How water management works, all day, every day

Pittsburgh USACE
Published Dec. 2, 2021
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Neal Moore, a canoe paddler on a 7,500-mile journey across the United States, paddles from the Roberto Clemente Bridge Boat Launch in Pittsburgh to continue his journey north on the Allegheny River, Aug. 31, 2021. Moore began his canoe travels in Portland, Oregon, in February 2020 with a plan of paddling along 22 rivers across America and finish at the Statue of Liberty in December 2021. (U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Pittsburgh District photo by Michel Sauret)

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A view of Pittsburgh from the West End Overlook Park, July 4, 2021. The Pittsburgh District locks and dams are open year-round, including on federal holidays, for recreational boaters to enjoy the city’s views and for commercial barges to navigate the waterways safely. (U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Pittsburgh District photo by Michel Sauret)

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Recreational boaters enjoy the water near the Point of Pittsburgh before the fireworks show July 4, 2021. The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Pittsburgh District locks and dams are open year-round, including on federal holidays, for recreational boaters to enjoy the city’s views and for commercial barges to navigate the waterways safely. (U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Pittsburgh District photo by Michel Sauret)

Conemaugh & Loyalhanna

A view of the creek downstream from the Loyalhanna Lake dam in Saltsburg, Pennsylvania, Oct. 22, 2021. The Conemaugh River Lake and the Loyalhanna Lake dams, managed by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Pittsburgh District, are located within eight miles of each other in Saltsburg, Pennsylvania. Their reservoirs flow downstream to join and form the Kiskiminetas River, which leads into the Allegheny River. The two dams are partners in providing navigation and reducing flood damage across the Pittsburgh region. (U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Pittsburgh District photo by Michel Sauret)

Conemaugh & Loyalhanna

A discharge plume of water from the Conemaugh River Lake dam in Saltsburg, Pennsylvania, is designed intentionally so the water can increase its oxygen levels when exiting the dam to improve water quality downstream Oct. 22, 2021. The Conemaugh River Lake and the Loyalhanna Lake dams, managed by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Pittsburgh District, are located within eight miles of each other in Saltsburg, Pennsylvania. Their reservoirs flow downstream to join and form the Kiskiminetas River, which leads into the Allegheny River. The two dams are partners in providing navigation and reducing flood damage across the Pittsburgh region. (U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Pittsburgh District photo by Michel Sauret)

Commander site visits

Col. Adam Czekanski, commander of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Pittsburgh District, listens to employees explain the challenges of hydrilla, an invasive water plant, at Mosquito Creek Lake in Cortland, Ohio, Sept. 28, 2021. Czekanski plans on visiting all 41 facilities within the Pittsburgh District by the end of October, which includes 16 flood-control reservoirs, 23 locks-and-dam sites, a warehouse on Neville Island, and the main office, spread across the district’s 26,000-square-mile footprint. (U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Pittsburgh District photo by Michel Sauret)

fishing restock at woodcock

A tub is filled with walleye and muskellunge for a fish restock at Woodcock Creek Lake at Saegertown, Pennsylvania, Oct. 12, 2021. The U.S. Army Corps of engineers Pittsburgh District purchased a restock of fish that included 325 walleye, 250 muskellunge, 16,000 golden shiner and 32,000 fathead minnows. The restock was conducted to help replenish the fish population at Woodcock, which suffered a loss in March when a malfunction caused an unexpected drop in pool from the lake, sending many fish downstream. The Pennsylvania Fish and Boat Commission partnered with the Pittsburgh District by conducting several fish studies over the months and offered guidance on which fish and how many to restock. (U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Pittsburgh District photo by Michel Sauret)

