The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers at Raystown Lake plans to conduct a drawdown of Raystown Lake beginning October 15 for scheduled maintenance repairs. The actual start and end dates of the drawdown could change pending weather and lake conditions.
Raytown Lake will be lowered a total of nine feet from the normal summer pool level of 786.5 to 777.5 NGVD. The drawdown will occur in two phases –three and a half feet by November 1 and an additional five and a half feet by Nov. 15. Maintenance repairs are scheduled for completion by February 2014 after which the lake will slowly return to normal levels.
Boaters are encouraged to be especially vigilant during the drawdown because lower lake levels may expose hazards. The Aitch and Weaver Falls boat ramps will be closed during the low lake levels.
The Corps is partnering with the Pennsylvania Fish and Boat Commission to implement a design known as Pennsylvania style stone framed deflectors to address shoreline erosion that threatens lakeside recreation facilities. The design also provides sustainable fish structure habitat. The placement of the wave deflectors is most effectively performed at lower lake levels.
The primary mission of the Raystown Lake project is flood control management. Fluctuations in lake level conditions or variations in the drawdown schedule are possible to meet the demand of the flood control mission.
For more information on Raystown Lake, visit http://www.raystown.nab.usace.army.mil/ or call 814- 658-3405.
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Release no. 13-029