by 220-feet long earthen dam experienced partial failure and the owner determined it was not needed for stormwater management.

Duck Marsh Pond Dam No. 26 & Duck Marsh Pond Dam No. 27, Mosquito Creek, Clearfield County - These earthen dams, were built in the 1950s by the Pennsylvania Game Commission for waterfowl habitat and lake fishing. Removal of Dam No. 26, 10 feet high by 670 feet long, and Dam No. 27, 8 feet high by 600 feet long, will reconnect habitat for brook trout and improve recreational opportunities.

Duck Pond Dam, Muddy Run, Butler County - This sheet metal dam, 6 feet high by 100 feet long, was built in the 1980s by the state Game Commission and the Department of Conservation and Natural Resources to create waterfowl habitat. It never functioned as designed and its removal opened nine miles of habitat to allow for a spawning run for lake fish, restoration of wetland functions, and elimination of a public safety hazard.

Furnace Creek Dam, Furnace Creek, Berks County - Built around 1960 for municipal water supply purposes, the earthen dam was 63 feet high by 372 feet long.

Han Maum Dam, Trib to Leavitt Branch Broadhead Creek, Monroe County - This dam was removed in November 2014.

Hershey School Intake Dam, Spring Creek, Lebanon County - This 5.5-feet high by 35-feet long concrete dam was removed in April 2014 because it was no longer serving a useful purpose.

Kladder Dam, Frankstown Branch, Blair County - A 10 foot high by 100 foot long water supply dam built in the 1920s, its removal will end a blockage to fish passage to a previously unknown wild brook trout stream and eliminate a liability for the borough.

Mt Joy (SICO) Dam, Little Chiques Creek, Lancaster County - This 4 feet high by 80-feet long stone masonry dam was originally built by a private owner for recreational purposes. -

Picric Dam, Driftwood Branch of Sinnemahoning Creek, Cameron County - This 4-feet high by 100-feet long dam no longer served a useful purpose, and its removal opened up 21.6 miles of habitat for fish passage and eliminated obsolete infrastructure.

Rounick Pond Dam, Mill Creek, Lancaster County - This 6-feet high by 50-feet long masonry dam was removed because it was no longer serving a useful purpose.

SunRay (Hospital) Dam and unnamed remnant, Conewango Creek, Warren County - Built in the early 1900s, this 10-feet high by 200-feet long dam was built to supply the Warren State Hospital with water and was no longer serving that purpose. It’s removal opened more than 27 miles of habitat for endangered freshwater mussels and fish host species, improved public safety, reduced flood risk, and improved safety for boating access.

Two Mile Run Dam, Two Mile Run, McKean County - This 3-feet high by 30-feet long dam was removed to restore five miles of river.

Washburn Run Dam, Washburn Run, Clinton County - The dam, 5 feet high by 46 feet long, was built In the 1930’s by the state Game Commission for water supply. Its removal opens one mile of habitat for wild brook trout and improves the thermal profile of the river.

http://www.post-gazette.com/news/state/2...es/201501300097

 

[Chaz]

Do you think the impact of these dam removals will be positive for these streams? It is an impressive list. The only dam on the list I'm familiar with is the Dam on Furnace Run and brook trout stream in Berks County.

 

[troutbert]

Removal of the two Duck Ponds dams in the headwaters of Mosquito Creek, Clearfield County, which is a stream with brook trout, should help improve summer water temps. I'm very happy those were removed. And maybe it will start a trend of the PGC removing other impoundments in the headwaters of trout streams.

The dam on Washburn Run (trib to Long Run, Clinton Cty) was quite a small old dam. It may help a little, but I don't think its impact was great. There were always wild trout above, below and in the little "impoundment" which was basically a wide spot in the stream.

The dam on Twomile Run was also small. Removing it was probably a good idea, but its effect will be minor. The article says "...restore 5 miles of river." No. There were always wild trout both above and below this. And they are calling a jump-across crick a "river." The people who write these blurbs have probably not seen the sites. But most of the people reading it haven't either!

 

[dryflyguy]

Not familiar with any of those dams.
The one on the frankstown branch is interesting to me though. I've fished and biked along that whole stream between Hollidaysburg and the junction with the little j. And I sure can't recall seeing a dam anywhere along that stretch.
I'm guessing it must of have been upstream of there?

 

[troutbert]

dryflyguy wrote:
Not familiar with any of those dams.
The one on the frankstown branch is interesting to me though. I've fished and biked along that whole stream between Hollidaysburg and the junction with the little j. And I sure can't recall seeing a dam anywhere along that stretch.
I'm guessing it must of have been upstream of there?

I did some internet searching, and the dam was not on the FB, but on a very small unnamed tributary which has a few brook trout.

