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Leaser Lake to begin refilling



The dam at Leaser Lake in Lynn Township has undergone major upgrading after… (Douglas Kilpatrick, SPECIAL…)

November 13, 2012
Gary Blockus


Lehigh Valley anglers and boaters received very welcome news late last week when the state Department of Environmental Protection gave the final approval to begin refilling Leaser Lake in northwestern Lehigh County.

According to the Pennsylvania Fish and Boat Commission, the refilling process will begin in mid-December, and the 117-acre lake will be stocked with trout in time for the regional opening day of trout season on Saturday, March 30, 2013.

"This is great news for all the anglers, boaters and outdoor enthusiasts who use the lake and have been waiting patiently for the project to be completed," said PFBC Executive Director John Arway. "Rebuilding a dam is a big project which requires cooperation between state agencies, local officials and the public."

Leaser Lake, originally constructed with a dam in 1971, has now been rebuilt three times because of leakage issues. This latest repair had the lake drawn down in 2009 for the repair project, which included the addition of man-made and natural fish habitat structures to help the new population of fish that will be stocked in the lake.

"The long-term plan is to stock the lake with fingerlings from various warm-water species, like bass, crappie, blue gills and yellow perch, and allow those fish to grow over the next several years into a sustainable fishery," said Dave Miko, the chief of the PFBC Division of Fisheries Management.

"The short-term plan is to stock adult trout in the lake this spring so anglers can get back on the water and enjoy their sport. As long as the lake is about half-full, and anglers can safely access the water, we'll stock trout for the opener

Refilling the lake, which sits on approximately 526 acres of public land owned by the state and Lehigh County, will take some time. Rainfall will help fill the lake, but levels will also be determined by PFBC engineers, who plan on raising the water level two feet per week while monitoring the dam for any problems until it is full.

The $3.5-million repair project included a $500,000 contribution from Lehigh County, while the Leaser Lake Heritage Foundation raised funds to help pay for the fish habitat structures in conjunction with PFBC work.Also contributing to the price tag were grants for $750,000 from the Department of Conservation and Natural Resources' Community Conservation Partnerships, $500,000 from DEP, and $300,000 form PFBC's Growing Greener II program.

In addition to the lake itself, local Boy Scout troops and school districts helped formalize a trail system around the lake, which is on the south side of the Blue Mountain.

http://articles.mcall.com/2012-11-13/sp ... dation-cwd

Very cool