Corps of Engineers to host Raystown Lake Master Plan Revision public meetings

Published April 12, 2018

RAYSTOWN LAKE, Pennsylvania — The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers at Raystown Lake invites the surrounding communities to participate in public meetings April 25 and 26 to learn more about and provide input on the Master Plan revision process.

The public meeting April 25 will begin at 6 p.m. in the Tussey Mountain High School auditorium, located at 199 Front St. in Saxton, Pennsylvania. The public meeting April 26 will begin at 6 p.m. in the Huntingdon Area High School auditorium, located at 2400 Cassady Ave. in Huntingdon, Pennsylvania.

“Comments and input from the public are extremely important and beneficial to the Corps while we work to revise Raystown Lake’s Master Plan,” said Col. Ed Chamberlayne, Baltimore District commander.  “We see the Raystown Lake community as a vital asset to the successful completion of the Master Plan revision and one of the many ways the public can participate in this process is through our public meetings.”  

These public meetings will be organized in identical styles.  Each public meeting will offer the public an opportunity to hear a presentation detailing the Master Plan revision process and Raystown Lake at 6 p.m.   After the presentation, attendees will be divided into small discussion groups in order to generate ideas and to allow the public to tell the Corps their thoughts and opinions about the future of Raystown Lake.

Written questions and comments will be collected and answered by Corps staff during both meetings as time permits.  While all attendees will have a chance to make their comments part of the record, there will not be opportunities for individuals to address the entire audience.

The Corps will host a total of four public meetings before a draft Raystown Lake Master Plan revision is completed — two public meetings on April 25 and 26 and two public meetings planned for August 2018.  More information detailing the August public meetings will be released at a later date. 

About the Raystown Lake Master Plan Revision

The Raystown Lake Master Plan serves as the land-use document that guides the comprehensive management and development of all recreational, natural and cultural resources throughout the life of the lake.

Master Plans have no set timeframe for revisions, but they are developed to have an effective lifespan of 15 to 25 years. The current Master Plan for Raystown Lake dates back to 1994. Legislation contained in the 2016 Water Infrastructure Improvement for the Nation Act (WIIN), Section 1309, requires the Master Plan for the Raystown Lake be updated. The revision is also a part of a larger, Corps-wide effort to bring master plans up to date across the country.

The primary goals of the Raystown Lake Master Plan revision are to prescribe an overall land-use management plan, resource objectives, and associated design and management concepts for the Raystown Lake Project. The revised Master Plan will be a project-centered document designed to provide a framework for consistent, responsible decision-making for the next 15 - 25 years for Raystown Lake. The Master Plan revision will not change the technical operations of the lake as related to its primary missions of flood risk management, downstream low-flow augmentation for water quality, and hydroelectric power generation.

The Master Plan revision process is anticipated to take place during the next two years and will include data collection, resource analysis, National Environmental Policy Act requirements, and a public comment period.

The current 1994 Raystown Lake Master Plan, along with other project information and materials, can be found on the project’s web page at: www.nab.usace.army.mil/Raystown-Master-Plan-Revision/ 

Comments can be sent digitally to RaystownMPrevision@usace.army.mil. Comments will also be accepted via mail to the following address:

Raystown Lake Office

6145 Seven Points Road

Hesston, PA 16647

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Contact
Becca Nappi
(410) 962-7464
rebecca.nappi@usace.army.mil

Release no. 18-020