 

[sarce]

^I was wondering the same thing. Thanks for the info TB

 

[RLeep2]

>>The dam on Twomile Run was also small. Removing it was probably a good idea, but its effect will be minor. The article says "...restore 5 miles of river." No. There were always wild trout both above and below this. And they are calling a jump-across crick a "river." The people who write these blurbs have probably not seen the sites. But most of the people reading it haven't either!>>

Without looking it up, this must have been the dam up in Wildcat Park. You're right, TB, not much of a "river" up in there. I'm glad American Rivers is so active on this front; they've done a lot of good. Still, when they do the presser, I wish they'd have somebody write it who knows the difference between Sheffield, Pa. and Sheffield Steel..


As I recall, the thing that seemed to do the most damage to the lower 80% or so of Two Mile was (ironically...) the Pennvest-funded wastewater treatment plant that went in at Ludlow back in the early 90's (or thereabouts). I really think it screwed up the fishing. But that's just an opinion...

 

[troutbert]

RLeep2 wrote:
>>The dam on Twomile Run was also small. Removing it was probably a good idea, but its effect will be minor. The article says "...restore 5 miles of river." No. There were always wild trout both above and below this. And they are calling a jump-across crick a "river." The people who write these blurbs have probably not seen the sites. But most of the people reading it haven't either!>>

Without looking it up, this must have been the dam up in Wildcat Park. You're right, TB, not much of a "river" up in there.

Yes, it was in Wildcat Park.

BTW, I looked at this site and several others on the satellite views on AcmeMapper.com, and the dams were still shown. It makes me wonder how often the satellite imagery is updated.

 

[salmonoid]

Pennsylvania has led the nation for something like 12 years straight in the removal of dams. And Lancaster is the top county in PA in dam removal, probably because we have all these old mill impoundments here.

Has there been any quantitative or qualitative study done about the overall impact on dam removal in PA? Have fishes that were previously hindered in migrating shown up in areas they were not before?

 

[duckfoot]

I know I'm in the minority, but I'm sad to see some waterfowl habitat go away.

Give and take.

 

[troutbert]

Does anyone have any observations, thoughts on the removal of the Atlas Dam on Hokendauqua Creek, Lehigh County?

 

[Mike]

Yes, I have watched that project closely and checked it periodically while bike riding. The dam created a pool that was about a quarter to third mile long. Much of it had filled in along the west side and from a distance appeared to at least in part be a wetland community. My expectation is that in the long run this project will result in colder water temps downstream and will allow an extension of the seasonal stocked trout fishery. Additionally, it may remain cool enough downstream for stocked and some wild trout from the Lehigh to escape the warm water of the Lehigh in June and survive the summer in the Hocky. Finally, and this is a long shot, perhaps the stream (again in the long run) will at some point be cool enough year around to support a small wild brown trout population as it does well upstream. The stream is not in my region and I am not certain at what stream mile heading upstream from the mouth the sparse wild trout population begins to appear, but it may be a number of miles unless some of the near-by quarries discharge cold water in places to the lower stretches of the stream. Other positives that will occur immediately will be that the white suckers that migrate out of the Lehigh will now be able to migrate about five miles farther if I have the other dams located correctly in my mental map. Likewise, sea lampreys will now be able to move much farther upstream for spawning purposes. Additionally, I suspect that all or most American eels were not getting past this dam. They should now be able to migrate to the headwaters, as the remaining dams of which I am aware are very low.

One personal note: this is a great stream to fly fish even when fishing the stocked stretch. There is a substantial amount of good habitat and some good nearly as soon as the season opens.

 

[geebee]

when are the little lehigh & Jordan creek dams coming down ?

in 2013 they were mooted for 2014, we are now in 2015....it was six dams to come down i think...

 

[troutbert]

According to this 4 dams on Jordan Cr and 2 dams on the Little Lehigh were removed in 2013.

http://www.wildlandspa.org/six-dams-removed-15-stream-miles-restored/

 

[geebee]

thanks tb. i follow american rivers on facebook but did not see anything.

cheers

Mark

 

[ebroesicke]

Yup, they are on the 2013 list from American Rivers:

http://www.americanrivers.org/assets/pdfs/dam-removal-docs/2013%20Dam%20Removal%20List%20by%20American%20Rivers.pdf?65c5e7

 

[troutbert]

I also found a recent announcement that funding has been found to remove 6 more dams in the Little Lehigh watershed. It didn't specify which ones.

 

[geebee]

that has to be good for the Lehigh - to have cooler water coming in to it.

i too found several mentions of three more to come down in emmaus township by NOAA and Fishamerica, but no names..

 

[troutbert]

The most important dams that should be removed have not been. That is the dams blocking shad runs on the Lehigh and Schuylkill Rivers.

 

[ebroesicke]

The dams in Easton on the Lehigh will be an uphill battle, but not impossible.