{"id":277742,"date":"2026-09-03T01:02:07","date_gmt":"2026-09-03T01:02:07","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-pa\/277742\/"},"modified":"2026-09-03T01:02:07","modified_gmt":"2026-09-03T01:02:07","slug":"rehabilitation-work-to-improve-dam-lake-at-lackawanna-state-park-begins-in-september","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-pa\/277742\/","title":{"rendered":"Rehabilitation Work to Improve Dam, Lake at Lackawanna State Park Begins in September"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"\"<\/a> <\/p>\n

Beginning September 8, the\u00a0Pennsylvania Department of Conservation and Natural Resources\u00a0(DCNR) will begin lake level drawdown and rehabilitation work at\u00a0Lackawanna State Park<\/a>\u00a0in Lackawanna County. The project is expected to take approximately four months and should be completed by the end of January 2027.<\/p>\n

\u201cMaintaining safe and resilient infrastructure is a core part of our responsibility as stewards of Pennsylvania\u2019s 125 state parks,\u201d said\u00a0John Hallas, DCNR Director of State Parks. \u201cThis work at Lackawanna Lake is necessary to ensure the dam continues to operate safely and reliably for years to come. We appreciate visitors\u2019 understanding during the drawdown, and day\u2011use areas on land will remain open throughout the project. When the lake refills in the spring, people will be able to enjoy the park with the benefits of these important improvements in place.\u201d<\/p>\n

The work supports DCNR\u2019s proposed rehabilitation of the Lackawanna Dam, a 69\u2011foot-high, 350\u2011foot\u2011long embankment on the South Branch of Tunkhannock Creek. The dam impounds 2,400 acre\u2011feet of water, creating the 198\u2011acre Lackawanna Lake at normal pool elevation. It is classified as a \u201cHigh Hazard\u201d structure, which means that failure could impact nearby properties and lives; however, this designation does not mean that the dam is currently at risk of failing.<\/p>\n

Planned refurbishment includes repairing and replacing deteriorated concrete components, installing a new fiberglass access bridge, upgrading the control tower, improving the spillway, and completing other needed infrastructure updates. This work is part of a larger design\u2011build project to improve dams across the region. Lowering the lake will allow crews to safely access these areas, address sediment issues, and improve shoreline stability. These upgrades are needed to ensure long\u2011term dam safety, protect water quality, and support ongoing recreation for visitors.<\/p>\n

No large\u2011scale impacts are expected outside of the lake. Campground season is mostly over, and all park trails, parking areas, and surrounding recreation facilities will remain open. Normal visitor access around the park will continue throughout the project.<\/p>\n

DCNR is working directly with boat owners who moor at Lackawanna Lake to ensure they have the information and guidance needed during the drawdown.<\/p>\n

In coordination with the Pennsylvania Fish and Boat Commission, all fishing regulations related to seasons, sizes, and creel limits have been lifted at the lake, effective immediately, and anglers are encouraged to make good use of as many fish as they can while fishing access is sufficient. While shoreline fishing access will not be restricted during the early stages of the drawdown, conditions will continue to be assessed as necessary to ensure angler safety.<\/p>\n

Additionally, fall trout stocking at Lackawanna Lake has been canceled for 2026. Anglers seeking stocked trout opportunities this fall and during the winter ice fishing season can find alternate stocking locations on the PFBC\u00a0website<\/a>.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Beginning September 8, the\u00a0Pennsylvania Department of Conservation and Natural Resources\u00a0(DCNR) will begin lake level drawdown and rehabilitation work…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":277743,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[15],"tags":[178,180,179],"class_list":["post-277742","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-scranton","tag-scranton","tag-scranton-headlines","tag-scranton-news"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-pa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/277742","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-pa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-pa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-pa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-pa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=277742"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-pa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/277742\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-pa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/277743"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-pa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=277742"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-pa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=277742"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-pa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=277742"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}