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Rose Valley Lake being drained for work on dam

By Mark Maroney 3 min read

The drawdown of Rose Valley Lake in Gamble Township is underway as part of a $5 million state-driven dam rehabilitation project.

The depth of the man-made lake, which is managed by the state Fish and Boat Commission, will, over the next few weeks, and depending on precipitation, be slowly lowered as part of a rehabilitation of a dam that deteriorated at the 389-acre lake.

The drawdown is part of the dam rehabilitation project, according to the state Fish and Boat Commission.

As part of the project, a tiny pool of water will remain within the reservoir to control sediment flow into downstream waterways, the commission noted on its webpage.

Once construction begins, the project is expected to last about a year and a half, with the lake refill scheduled for spring 2029.

The rehabilitation project will include the construction of a new spillway and improvements to the existing dam embankment to meet state Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) dam safety standards.

Construction of the dam project is anticipated to start next summer.

Across Pennsylvania, the average dam is 77 years old, which is far greater than the 50 year design life and about 30 % of the dams in the state are more than 100 years old, according to DEP deputy Secretary Jill Whitcomb, who recently spoke about dam rehabilitation in Lycoming County.

These are dams that need regular inspection, maintenance and in many cases regular rehabilitation, she noted.

The lake has a maximum depth of over 12 feet at its deepest point, but much of the lake is 3 to 10 feet around managed fish habitats.

The man-made reservoir was created by the 25-foot-high dam. The lake remains open to fishing and boating as long as possible during the drawdown periods.

However, anglers and boaters should use caution and avoid muddy areas along the shoreline, lakebed, and boat launches.

Such pertinent and updated information is routinely being provided to the public through the office of state Rep. Joe Hamm, R-Hepburn Township and there have been public meetings held to explain the process and timeline and hear questions from people who use the lake or live nearby.

Further highlighting the drawdown is a group associated with the lake for fishing and boating which posts on its Facebook page the launches remain open, including north and south ramps, but dock usage is limited.

The site, Rose Valley Lake Fishing, noted this week that alternative lakes can be sought for crappie and perch fishing.

Such alternatives provided include Harveys Lake and Cowanesque Lake for crappie and perch fishing, it said.

Another related post on Facebook, Rose Valley Lake Campground, stated it was hoping with the lake being drawn down that the local fisherman will help them stock a small pond at their campground.

"Even though most will end up as Eagle food, we'd love to relocate any fish, other than the pickerel!, for our campers to enjoy as catch and release," the site stated.

Starting at /week.