Aging Cokeburg dam to be stabilized beginning in June
COKEBURG – Work to stabilize an aging dam in Cokeburg is expected to begin by June in order to restore a lake that was a popular fishing destination.
The borough also has an upcoming meeting with the state Department of Environmental Protection to discuss the plan to stabilize the breastworks and construct a spillway at the dam at what once was used as a reservoir, said Cokeburg Councilman Harry Gorby.
“We’re moving right along, hopefully,” Gorby said.
The DEP about seven years ago ordered Cokeburg to either drain the lake and abandon it or make repairs to the century-old dam, which it said was at risk of failure during a heavy rainstorm. The borough elected to repair the dam and restore the lake, which had been leased to Ellsworth Sportsmen’s Club.
The lake, near routes 40 and 917, was drained almost entirely in September to prepare for the project. Boring and soil sampling has since taken place in order to determine the extent of the work needed.
Rather than requiring the borough to replace the breastworks at a huge cost, the DEP is allowing Cokeburg to construct a second earthen dam in front of the existing one in a project that is expected to cost $400,000.
Gorby said the money is in place for the work.
“We’re going to make the slope bigger,” he said.
The DEP is in regular contact with Cokeburg officials on the restoration project, said Lauren Fraley, the department’s spokeswoman in Pittsburgh.
“At this point, the subsurface evaluation has been completed and the department is waiting for a design plan from the engineer on the project,” Fraley said.