fishing restock at woodcock

Brian Ensign, a fisheries biologist for the Pennsylvania Fish and Boat Commission, drives a boat to assist with a fish restock at Woodcock Creek Lake at Saegertown, Pennsylvania, Oct. 12, 2021. The U.S. Army Corps of engineers Pittsburgh District purchased a restock of fish that included 325 walleye, 250 muskellunge, 16,000 golden shiner and 32,000 fathead minnows. The restock was conducted to help replenish the fish population at Woodcock, which suffered a loss in March when a malfunction caused an unexpected drop in pool from the lake, sending many fish downstream. The Pennsylvania Fish and Boat Commission partnered with the Pittsburgh District by conducting several fish studies over the months and offered guidance on which fish and how many to restock. (U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Pittsburgh District photo by Michel Sauret)

fishing restock at woodcock

Waterways conservation officers for the Pennsylvania Fish and Boat Commission scoop out fish from a tub for a fish restock at Woodcock Creek Lake at Saegertown, Pennsylvania, Oct. 12, 2021. The U.S. Army Corps of engineers Pittsburgh District purchased a restock of fish that included 325 walleye, 250 muskellunge, 16,000 golden shiner and 32,000 fathead minnows. The restock was conducted to help replenish the fish population at Woodcock, which suffered a loss in March when a malfunction caused an unexpected drop in pool from the lake, sending many fish downstream. The Pennsylvania Fish and Boat Commission partnered with the Pittsburgh District by conducting several fish studies over the months and offered guidance on which fish and how many to restock. (U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Pittsburgh District photo by Michel Sauret)

Charleroi Locks & Dam
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Contractors pump water out of the newly-constructed lock chamber at Charleroi Locks and Dam on the lower Monongahela River in Pennsylvania, Sept. 30, 2021. The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Pittsburgh District recently finished building the new lock chamber walls and has emptied it of approximately 20 million gallons of water, a process called dewatering, to allow contractors to begin adding the mechanical inner works of the chamber. The new lock chamber is 84 feet wide by 720 feet long, which will allow a nine-barge tow to lock through in 25 minutes, something that would take more than two hours using the older, smaller lock chamber. (U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Pittsburgh District photo by Michel Sauret)

Conemaugh & Loyalhanna
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A view of the stone arch overpass and a railroad track crossing over the Conemaugh River downstream from the lake’s dam in Saltsburg, Pennsylvania, Oct. 22, 2021. The Conemaugh River Lake and the Loyalhanna Lake dams, managed by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Pittsburgh District, are located within eight miles of each other in Saltsburg, Pennsylvania. Their reservoirs flow downstream to join and form the Kiskiminetas River, which leads into the Allegheny River. The two dams are partners in providing navigation and reducing flood damage across the Pittsburgh region. (U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Pittsburgh District photo by Michel Sauret)

Conemaugh & Loyalhanna
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A view of the Conemaugh River downstream from the lake’s dam in Saltsburg, Pennsylvania, Oct. 22, 2021. The Conemaugh River Lake and the Loyalhanna Lake dams, managed by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Pittsburgh District, are located within eight miles of each other in Saltsburg, Pennsylvania. Their reservoirs flow downstream to join and form the Kiskiminetas River, which leads into the Allegheny River. The two dams are partners in providing navigation and reducing flood damage across the Pittsburgh region. (U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Pittsburgh District photo by Michel Sauret)

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Neal Moore, a canoe paddler on a 7,500-mile journey across the United States, continues his journey north on the Allegheny River in Pittsburgh, Aug. 31, 2021. Moore began his canoe travels in Portland, Oregon, in February 2020 with a plan of paddling along 22 rivers across America and finish at the Statue of Liberty in December 2021. (U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Pittsburgh District photo by Michel Sauret)

trash on water
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Trash is seen floating on the Monongahela River at the Opekiska Lock and Dam in Morgantown, West Virginia, June 3, 2021. (U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Pittsburgh District photo by Michel Sauret)

