Published: March 31, 2009 11:58 pm      

Project to lure more fish to 3 dams

At first glance, a plan involving plain hemlock boxes and small piles of rock is not likely to rouse much excitement among a large portion of the local citizenry.

But experts expect fish to react more favorably, and that’s good news for anyone who has ever cast a line into three large reservoirs in Cambria and Somerset counties.

The 300 boxes and 60 tons of rock are an integral part of a $90,000 plan to dramatically boost lake habitat at the Quemahoning, Hinckston Run and Wilmore reservoirs.

The bottom line: “You’ll see more fish,” promised Ben Page of the state Fish and Boat Commission at a public meeting Tuesday night.

When Bethlehem Steel Corp. built the Que and Hinckston Run dams, the steelmaking giant cleared all debris, including trees and stumps, before allowing water to fill the reservoirs.

That suited Bethlehem’s water-supply needs. But “it was about the worst thing you could do for a fishery” because it erased most habitat, said Jim Greco, Cambria Somerset Authority board chairman.

After the authority was formed to take over the Bethlehem reservoirs about a decade ago, officials promised to satisfy the public’s demands for fishing and hunting at the formerly closed sites.

Boat launches have been installed.

Now, officials are trying to revive the fish population at all three bodies of water by providing man-made “habitat.”

Phase two of that project will include placement of 100 boxes at each reservoir, along with rock “rubble humps.”

Also, crews will fell some shoreline trees.

The activity, to take place in May, June and July, mirrors a smaller first phase completed last year.

The idea, said Fish Commission official Dave Houser, is to create a “microhabitat” not only for fish but also for aquatic insects, crustaceans and plankton.

Houser could not hazard a guess as to how much the structures will increase fish population. But he knows from decades of experience that the habitat measures work.

“If you build it, they will come,” he said.

The project is a cooperative effort of the Fish Commission, Cambria Somerset Authority and the conservation districts in Cambria and Somerset counties.

This year’s work is funded by the state and through grants from the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation and ESPN Bassmasters.

Another, even larger, phase is expected to come to fruition in the winter of 2010-11.

“We’re looking at over $200,000 being spent to improve fish habitat in our reservoirs,” Greco said, adding that, “other than manpower, it’s all grant money.”

Officials are looking for volunteer help to install the vertical-plank habitat structures in June. For more information, call the authority at 532-8851.

“We do need some folks to help us do this,” said Len Lichvar, Somerset County Conservation District manager. “It doesn’t happen by accident.”