News

January 22, 2009

Groups at odds over dam water releases

Fishermen, whitewater enthusiasts differ on releases from Francis E. Walter Dam near White Haven.

WHITE HAVEN – Who would have thought two outdoors interest groups could be at odds over dam-water releases?

About 200 people, representing either the fishing or boating factions on the Lehigh River, came to hear the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers’ 2009 water-release schedule from the Francis E. Walter Dam.

The Corps announced there are 24 weekend releases planned of roughly 750 cubic-feet per second or more for rafting on the river, with constant releases for coldwater fishing of at least 50 cfs up to 400 cfs during trout season.

Both sides in attendance at the Mountain Laurel Resort and Spa wished for more.

“I think it’s a step in a better direction from last year’s plan,” said Dean Druckenmiller, president of the Lehigh Coldwater Fisheries Alliance. “Our concern is getting a little more released in July and August. … The critters that are in the water are there 365 days a year and need the water to survive.” He noted that a wild trout population requires cold water to exist, and 50 cfs releases late in the summer “are hardly noticeable.”

This year’s release schedule seems fair to Ken Powley, who operates White Haven-based Whitewater Challengers and is president of the Lehigh River Outfitters Association. The bi-weekly rafting releases are about half of optimal levels, but sufficient to provide “no apologies” trips, he said, meaning customers won’t be complaining about water.

“The more cold water is always better,” he said. “There’s only so much water in there. The problem is the cold water runs out.”

One solution both sides agree on is retrofitting the dam with a “selective withdrawal” system that would have release valves along the dam, but that’s not even on the Corps’ radar, said George Sauls, of the Corps’ Philadelphia district.

The dam now is lowering its water level to install bypass valves that will release water from higher up the dam, but the main releases are at the bottom, where all the cold water sits. So releases for rafting or to offset rainfall use the cold water and little is left for fish late in the season. The staggered valves would allow for releasing warmer water for those activities, and saving cold water for fish.

But that’s a multi-million-dollar project that would likely require congressional funding, among other things, he said. Additionally, the dam’s current storage is likely its maximum, he said.

“The first thing is looking at what Walter could do,” he said. “There’s a limit,” and the releases are designed to “balance the sometimes-competing interests of fishing and boating.”

A study is being finished for this year on the ecological effects to the fishery under various release schedules. Greg Malaska, president of the West Pocono chapter of Trout Unlimited, believed the tension formed when anglers realized about a decade ago the fishery’s quality had returned. “We have to find ways to work with the rafting interests,” he said.

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