Conemaugh & Loyalhanna
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A view of the creek downstream from the Loyalhanna Lake dam in Saltsburg, Pennsylvania, Oct. 22, 2021. The Conemaugh River Lake and the Loyalhanna Lake dams, managed by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Pittsburgh District, are located within eight miles of each other in Saltsburg, Pennsylvania. Their reservoirs flow downstream to join and form the Kiskiminetas River, which leads into the Allegheny River. The two dams are partners in providing navigation and reducing flood damage across the Pittsburgh region. (U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Pittsburgh District photo by Michel Sauret)

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The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers will celebrate and acknowledge community partners who were instrumental in completing an expansion of the Somerfield North Boat Ramp during a ceremony hosted in Addison, Pennsylvania. The project’s conception began in 2020 when members of the public approached Youghiogheny River Lake staff about shoreline issues limiting access to the Somerfield North courtesy dock. Construction of the project began in August 2020 and concluded the following November. (Courtesy photo)

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U.S. Army Corps of Engineers regulations require master plans to be periodically reviewed to ensure they meet current public and environmental needs. The Master Plan guides the use of government-owned and leased lands around the Youghiogheny River Lake, the Shoreline Management Plan aims to protect and manage the shoreline in a way that promotes safe and healthful use, and maintaining environmental safeguards ensure a quality resource for use by the public. Community input is critical to the Master Plan and Shoreline Management Plan updates and will affect the management and usage of Youghiogheny River Lake for the next 25 years.

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A tow barge moves along the Monongahela River during a sunrise in Pittsburgh Aug. 2, 2021. The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Pittsburgh District ensures safe navigation on the riverways in the region. The district's footprint covers 328 miles of navigable waterways, 23 navigational locks and dams, 16 reservoirs, and more than 80 local-flood damage-reduction projects across five states: Maryland, New York, Ohio, Pennsylvania and West Virginia. (U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Pittsburgh District photo by Michel Sauret)

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A miter gate closes at the Montgomery Locks and Dam, operated by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Pittsburgh District, on the Ohio River in Beaver County, Pennsylvania, Aug. 2, 2021. The Medium Capacity Fleet crew began work at Montgomery L/D in late July, and they will spend approximately a month to replace and repair components of the gate system and valves. Eventually, all of the gates will be lifted out of the water for additional repairs. (U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Pittsburgh District photo by Michel Sauret)

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Cord McKenna, a construction inspector, looks into the effluent pipe headwall of a waste-water treatment plant for a project partially funded under the Water Resource Development Act of 1936, in Amsterdam, Ohio, April 28, 2021. The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Pittsburgh District oversees projects like this one, which helps distressed communities receive federal assistance under WRDA. The district has seen a growth in water and sewage infrastructure demand and approved nine new water projects in Allegheny County and Northern West Virginia in the last three years under Section 219. Eastern Ohio is covered by Section 594 funds. The town of Amsterdam received 8.5 miles of sewer pipes and a new waste treatment plant, which they never had before. (U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Pittsburgh District photo by Michel Sauret)

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Rick Harp, a diver with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Pittsburgh District, performs a periodic inspection at Locks and Dam 4 on the Monongahela River in Belle Vernon, Pennsylvania, May 25, 2021. The Pittsburgh District Dive Team is responsible for inspecting locks and dams on the Monongahela, Allegheny and Ohio rivers. The team also inspect reservoirs and respond to emergencies, such as debris impeding locking operations. The diver team is made up of 15 members who volunteer as collateral duty. (U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Pittsburgh District photo by Michel Sauret)

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John Koshinksy, a resident of Saint Marys, Pennsylvania, takes off on a watercraft during the open house for the East Branch Clarion River Lake in Wilcox, Pennsylvania, May 27, 2021. The ceremony celebrates the completion of the $250 million, East Branch Clarion River Dam Safety Modification project. The open house followed a ribbon cutting celebrating the completion of the $250 million, East Branch Clarion River Dam Safety Modification project. The project began in 2014 and consisted of constructing a 2200 linear feet cutoff wall that penetrates up to 250 feet down through the middle of the earthen dam. (U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Pittsburgh District photo by Michel Sauret)

