HARRISBURG, Pa. (July 19) – The Pennsylvania Fish and Boat Commission (PFBC) announced today that Luzerne County’s Mountain Springs Lake will be closed to public use beginning August 1 as the agency begins the process to permanently remove the dam.
The PFBC drained the lake in 2012 after state dam-safety inspectors found severe deficiencies in the dam, which is more than 100 years old.
The PFBC has no plans to rebuild the dam. Agency waterways conservation officers report the lake receives minimal use, in part because of the difficulty reaching it. The lake is accessible only by a five-mile, unpaved road through State Game Land 57.
Also, agency biologists have determined that the lake is a poor fishery because of the acidic water.
The project is expected to last two months, with the property reopened for public use in October. While the lake will be gone, the property will be open for recreational use such as hiking.
The 40-acre property is located in Ross Township, Luzerne County, and borders Ricketts Glen State Park and PA State Game Land 57. It was previously lowered in 1999 by approximately two feet due to structural concerns with the dam.
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Media Contact – Eric Levis, Communications Director
717.705.7806 or elevis@pa.gov