Lake Augusta on path to full boating season

Apr. 2—SUNBURY — Boating season on the Susquehanna River and Lake Augusta is expected to be normal this year for the first time in three years.

Shikellamy State Park Manager Andrew Leidich said this week that barring any unexpected damages to the Adam T. Bower Memorial Dam following routine inspections, the boating season will start Memorial Day weekend. The ongoing $3.3 million fish passage project at the dam, which is expected to be completed this year, will not affect the boating season.

"We will do our dam inspection in early April, which will take at least two days," said Leidich. "We like to do it in early April so we can budget repairs if needed. We'll start dam inflation in early May, and it will take a few weeks to create Lake Augusta, install the docks by mid-May and everything will be ready by Memorial Day weekend. Everything is on track to be a traditional season. We do not anticipate any issues."

A $1.07 million repair project caused the boating season to be shortened in 2021 and delayed in 2022. The inflation of the dam each year on the Susquehanna River creates the 3,000-acre Lake Augusta.

Bag six, the second one from the Shamokin Dam side, suffered damage in 2019 from multiple high-water events. A routine bag replacement was set for fall 2021, but high river levels and lower temperatures prevented the project, postponing it until 2022.

The season ends in late September and the dam is lowered in early October.

City, rowing association excited for new season

Sunbury City Councilman Jim Eister said the city's docks along the water on the riverfront park will likely be installed in May. He must confirm with the state and then select a date with the contractor HRI Inc., of State College, to bring in a crane to install the 12-piece dock over the wall.

"If it's a regular season, we'll be installing in May," said Eister. "We lost two years, probably more with COVID. We have a lot of events scheduled at the river. We're excited for this season."

The city docks were not installed in 2020 due to COVID-19. The docks have been a summer staple since 2012, when the riverfront park was officially dedicated and opened, said Eister.

Boats often use the docks to place their boats, walk along the river and go downtown to eat at restaurants. Families picnic along the river, said Eister.

Richard Orwig, the former president of the Central Pennsylvania Rowing Association, recently moved away from the Valley to North Carolina to be closer to family.

"We really miss the Susquehanna River," said Orwig. "The rowing there can't be better, as long as that dam is up. We're rowing in a puddle here (in North Carolina), relatively speaking."

Orwig said he has rowed all over the nation and the world, but he prefers the Susquehanna River and Lake Augusta.

The Central Pennsylvania Rowing Association in 2016 relocated its headquarters and boathouse from near the junction of Routes 11 & 15 and the former Tedd's Landing to the island portion of the Shikellamy State Park near the courtesy dock.

"We're excited to be on the water from our boathouse in the park this year," said association President Alan Marchiori. "Our season will begin once the dam is inflated and run through the fall. Adult and youth learn to row classes will happen in June as usual."

More information will be posted on the Association website at www.rowpa.org and on Facebook www.facebook.com/RowPA.

Fish passage project

The fish passage project led by contractor KC Construction is also moving along without issue. The fishway project is designed "to not interfere with the season whatsoever," said Leidich.

"We were expecting more of a winter shutdown," he said. "They have been able to work through the entire winter. It's still on track to be finished around October. We're right on schedule. If we have a lot of high water events this year, it will impact the schedule for the fish passage. It would flood out the entire worksite."

The nature-like fish passage will create a 900-foot-long stream on the western shoreline of the dam, between the dam itself and the Shamokin Dam borough-owned Fabridam Park. When Lake Augusta is at its full pool depth, water will pass around the dam structure through the stream. The slope throughout the passage will create approximately 10 feet in elevation, allowing aquatic life to pass over the dam and into Lake Augusta freely and safely, according to Department of Conservation and Natural Resources (DCNR).

The fish passage will be created out of rock and rip rap material. It will be approximately 35 feet wide and 5 feet deep during normal operation. Within the passage, there will be a series of four deeper pools that will assist the upstream movement of aquatic life. American shad and American eel are the primary species that need the passage for migration, according to DCNR.

The downstream entrance of the fish passage is located approximately 130 feet below the dam. Along the downstream side of the fish passage, there will be a walking path that will serve as the bank to the fish passage, as well as pedestrian access to the river for recreational purposes, according to DCNR.

Paving project at the park

Additionally, the boat ramp and parking area at the Shikellamy State Park will be repaved this summer. The bid is set to be awarded in mid-April. The engineers estimate the project to be $202,100, said Leidich.

This includes the main boat ramp, three launch lanes and 90 parking stalls, he said.

"It will be sometime this summer. The exact date, we're not sure yet. It will be during weekdays so we're not impacting boating weekend," said Leidich.

It is expected to take two to three days, he said.

"It's going to look really nice when it's finished," said Leidich.

Leidich also said the concessionaire for the boat rental and fuel sales has not been filled this year. No one bid on the application, he said.