LYMAN RUN DAM REFILL GRANTED

Lyman Lake will return in time for at least part of the 2008 recreation season.

Rich Adams, manager of watershed programs for the Dept. of Environmental Protection in Williamsport, confirmed that the department issued a re-fill permit last week. The announcement was made by Potter County Commissioner Cathy Bowers.

Adams confirmed that surface cracks in the new dam, discovered by engineers from Lehigh University, had been sealed and the 40-acre lake will be restored, probably starting in late March.

The park was once a premier tourist attraction, drawing about 130,000 visitors a year. However, the lake was drained in 2000 after structural deficiencies were detected in the dam. The state approved $17 million for the new dam in 2004.

Tiny Lyman Run and other water sources will fill the impoundment over a period of three to four months, park officials said.

Plans call for the lake to increase in depth by upwards of a foot per day for the first 13 days, after which time the filling will be suspended while inspections are performed. Another five feet will then be added, followed by more checks. If all is well, the lake restoration will be completed.

The new dam is 50 feet high and 1,000 feet long. A previous dam had stood since the early 1950s, creating a coldwater lake that was popular with trout anglers, boaters and swimmers.

Modern restrooms and shower facilities have been installed in two of the campgrounds at Lyman Run State Park.