Consent Order Issued for Drawdown and Repairs at Plum Creek Dam

A consent order has been issued regarding dam safety and drawdown at Plum Creek, requiring coordination with the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection. The order resolves the board's actions following a DEP declaration that the 92-foot-high earthen dam is "Unsafe." The DEP cited that the dam’s spillway cannot withstand major storm surges, and the structure suffers from deteriorating concrete and internal erosion. The order mandates that the lake be drained at a rate of no more than one foot per day, and a temporary sediment pool must be maintained through the fall of 2027.

The order requires the responsible association to submit a full engineering alternatives analysis within 340 days to evaluate repair costs. Once a design plan is approved by state officials, the association has 365 days to begin construction, which must be completed within two years.