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Luke Losey fishes with his dog, Milo, on the East Branch Clarion River Lake in Wilcox, Pennsylvania, May 1, 2021. The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Pittsburgh District will host a ribbon-cutting ceremony followed by an open house event at the East Branch Clarion River Lake on May 27. The reopening celebrates the dam’s return to normal operations and its continued ability to reduce floods, improve downstream water quality and supports the environmental ecosystem. (U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Pittsburgh District photo by Michel Sauret)

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The sun rises over the East Branch Clarion River Lake in Wilcox, Pennsylvania, May 1, 2021. The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Pittsburgh District will host a ribbon-cutting ceremony followed by an open house event at the East Branch Clarion River Lake on May 27. The reopening celebrates the dam’s return to normal operations and its continued ability to reduce floods, improve downstream water quality and supports the environmental ecosystem. (U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Pittsburgh District photo by Michel Sauret)

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A bird flies to its nest at the Opekiska Lock and Dam in Morgantown, West Virginia, June 3, 2021. (U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Pittsburgh District photo by Michel Sauret)

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A barge locks through Locks and Dam 4 on the Monongahela River in Belle Vernon, Pennsylvania, May 25, 2021. The Pittsburgh District Dive Team is responsible for inspecting locks and dams on the Monongahela, Allegheny and Ohio rivers. The team also inspect reservoirs and respond to emergencies, such as debris impeding locking operations. The diver team is made up of 15 members who volunteer as collateral duty. (U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Pittsburgh District photo by Michel Sauret)

PITTSBURGH – A football coach manages players. An air traffic controller manages planes coming and going through the sky.

But who manages the nation’s waters?

Water management is, indeed, “a thing.” In fact, it is more than just a thing. Managing the flow of riverways is a core function of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and its Pittsburgh District.

Rivers are critical to navigation, industries, and ecosystems, but rivers can also devastate lives when a flash flooding submerges towns and rips away homes. So, how can anyone keep rivers under control?

In reality, no one can outright control a river, not any more than you can control your cat from howling in the middle of the night. All you can do is throw a balled-up sock at your cat when you do not feel like getting out of bed (not that the author is an expert in the subject).

Therefore, the Pittsburgh District does not control rivers, but they do manage them.

Water management in the district starts with a system of 16 reservoirs built over several decades, some dating back to the late 1930s. To help better understand the complexities of water management, we interviewed a few experts who could break it down “Barney Style.”

Megan Gottlieb is the Pittsburgh District Water Management Unit lead, with 15 years of experience in the field. We also interviewed biologists Carl Nim and Amy Jensen, who serve as environmental scientists for the district. Why biologists? Because water management involves science and stuff.

So, let’s get started.

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Youghiogheny River Lake to host appreciation ceremony for Somerset North Boat Ramp completion
The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers will celebrate and acknowledge community partners who were instrumental in completing an expansion of the Somerfield North Boat Ramp during a ceremony hosted in Addison, Pennsylvania. The project’s conception began in 2020 when members of the public approached Youghiogheny River Lake staff about shoreline issues limiting access to the Somerfield North courtesy dock. Construction of the project began in August 2020 and concluded the following November. (Courtesy photo)
Photo By: Courtesy photo
VIRIN: 100703-A-XX000-0001

PITTSBURGH DISTRICT: Let’s start by defining water management. What does it mean?

MEGAN GOTTLIEB: Water management helps ensure we use the water from the sky as best as possible.

PD: Wait, wait, wait. The sky? I thought we were talking about rivers. Do you control the clouds?

MG: No. We do not control the clouds. But water has to come from somewhere. So, it either rains down from the sky, or it melts from the snow.

PD: Rain and snow. Got it. Go ahead.

