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Piers close as reservoir levels fall

Times Observer photo by Josh Cotton The Allegheny National Forest has closed fishing piers here, at Webb’s Ferry, and also at Elijah Run. Earlier this month, the Times Observer reported that the Allegheny Reservoir Level was four feet below normal. That level has fallen 5 feet since then.

Continued declines in the level of the Allegheny Reservoir has resulted in additional closures of recreation facilities on the Allegheny National Forest.

Chris Leeser, public affairs officer for the ANF, said Tuesday that the Forest Service would be closing fishing piers at Elijah Run and Webb Ferry effective Tuesday.

“The fishing piers are currently and completely out of the water,” he said, “preventing fishing and exposing needed repairs.”

He said those facilities would remain closed “until a safety inspection and any further needed actions are completed.”

Earlier this month, the Times Observer reported that the level of the Allegheny Reservoir water level was 4 feet below normal — 1,321.5 (feet above sea level), 4 feet below 1,325.5, which is normal summer pool.

Since that report, the level has fallen nearly 5 more feet.

According to Tuesday’s U.S. Army Corps of Engineer’s daily reservoir summary, the level is now 1,316.73 feet.

The forecast element of that summary expects the level to fall each day with the last day on the report, Sept. 4, projecting the level an additional foot lower at 1,315.67.

There are boat launch options available for the weekend, according to Allegheny Site Management, which oversees many of the ANF’s recreation sites.

They report in a Tuesday Facebook post that the left side of the launch at Elijah is closed but that two sections of dock are still in the water.

At Kiasutha, they report one section in the water but that the “lower portion of the ramp is heaved up. Use extreme caution launching at Kiasutha.”

At Willow Bay, the “ramp goes well beyond (the) dock but only one section of dock (is) in the water” while the “dock is completely dry” at Webb’s Ferry. “You can still launch, but no dock to utilize.”

“The reservoir’s discharge amount is set so we can maintain a downstream water level in Natrona,” Megan Gottlieb, the Corps of Engineers Pittsburgh District water management unit lead, said.

Natrona is located about 25 miles above Pittsburgh.

“If we receive a large amount of runoff into the reservoir, we will store that in order to return to summer pool to the best of our ability,” Gottlieb added, “but the reservoir is operated with the intent to maintain those water levels in Natrona.”

Leeser encouraged anglers looking for other fishing spots along the reservoir to consider sites such as the Red Bridge bank fishing area, Dunkle Corners boat launch, Kiasutha and Willow Bay recreation areas.

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