HARRISBURG, Pa. (Oct. 25) – The Pennsylvania Fish and Boat Commission (PFBC) announced today that it has rescheduled a fish salvage at Donegal Lake in Westmoreland County to November 1-2 as a final step before the construction project begins to rebuild the facility’s dam. The fish salvage was originally scheduled for October 25-26, but heavy rains over the weekend slowed the draining of the lake.
The fish salvage will take place from approximately 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. each day. The fish will be relocated to Acme Dam, Mammoth Lake and Bridgeport Reservoir in Westmoreland County, plus Green Lick Reservoir in Fayette County.
Although fish salvages generally save a large number of fish, some will also perish, said Jason Detar, Chief of the PFBC Division of Fisheries Management.
“We will collect as many fish as we can and move them to other lakes, but it is impossible to capture all of them,” he said. “Fish die during any drawdown and salvage effort. Some hide around structures where we simply can’t reach them, and others become buried in the mud when they are slow to exit the lake with the remaining water. Anglers and the general public should expect to see this.”
The lake itself will be closed to public use immediately after the fish salvage. But the property around the lake will remain open to recreational use, such as walking and running.
Governor Tom Wolf announced in August that he was releasing $25.7 million in capital budget funding for the repair of five high-hazard, unsafe dams, including Donegal Lake, and the design of two other dams. High-hazard, unsafe dams have deficiencies of such a nature that if not corrected and the dams were to fail, substantial property damage and a probable loss of human life could occur.
The estimated $5 million construction project is expected to start in late spring or early summer 2017 and last through 2018. The 90-acre lake is expected to be refilled and open for public use again in spring 2019. Stocked trout angling should also return to Donegal Lake in 2019.
In advance of the fish salvage, the PFBC lifted all seasons, sizes and creel limits at the lake in August. The lake is primarily a stocked trout lake, but also holds largemouth bass, white and black crappie, and bluegill.
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Media Contact:
Eric Levis, Press Secretary
717.705.7806 or elevis@pa.gov