MG: If you think about it, our reservoirs are just like giant bathtubs. They hold back water from the rain and snow melts. All that water flows into our reservoirs, and their lake levels come up. Our reservoirs are just sitting there patiently, storing all this extra water. If it weren’t for those reservoirs, we would have a lot more flash floods in the region. Downstream communities and the Point of Pittsburgh would flood a lot more frequently. The parkway would get shut down regularly.

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Youghiogheny River Lake
U.S. Army Corps of Engineers regulations require master plans to be periodically reviewed to ensure they meet current public and environmental needs. The Master Plan guides the use of government-owned and leased lands around the Youghiogheny River Lake, the Shoreline Management Plan aims to protect and manage the shoreline in a way that promotes safe and healthful use, and maintaining environmental safeguards ensure a quality resource for use by the public. Community input is critical to the Master Plan and Shoreline Management Plan updates and will affect the management and usage of Youghiogheny River Lake for the next 25 years.
Photo By: Courtesy
VIRIN: 210805-A-XX123-001

PD: Pause there. When you say “reservoirs,” do you mean “lakes”?

MG: Our reservoirs are all man-made lakes. The Army Corps built dams at strategic locations turning creeks and rivers into massive reservoirs. Without our dams, those lakes wouldn’t exist today.

PD: So, how do these reservoirs work?

MG: Each reservoir has a dam with gates that allows us to control their outflow. Our reservoirs help us referee water to reduce flood risks downstream. You can equate it to a traffic controller. Each dam is like a traffic light, and we can decide which light goes green or red depending on what rivers need.

Conemaugh & Loyalhanna
Conemaugh & Loyalhanna
A discharge plume of water from the Conemaugh River Lake dam in Saltsburg, Pennsylvania, is designed intentionally so the water can increase its oxygen levels when exiting the dam to improve water quality downstream Oct. 22, 2021. The Conemaugh River Lake and the Loyalhanna Lake dams, managed by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Pittsburgh District, are located within eight miles of each other in Saltsburg, Pennsylvania. Their reservoirs flow downstream to join and form the Kiskiminetas River, which leads into the Allegheny River. The two dams are partners in providing navigation and reducing flood damage across the Pittsburgh region. (U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Pittsburgh District photo by Michel Sauret)
Photo By: Michel Sauret
VIRIN: 211022-A-TI382-0192

PD: What’s it like to manage all that water?

MG: It’s a juggling act. It’s challenging. It’s very, very technical. You have to look at the current water conditions, plus forecast conditions in the future, and be able to communicate those conditions across the entire district. We work holidays and weekends. We have someone on duty every day. If we expect flooding at the Point of Pittsburgh, that’s a stressful and deliberate operation to reduce the risk of that flood. It’s challenging. You have to know the conditions of 16 reservoirs and their relationship to each other. We make decisions every single day. We need to know all the nuances about each reservoir: summer pools, winter pools, how they all function, inflows, outflows, water temperatures, stakeholders and public citizens.

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Pittsburgh Locks Dams Independence Day
Recreational boaters enjoy the water near the Point of Pittsburgh before the fireworks show July 4, 2021. The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Pittsburgh District locks and dams are open year-round, including on federal holidays, for recreational boaters to enjoy the city’s views and for commercial barges to navigate the waterways safely. (U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Pittsburgh District photo by Michel Sauret)
Photo By: Michel Sauret
VIRIN: 210704-A-TI382-1235

PD: Why do you lower lake levels in the winter? Why can’t you keep a constant water level year-round?

MG: In the summer and fall months, water levels downstream typically start to dry up, so we need water stored in the reservoirs to help water flow year-round. That’s why the summer pool exists. It’s storage for the dry seasons. Rivers are like a checking account, while reservoirs are like a savings account. If you experience low-income months, but your bills stay the same, you tap into your savings account to pay your bills. Your bank account is going to decrease until you have more money coming in. The rivers need water, and that water has to come from somewhere – the reservoirs. The reservoirs are there to benefit the rivers.

