Pride in 75: Yough Lake celebrates 75th anniversary
Carol Gulya, Farmington, spokesperson for Friends For the Yough Lake welcomes attendees to the 75th anniversary celebration of Youghiogheny River Lake, held Saturday, Aug. 19 at the beach area near the dam. Flanking Gulya are Colonel Nicholas Melin (left), Commander of the U. S. Army Corps of Engineers Pittsburgh District, and Vincent Klinkner, resource manager at Youghiogheny River Lake. (Photo by Ben Moyer)
U. S. Army Corps of Engineers water safety dog Bobber (left), Corps Pittsburgh District Commander Nicholis Melin, and Youghiogheny River Lake resource manager Vincent Klinkner prepare to bury two time capsules at the 75th anniversary celebration of Yough Lake.
Ben Moyer
Somerset County game warden Brian Witherite (left) and Fayette County game warden Brooke Hargenrader care for a sedated black bear the officers brought to the Yough Lake celebration for the educational benefit of visitors.
无毛视频淵ough Lake,无毛视频� as we think of it locally, is mostly a place to relax on a boat. But to the U. S. Army Corps of Engineers, managing the 16-mile-long impoundment, accurately known as Youghiogheny River Lake, is a diverse and complex mission.
On Saturday, Aug. 19, the Corps of Engineers and cooperating agencies, organizations, businesses, and individuals celebrated Youghiogheny River Lake无毛视频檚 75th anniversary at the beach and boat launch on the lake无毛视频檚 east shore near the dam. Attendees listened to speeches by Corps officials, and toured displays and exhibits offered by partner agencies and groups.
Youghiogheny River Lake无毛视频檚 primary purpose is to minimize, or prevent, flooding downstream on the Youghiogheny and Monongahela rivers. The lake opened to the public and began fulfilling its varied mission in 1948 无毛视频� 75 years ago. Construction of its earthen dam, impounding the Youghiogheny River, was finished in 1943 but steel needed to complete the discharge gates and other infrastructure was in short supply domestically during World War II. Steel, then, went to the war effort. So, Yough Lake could not begin serving downstream communities as it does now until the post-war supply chain delivered the needed steel.
无毛视频淭his 75th anniversary of the opening of Youghiogheny River Lake is a momentous occasion,无毛视频� said U. S. Army Corps of Engineers Pittsburgh District Commander, Colonel Nicholas Melin. 无毛视频淎 century ago, floods in this basin were a way of life. The flood of 1936 was so intense that people paddled boats on the streets of Pittsburgh. As a direct result of congressional authority, Youghiogheny River Lake is now one of sixteen reservoirs within the Upper Ohio River Basin that protect their communities downstream, and ultimately in Pittsburgh.无毛视频�
Among the 16 flood control reservoirs managed by the Corps无毛视频� Pittsburgh District are Loyalhanna Lake in Westmoreland County, Kinzua Dam/Allegheny Reservoir in Warren County, Conemaugh River Lake in Cambria County, and Stonewall Jackson and Tygart lakes on the upper Monongahela River in West Virginia. All these impoundments have designed-in capacity to retain floodwater, then release it slowly to prevent floods downstream. In severe region-wide flood events, the Corps can coordinate water releases from each dam, timed to minimize flooding in Pittsburgh where every drop of rain in the basin eventually arrives.
无毛视频淲e无毛视频檙e happy to be hosting this event,无毛视频� said Andrew Byrne, U. S. Army Corps of Engineers public affairs specialist. 无毛视频淚t无毛视频檚 an exciting opportunity to get together with the public we serve every day.无毛视频�
Byrne said that Youghiogheny River Lake has prevented $716 million worth of flood damage in downstream communities like Ohiopyle, Connellsville, West Newton, and Pittsburgh. Flood damage prevention by all 16 impoundments in the Corps无毛视频� Pittsburgh District totals in billions of dollars.
While Youghiogheny River Lake holds back flood waters, it also provides outdoor recreation and environmental benefits.
无毛视频淭he lake (Youghiogheny) has hosted 463,000 visitors to boat, fish, swim, camp, and enjoy this setting so far in 2023,无毛视频� said Colonel Melin. 无毛视频淚t also releases clean water as needed to dilute pollution events downstream, and a hydro-electric plant here at the dam generates non-polluting electricity that powers 8,000 homes in the area. Yough Lake is more than stone and rock. It无毛视频檚 saved lives, provided quality recreation, and helped manage our natural resources. It无毛视频檚 part of the landscape here now.无毛视频�
One highlight of the celebration was provided by game wardens from the Pennsylvania Game Commission. Game Warden Andrew Harvey, Somerset County, captured a black bear for research purposes and brought the sedated young female to the anniversary celebration so attendees could learn how officers gain important biological data from captured bears.
无毛视频淲e keep her eyes covered to protect them from the sun while the bear is under sedation,无毛视频� Harvey said. 无毛视频淲e无毛视频檒l extract a tooth that will tell us the bear无毛视频檚 age, take a blood sample, and then attach ear tags so she can be identified later.无毛视频�
Fayette County game warden Brooke Hargenrader had attempted to capture a bear in German Township for the event but was unsuccessful.
The Friends for the Yough Lake, a volunteer organization that assists the Corps of Engineers with implementing various projects coordinated much of the 75th anniversary celebration.
无毛视频淭he Friends for the Yough Lake are extremely appreciative of our local businesses and groups for their support of the 75th year celebration,无毛视频� said Friends for the Yough Lake spokesperson, Carol Gulya, of Farmington. 无毛视频淎 special 无毛视频楾hank you无毛视频� goes to Yough Lake Marine, Caney Valley SS Marine, Beaver Creek Anglers, Lakeside Marine, Woodford Oil, Turkeyfoot Fish and Game, Chestnut Ridge Chapter of Trout Unlimited, Beggs Printing, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and our Friends无毛视频� members for their support and contributions.
Colonel Melin, Youghiogheny River Lake resources manager Vincent Klinkner, and U.S. Army Corps无毛视频� water safety dog Bobber planted an eastern redbud tree to commemorate the occasion and buried two time capsules to be opened in 2048, at Yough Lake无毛视频檚 centennial anniversary. The capsules contained personal messages to the future from attendees.
无毛视频淥ur vision at Youghiogheny River Lake is to stand the test of time in all things,无毛视频� resource manager Klinkner said. 无毛视频淲e无毛视频檒l move forward making the critical decisions to upgrade our recreational offerings, manage natural resources, and maintain our dam to endure and serve.无毛视频