Drawdowns underway at Ford’s Lake and Rose Valley Lake for dam rehab

These are not the lake at Lackawanna State Park. The Pennsylvania Fish and Boat Commission said Sept. 16, 2026, from Harrisburg, that full drawdowns are underway at two of its own northeast-region impoundments before dam rehabilitation.

Ford’s Lake, also called Ford’s Pond, is a 73-acre Commonwealth water in Lackawanna County that PFBC manages for public fishing and boating. The $3.1 million project will reinforce the existing embankment and spillway with new concrete so the dam meets Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection safety standards. After final permits, construction is anticipated in spring 2027. The job is expected to take about a year and a half, with refill anticipated in fall 2028.

Rose Valley Lake in Lycoming County covers 389 acres, also a Commonwealth impoundment managed by PFBC. That rehab is budgeted at $5.9 million for a new spillway and improvements to the existing embankment, again to meet DEP dam-safety standards. Construction is anticipated in summer 2027, about a year and a half of work, with refill anticipated in spring 2029.

Over the next few weeks, depending on rain, visitors will see both lakes dropping. What remains at the end is a small pool left to hold sediment. Fish-health testing was finished earlier this summer, and salvages are planned this fall to move as many fish as possible to other waters. Both lakes stay open to fishing and boating as long as conditions allow. PFBC is warning people off muddy shorelines, the exposed lakebed, and launches. Seasons, size limits, and creel limits remain lifted so anglers can help reduce the number of fish before the water is gone.

This is a The Gillnet news desk summary, not a reprint.

Source: Solomon’s Words for the Wise — Drawdowns underway at two PFBC lakes ahead of dam infrastructure improvement projects (PFBC Harrisburg release, Sept. 16, 2026). Also: Outdoor News — Drawdowns underway at two Pennsylvania lakes (Sept. 21, 2026).