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Safety First
A bird flies to its nest at the Opekiska Lock and Dam in Morgantown, West Virginia, June 3, 2021. (U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Pittsburgh District photo by Michel Sauret)
Photo By: Michel Sauret
VIRIN: 210603-A-TI382-608

PD: So why not let the rivers flow freely without reservoirs?

MG: Because flooding. We just talked about that.

PD: Oh. Right, right. We knew that.

MG: See what I mean? It’s a lot to manage.

PD: How do you know how much water to store and release at each reservoir?

MG: Each reservoir has its own guide curve we follow throughout the year. The guide curve at each reservoir projects where the lake should be if we had the perfect amount of water. However, sometimes we don’t have enough water, so we lower the lake levels to meet downstream flow targets. We drawdown reservoirs in the winter to allow for additional flood storage for the spring rain and snowmelt.

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East Branch Reopening
The sun rises over the East Branch Clarion River Lake in Wilcox, Pennsylvania, May 1, 2021. The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Pittsburgh District will host a ribbon-cutting ceremony followed by an open house event at the East Branch Clarion River Lake on May 27. The reopening celebrates the dam’s return to normal operations and its continued ability to reduce floods, improve downstream water quality and supports the environmental ecosystem. (U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Pittsburgh District photo by Michel Sauret)
Photo By: Michel Sauret
VIRIN: 210501-A-TI382-0100

PD: What’s the risk if we don’t follow those guide curves?

MG: There are several risk factors to holding a lake above its guide curve, but a major one deals with hurricane season. Reservoirs cannot hold unlimited amounts of water. We begin releasing water in the summer into hurricane season. If a reservoir is full, and a hurricane brings in more water, that water has to go somewhere. The reservoir could overflow. Holding the water later and longer could mean a bigger release during a high-water event, which means more erosion and flooding in a flash. We don’t want that.

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East Branch Reopening
John Koshinksy, a resident of Saint Marys, Pennsylvania, takes off on a watercraft during the open house for the East Branch Clarion River Lake in Wilcox, Pennsylvania, May 27, 2021. The ceremony celebrates the completion of the $250 million, East Branch Clarion River Dam Safety Modification project. The open house followed a ribbon cutting celebrating the completion of the $250 million, East Branch Clarion River Dam Safety Modification project. The project began in 2014 and consisted of constructing a 2200 linear feet cutoff wall that penetrates up to 250 feet down through the middle of the earthen dam. (U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Pittsburgh District photo by Michel Sauret)
Photo By: Michel Sauret
VIRIN: 210527-A-TI382-1051

PD: Why can’t we hold water after summer to enjoy boating a little longer? The weather is so beautiful in August and September!

MG: Holding more water at the reservoirs later in the year means depriving rivers, navigation, industries, and communities from the water they need downstream. Again, reservoirs exist to benefit the rivers. If we hold water longer at our reservoirs, we’d be saying reservoirs are of greater priority than the rivers, which is the opposite reason these reservoirs were built. Our reservoirs exist to protect and enhance rivers systems downstream, not the other way around.

trash on water
Water Quality
Trash is seen floating on the Monongahela River at the Opekiska Lock and Dam in Morgantown, West Virginia, June 3, 2021. (U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Pittsburgh District photo by Michel Sauret)
Photo By: Michel Sauret
VIRIN: 210603-A-TI382-437

PD: What other benefit do reservoirs provide besides flood risk reduction and navigation?

WATER QUALITY (Carl Nim & Amy Jensen): Step aside Megan, we got this.

PD: Oh, well, hey there, Carl and Amy! So, what other benefit do our reservoirs provide?

WC: They contribute significantly to water quality.

PD: Can you define water quality for us?

WC: Water quality, by definition, is inherently interdisciplinary. It looks at how chemical, physical and biological components in the water interact with each other. Seemingly independent things have complex effects on one another.

