All catch regulations were lifted for Harris Pond to prepare for renovation work on the aging dam.
The 30-hectare pond, which belongs to the Pennsylvania Fish and Boat Commission, will go through a rehabilitation project of $ 1.9 million from autumn. The work includes the replacement of the existing spillway and downstream channel, lifting the dam comb by more than 2 feet and the installation of an internal drain and gate-controlled outlet. The existing boat start is also improved and the parking lot is also paved.
The pond is located on the Roaring Brook Creek and is located next to the PFBC region of the Northeast region in the Sweet Valley.
The dam that forms the pond that is classified as “high danger” by the Foreign Ministry for Environmental Protection is a concrete and earthen structure that was built in 1922. At the time of the time, it was found that the sinkhole lay above the normal pool height for the pond, so that no repairs were required.
The last time that the work was carried out on the dam was in 1985 when a new concrete kernel wall was built.
The fish and boat commission raised all fishing regulations on the pond so that anglers could use as many fish as possible before the water is drained for the upcoming work. Harris Pond is one of three countries in which regulations in anticipation of dam projects were lifted this year. The others are High Point Lake in Somerset County and Rose Valley Lake in Lycoming County.
“We lifted fishing regulations to reduce the number of fish in these lakes before these upcoming projects,” said David Nihart, head of the PFBC department for fishing management. “We encourage anglers to fish these waters and use as many fish as they can before the lakes are drained.”
Jared Cross, who lives in Hunlock Creek, has fished the pond for years and said that it is size and location to be perfect for a variety of relaxation, including small boats and kayaks. He believes that the project will be an advantage.
“In recent years it has been difficult to fishing with the vegetation. I believe that there is the opportunity to kill part of the vegetation and be a little more fisher,” said Cross.
The pond has populations of trout bass, Panfish, Pickerel and Wels. In the past, the pond was also filled with grass carp to control the growth of water growth.
Cross said he would like to see how the fish and boat commission builds some areas of the exposed bed while the water is drained and add habitat structures. He added that the pond was not a dam, and according to PFBC, a maximum depth of about 10 feet and an average depth between 4 and 6 feet.
The pond will be coordinated again after the work has been completed and hopes that the agency will be used in many Panfish for anglers.
There are no minimum size restrictions or sewage boundaries in relation to the removal of fishing regulations. The cancellation of the regulations is temporary and remains in place until January 1, 2026.
The DAM project is not the only work on the website this year. The Fish and Boat Commission closed its regional office on April 14th to build a new building. During the closure, all ales of fishing licenses, start permits and boat registration services are not available, but can be created together with exhibition agents via the Huntfishpa online portal.
The closure is expected to exist until October 2026.
Tom Venesky is a freelance writer outdoors. Contact it at Veneskyoutdoors.com.
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