The Susquehanna River Basin Commission and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers are holding a public Workshop On A Study To Explore Improving The Aquatic Environment at the F.J. Sayers Dam and Reservoir on August 30 in Howard, Centre County.

Due to the level of interest in the workshop, the workshop site has been changed to the Bald Eagle Area Middle School and High School, 751 S. Eagle Valley Road, Wingate, PA 16823. Participants are encouraged to RSVP to Hilary Hollier by sending email to: hhollier@srbc.net.

The study will determine whether there are alternatives that would benefit the reservoir and downstream environmental resources while avoiding impacts to recreation and flood control functions of the reservoir.

“If a change in operations could result in enhancing environmental benefits while at the same time preserving the existing recreation and flood control functions of the reservoir, the study will show those results,” said SRBC Executive Director Andrew Dehoff. “SRBC is equally vested in environmental benefits, flood control, and recreation. We are not interested in changes that would compromise any of those aspects of the reservoir, or the public that benefits from those purposes.”

The 1,730-acre Sayers lake is the focal point for water-based recreation in Bald Eagle State Park.  DCNR’s Nature Inn At Bald Eagle overlooks the lake.

The feasibility study will determine if operation of the reservoir, including water release protocol, can be modified to improve the quality of the environment both in the reservoir itself and in the downstream ecosystem.

Currently, the reservoir is drawn down 20 feet in late fall and winter and returned to normal pool level by late spring. The in-lake ecosystem may benefit from a more constant year round pool and some potential environmental modifications.

Consistent with the 2012 report entitled Susquehanna River Basin Ecosystem Flow Study prepared in a cooperative effort by SRBC and the Corps of Engineers, low flow augmentation from the reservoir during critical low flow periods could benefit the downstream ecosystem.

Click Here for an overview of the F.J. Sayers Dam feasibility study.  Click Here for a fact sheet on the dam and reservoir.

Questions about the Workshop and the study should be directed to Ben Pratt, SRBC, by sending email to: bpratt@srbc.net or call 717-238-0423 ext. 1212 or Anastasiya Hernandez, Corps, by sending email to: Anastasiya.Hernandez@usace.army.mil or call 410-962-2558.

[Posted: August 25, 2017]

8/28/2017