Rep. Jaret A. Gibbons
10th Legislative District
Lawrence, Beaver, and Butler counties
Fighting for Hereford Manor Lakes
Hereford Manor Lakes

By November, the project to drain and dismantle the dams at Hereford Manor Lakes should be complete, but it must not be the end of the lakes’ history. Funding must be found to rebuild the dams and reopen the lakes which are an important recreation and economic part of our community.

Until then, the property must remain a public green space. What will happen to the land uncovered by the receding water is under consideration. I believe it should be used for hiking, panics and other recreational activities. The Pennsylvania Fish and Boat Commission owns the land and operates the site.

Lakes Must Be Restored

The Fish and Boat Commission and DEP engineers have determined these aging dams are unsafe and must be removed. I am disappointed that Governor Corbett will not considering funding construction of the dams by tapping a portion of the state’s royalties from gas drilling on state-owned land or an impact fee on Marcellus Shale drillers. Restoring the lakes must remain a priority for the state, therefore I will introduce legislation in the near future that would help provide the needed funding for the project.

Legislative Hearing

I hosted a House Majority Policy Committee hearing in Ellwood City to discuss the lakes' future. The lakes' many supporters and I were encouraged by the Fish and Boat Commission supports rebuilding the dams.

The lakes are important to our economy. More than 120,000 licensed anglers live within 30 miles of the lakes. The average angler spends more than $600 annually on fishing.

Tom King, director of the Beaver County Recreation and Tourism Department, told the policy committee, "The loss of Hereford Manor Lake as a recreational facility fishery would have a significant negative impact on the amount of money being spent in the region by not only anglers, but by sportsmen perusing their favorite activity in Beaver County."

High-risk Dams

Both dams were built in the 1950s as part of a strip mining operation. The lakes were purchased by the Fish and Boat Commission which classified the dams as “high risk” in 2001. Engineering studies concluded heavy rains could cause the dams to fail, posing a risk to lives and property downriver, including the Zelienople Community Airport.