Somerset County Conservancy Charitable Trust

SOMERSET LAKE IS A 253 ACRE IMPOUNDMENT OWNED BY THE COMMONWEALTH OF PENNSYLVANIA IT IS MANAGED BY THE FISH AND BOAT COMMISSION FOR PUBLIC FISHING AND RECREATION IN 2012 WATER WAS DISCOVERED IN THE BREAST OF THE DAM, WHICH LED TO IT BEING LISTED AS A HIGH HAZARD THE STATE DEDICATED 7 MILLION TO FUND THE DAM REPAIR AND THE LOCAL COMMUNITY RAISED 100,000 TO AUGMENT THAT FUNDING THE LAKE WAS DRAINED IN OCTOBER 2017 AND WAS SCHEDULED FOR REPAIR IN THE FALL OF 2018 DUE TO UNEXPECTED PERMITTING DELAYS THE DAM REPAIR WAS DELAYED UNTIL THE SUMMER OF 2020 THE SOMERSET COUNTY CONSERVANCY CHARITABLE TRUST SCC APPLIED FOR NATIONAL FISH HABITAT PARTNERSHIP FUNDING IN 2020 AND 2021 BUT THE PROPOSALS WERE NOT FUNDED THE LAKE BEGAN FILLING IN 2021 AND SCC, IN PARTNERSHIP WITH PENNSYLVANIA FISH AND BOAT COMMISSION S PFBC LAKE HABITAT PROGRAM, INITIATED HABITAT RESTORATION EFFORTS THIS PROJECT WILL EXPAND ON PREVIOUSLY COMPLETED STRUCTURAL HABITAT RESTORATION EFFORTS BY INSTALLING 1 8 STONED FRAMED DEFLECTORS 240 FEET OF SHORELINE WILL BE STABILIZED 2 6 MODIFIED MUD SILL, SAWTOOTH DEFLECTORS, OR STONE DEFLECTORS SPECIFIC TECHNIQUE WILL DEPEND ON WATER LEVEL AT TIME OF STRUCTURE PLACEMENT 3 400 SHORT VERTICAL PLANK STRUCTURES 4 50 CATFISH BOXES 5 18 TURTLE BASKING PLATFORMS 6 300 PORCUPINE CRIBS 7 200 FELLED TREES SOMERSET IS A MAJOR RECREATIONAL DESTINATION FOR THE LOCAL COMMUNITY THE HABITAT RESTORATION EFFORTS WILL IMPROVE POPULATION STRUCTURE OF ALL MAJOR RECREATIONAL SPECIES BASS, CRAPPIE, SUNFISH AND WALLEYE THIS SHOULD RESULT IN INCREASED PUBLIC VISITATION AND THE RESULTANT INCREASES IN ASSOCIATED ECONOMIC ACTIVITY