The Brodhead Watershed Association will host a Leavitt Branch Dry Dam Walk-And-Tour Tour on November 18 in Monroe County starting at 10:00 a.m.  The tour is part of the Get Outdoors Poconos series.

A dry dam sounds like a contradiction. The point of a dam is to hold water, right?

The answer is yes. And also no.

The dry dam helps regulate the flow of the Leavitt Branch, one of the headwaters of Brodhead Creek.

The dam is almost 10 stories high, and the trail across the top runs perhaps a quarter mile from end to end. Drainage from this summer’s record-breaking rains has collected as a small lake.

The dam kept this water from racing away downstream, and its outlet structures release the runoff water at a controlled rate. The lake will slowly shrink, and the dam will become dry again.

With a capacity of 350 million gallons, after major storm events, the dam could save lives.

The dry dam is owned, managed and maintained by Monroe County, and is not open to the public.

After a deadly flood in 1955, determination-- and political will-- finally ensured that this dam was dedicated in 1974. Every person and property downstream is safer for it.

Adam Schellhammer of Monroe County Conservation District will share the story and the science: how to protect drinking water, prevent erosion, keep the watershed safe, and coexist with nature, rather than constantly fighting it.

His talk will be indoors, and participants will carpool to see the dam.

The walk at the dam is short, but there is plenty to see. And plenty to think about, too.

Join Carol Hillestad and Adam Schellhammer for a talk-and-walk about dry dams, starting at The Friendly Community Center in Mountainhome. Parking at the dry dam is limited. The walk is easy, with a slight incline and a grassy path that is uneven in places and may be wet.

The tour is free, but registration is required. Call 570-839-1120 or 570-629-2727 or send email to: info@brodheadwatershed.org.

For information about this and other hikes, visit the Get Outdoors Poconos webpage. The hike series is administered by Brodhead Watershed Association and supported by a grant from the William Penn Foundation.

For more information on programs, initiatives and other upcoming events, visit the Brodhead Watershed Association website.  Click Here to sign up for regular updates from the Association.  Click Here to become a member.

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[Posted: Oct. 30, 2018]

11/5/2018