HARRISBURG, Pa. (September 4) At approximately 7:00 PM on September 2nd, Pennsylvania Fish and Boat Commission (PFBC) staff was alerted by the Somerset County EMA that a local resident of the High Point Lake Dam reported that they had heard a loud crash from within the dam. A short time later, heavy flows were observed discharging from the dam’s principal spillway outlet pipe.
PFBC dispatched local law enforcement, maintenance and engineering staff to the dam for evaluation and determined that a part of the dam’s principal spillway intake structure had suddenly failed. The failure will result in a drawdown of the reservoir, a process that is expected to continue gradually over the course of the next few weeks.
Although the volume of water being discharged through the dam is greater than normal, areas downstream of the lake remain below flood levels. This includes Glade Run, McClintock Run and the Casselman River. PFBC staff will continue 24-hour surveillance of the dam until the situation is resolved. If the situation escalates and the integrity of the dam is jeopardized, PFBC staff will alert the Somerset County EMA, which will issue an alert to downstream residents. Residents should remain cognizant of the situation, and heed any alerts issued by the Somerset County EMA.
For those seeking information on potential flood impact in downstream areas, inundation maps can be found at the following locations; Somerset County Emergency Management Office, Confluence Borough Municipal Building, Addison Township Municipal Building, PA Fish and Boat Commission Southwest Regional Office and the PA Fish and Boat Commission Centre Region Office.
The High Point Lake Dam is a 45-foot high dam that was constructed in 1965. The dam inundated the waters of Glade Run to create a 300-acre, 37-foot deep lake.
Media Contact:
Michael Parker, Communications Director
717.705.7806, michparker@pa.gov