| Harrisburg, PA – The
Pennsylvania Fish and Boat Commission (PFBC) will begin a winter drawdown of High
Point Lake in Somerset
County next month, lowering the lake level by approximately 10 feet between September and March. The drawdown
is part of the PFBC’s
strategy to reduce and control weed congestion in the lake, which has adversely affected some fish species.
“Over
the past 10 years, aquatic plants have proliferated to the point where the eastern and southeastern
portions as well as shallow areas along much of the shoreline of High Point Lake have become congested,” said
PFBC Area Fisheries Manager Rick Lorson. “This weed congestion has increased to a nuisance level, impacting
fish populations and fishing. Our strategy is intended to reduce the amount of aquatic plants and create a balanced
warmwater and coolwater fishery similar to that at Lake Somerset. As a result, we expect walleye, yellow perch, and
bluegill to improve in size and numbers at High Point.”
This is the first year for the winter drawdown on High
Point Lake. The Commission will then draw it down every two years, with the next one planned for 2010.
Lake Somerset has been managed with winter drawdowns since 1988.
The 2008 drawdown at High Point Lake
will be in addition to a drawdown of 5 feet in place since fall of 2007. That drawdown was required
by the state Department of Environmental Protection in order to make spillway repairs. The spillway
repairs are scheduled to be completed this fall, along with additional work on the launch ramps. However, Lorson notes
that the drawdowns may make the boat launch ramps unusable during this period.
In March, the stop logs that are removed
to draw down the lake will be placed back into the tower of the dam. Then, runoff from streams entering
the lake, snowmelt, and rainfall combine to refill the lake.
High Point Lake is a 338-acre PFBC-owned
impoundment located in southern Somerset County near Savage, Pa. It is managed for fishing opportunities
for largemouth bass, smallmouth bass, northern pike, crappies, bluegill, yellow perch, brown bullhead,
and walleye. Over the last 40 years, the lake has supported a diverse fishery comprised of warmwater and coolwater
species.
Please contact Area Fisheries Manager Rick Lorson at 814-445-3454 or rlorson@pa.gov for additional information
about High Point Lake or other lakes in the area.
The mission of the Fish and Boat Commission is to
protect, conserve, and enhance the Commonwealth’s
aquatic resources and provide fishing and boating opportunities. For more information about fishing
and boating in Pennsylvania, please visit our website at www.fishandboat.com. |
