CURWENSVILLE LAKE – The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers has begun the process of updating the Master Plan and preparing an Environmental Assessment for the Curwensville Lake project in Clearfield County.
All Army Corps dam projects have a master plan that serves as the project’s guiding document for responsible decision making for a lifespan of 15 to 25 years.
Master plans include land use classifications that govern the way land is managed and used at the project to provide good stewardship and outdoor recreation.
The Curwensville Lake Master Plan revision will consider all Army Corps managed and maintained portions of land at Curwensville Lake.
The revision will not consider specific future development opportunities for leased areas, including Clearfield County recreation area, and lake and land areas managed by the Pennsylvania’s Fish and Boat Commission and Game Commission.
The Master Plan revision will also not change the technical operations of the lake as related to its primary mission of flood risk management. Curwensville Lake’s last master plan revision was in 1968.
The revision is part of an Army Corps-wide effort to bring master plans up to date across the country. An Environmental Assessment (EA) is being prepared in accordance with National Environmental Policy Act guidelines.
The Army Corps is requesting that federal and state agencies provide expert information that may be pertinent to this assessment.
The public can request a public scoping meeting to discuss the scope and intent of this project with the Army Corps. Questions, feedback and requests for a scoping meeting can be sent to Andy Hofmann at Andrew.d.Hofmann@usace.army.mil or 410-962-4370 by July 13, 2019.
Additionally, questions can be mailed to U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Operations Division, Subject: Curwensville Lake Project, 2 Hopkins Plaza, Baltimore, MD 21201.
All updates regarding the Master Plan revision, future public meeting information, the current master plan and ways to submit comments or questions may be found on the following site: https://www.nab.usace.army.mil/CL-Master-Plan-Revision/.
The draft Master Plan and EA are anticipated to be publicly released in spring 2020. A public review meeting will be held during this time for the public to submit ideas, comments and feedback on the draft Master Plan and draft EA.
Details will be announced in advance of the meeting indicating the location and time.
About the Curwensville Lake Project
The Curwensville Lake project has prevented an estimated $229 million in flood damages for the local community. Curwensville Lake is located on the West Branch of the Susquehanna River in Clearfield County, Pa.
Curwensville Dam is an earth-fill structure with a spillway and a gate-controlled outlet. The project controls a drainage area of 365 square miles or 98 percent of the West Branch at Curwensville and 75 percent at Clearfield.
The project reduces the flood heights along the West branch below the dam, and provides a lake for recreation. The project is a unit of the comprehensive flood control plan for the protection of communities in the West Branch Susquehanna River Basin and was authorized by the Flood Control Act approved Sept. 3, 1954.
Clearfield County operates and maintains the recreation area, which includes a beach, boat launch, picnic areas, athletic fields, playgrounds, picnic pavilions and a 43-site campground. Recreation is offered from Memorial Day to Labor Day.
