Habitat Improvement Project Completed At Bald Eagle State Park's Sayers Reservoir

Sayers Reservoir still may be locked in winter's icy grip, but work crews are confident their just-completed habitat improvement project at Bald Eagle State Park soon will prove a warm-weather boon to fish, not to mention the anglers who seek them at the popular Centre County waterway.

 

"Taking advantage of shoreline exposed for just a few months during the winter draw-down, workers installed almost 100 habitat structures on the lake bottom," said DCNR Secretary Michael DiBerardinis. "This should benefit that lake's excellent fishery by providing food, cover and reproduction areas for both game and forage fish species."

 

Beginning early this month, park and Fish and Boat Commission work crews installed a variety of rock piles, humps, star-shaped formations and other structures made from limestone and timbers. Also, 1,000 vertical, clustered posts were installed into the lake bed to encourage black crappie spawning areas.

 

Habitat improvement projects were completed at three lake areas during eight days of construction: north of the Route 150 overlook, south of the park marina, and the Lower Greens Run area.

 

The 1,730-acre Sayers Reservoir is among four large state park lakes targeted for major habitat-improvement projects in the coming years. Work has been completed at Pymatuning Reservoir, Pymatuning State Park, Crawford County, and Nockamixon Lake, Nockamixon State Park, Bucks County.

 

A major project is planned at Glendale Lake in Prince Gallitzin State Park, Cambria County.

 

"Bald Eagle was a natural choice in this cooperative effort because of its geographic location, popularity with anglers, and because it boasts a terrific warm-water fishery," said Secretary DiBerardinis. "Add to that unlimited horsepower restrictions on outboard motors and Sayers Reservoir has emerged as the second most popular statewide site for tournament fishing."

 

David L. Houser, overseeing the commission's habitat management efforts at Bald Eagle, said his recommendation for lake-bottom improvements follow extensive Fish and Boat Commission sampling and inventory efforts on the lake. Electro-fishing studies showed the lake harbors sizeable populations of black and white crappies, bluegill and pumpkinseed sunfish, yellow perch and black bass.

 

"Due to the lack of submersed aquatic vegetation and native woody cover, Sayers has little littoral cover," Houser said. "The reservoir is a unique impoundment with excellent water quality and immense fishery potential. It can produce and maintain an extraordinary warm-water fishery with improved habitat."

 

Houser said all habitat improvement structures were placed at accessible shore-fishing areas at Bald Eagle State Park, but these enhanced sites can also be reached by boating anglers. Other rock and post clusters were placed in the lake in winter 2008. A third and final sector is targeted when funding becomes available.

 

"These projects are being monitored by the commission's Division of Fisheries Management to determine the richness of fish species amid the abundance of enhanced sectors," Houser said.

 

Habitat improvements efforts at Bald Eagle and the other three state parks are being undertaken in a cooperative effort by DCNR's Bureau of State Parks and its Wild Resource Conservation Program, which is providing funding; the Fish and Boat Commission's divisions of Construction and Maintenance and Habitat Management; and the Pennsylvania Parks and Forest Foundation, which will develop and coordinate volunteer commitment. The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers also assisted at Bald Eagle.

 

The lake has more than 20 miles of shoreline spreading through Bald Eagle State Park's 5,900 acres and is the focal point for water-based recreation in the park. The lake water is managed by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers because of its role in flood control.

 

For reservation and other information on Bald Eagle and Pennsylvania's other 116 state parks, call 1-888-PA-PARKS between 7 a.m. and 5 p.m. Monday through Saturday, or visit DCNR's State Parks webpage.