Proposed inflatable dam a plan with plenty of holes in it

On a recent Saturday, I spent several hours paddling on the Susquehanna River near Wilkes-Barre. While on the water, I noticed at least six fishing boats with large motors making their way up and down the river, a group of paddlers in kayaks owned by a local outfitter, and several shells from a local university’s crew team out for a workout.

There were some foolhardy individuals with no flotation vests wading far from shore and fishing in deeper waters only a stride or two away. It was a beautiful day, and this free-flowing river was being utilized for recreational purposes as it should be.

During the past decade, I’ve read most of the articles written about the proposed inflatable dam championed by Congressman Paul E. Kanjorski. On more than one occasion, non-paddling proponents have stated that the river is too shallow at mid-summer lows for recreational use.

With the river level at the Wilkes-Barre U.S. Geological Survey gauge currently below zero, I think we can deep-six that argument once and for all. Boats, even those with large motors or expensive, composite hulls are doing just fine on the river without needing the unnatural water levels the dam would create.

Additionally, with the two massive portals under construction on the eastern levee, access to the Susquehanna from downtown Wilkes-Barre will soon be better.

The Luzerne County Flood Protection Authority’s statement of purpose that we need an inflatable dam to raise the river levels about 4 feet because of the levee-raising project, now, just like the levee, has large holes in it.

That may definitely be true, but we who respect and utilize the Susquehanna in its free-flowing state will remain vigilant until the day, hopefully soon, when this ill-advised project is rejected by the Army Corps of Engineers or the state Department of Environmental Protection.

Clear 30°

Letters to the Editor

Place Quick Ads