PD: Wow. Well. That was an incredibly scientific answer …

WC: We are scientists, so …

Commander site visits
Pittsburgh District commander visits field sites
Col. Adam Czekanski, commander of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Pittsburgh District, listens to employees explain the challenges of hydrilla, an invasive water plant, at Mosquito Creek Lake in Cortland, Ohio, Sept. 28, 2021. Czekanski plans on visiting all 41 facilities within the Pittsburgh District by the end of October, which includes 16 flood-control reservoirs, 23 locks-and-dam sites, a warehouse on Neville Island, and the main office, spread across the district’s 26,000-square-mile footprint. (U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Pittsburgh District photo by Michel Sauret)
Photo By: Michel Sauret
VIRIN: 210928-A-TI382-0005

PD. Can you break it down so non-scientists can understand?

WC: The water quality mission is based on history. Historically, industrial development has been hard on the waterways, either through pollution or by changing the river’s water temperature. Reservoirs help water quality by diluting pollution and sewage downstream as well as cooling waters, offsetting the damage caused by some industries.

PD: Why is water temperature important?

WC: Temperature has a lot to do with what can live in the water. Every critter needs a specific temperature to thrive and survive. Throughout the year, we try to meet different temperature standards in the water. Historically, some parts of the Mahoning River reached 100-105 degrees Fahrenheit, where maybe the maximum temperature aquatic life in that river can withstand is 89 degrees. Just like we don’t like 105-degree weather, aquatic animals don’t like it either in the water. We have cold water and warm water fisheries throughout the district. We discharge water at reservoirs that help level rivers at habitable temperatures.

fishing restock at woodcock
Woodcock Fish Restock
Waterways conservation officers for the Pennsylvania Fish and Boat Commission scoop out fish from a tub for a fish restock at Woodcock Creek Lake at Saegertown, Pennsylvania, Oct. 12, 2021. The U.S. Army Corps of engineers Pittsburgh District purchased a restock of fish that included 325 walleye, 250 muskellunge, 16,000 golden shiner and 32,000 fathead minnows. The restock was conducted to help replenish the fish population at Woodcock, which suffered a loss in March when a malfunction caused an unexpected drop in pool from the lake, sending many fish downstream. The Pennsylvania Fish and Boat Commission partnered with the Pittsburgh District by conducting several fish studies over the months and offered guidance on which fish and how many to restock. (U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Pittsburgh District photo by Michel Sauret)
Photo By: Michel Sauret
VIRIN: 211012-A-TI382-0469

PD: How can reservoirs change water temperatures?

WC: Colder water is denser, and therefore colder water tends to stick to the bottom of our reservoirs throughout the year. Some of our dams have gates that open up at different elevations, so we can release water at different temperatures to meet downstream targets.

PD: How do industries cause rivers to become too hot?

WC: Industries heat up water through discharge. It’s called thermal pollution. For example, coal fired-power plants on the river pull in cold water to cool down their boilers and discharge it into the water.

Charleroi Locks & Dam
Charleroi Dewatering
Contractors pump water out of the newly-constructed lock chamber at Charleroi Locks and Dam on the lower Monongahela River in Pennsylvania, Sept. 30, 2021. The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Pittsburgh District recently finished building the new lock chamber walls and has emptied it of approximately 20 million gallons of water, a process called dewatering, to allow contractors to begin adding the mechanical inner works of the chamber. The new lock chamber is 84 feet wide by 720 feet long, which will allow a nine-barge tow to lock through in 25 minutes, something that would take more than two hours using the older, smaller lock chamber. (U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Pittsburgh District photo by Michel Sauret)
Photo By: Michel Sauret
VIRIN: 210930-A-TI382-0081

PD: If we were to remove our dams, would we see a definite worsening in water quality?

WC: Things were in a bad state before our dams were built. Pittsburgh had dead rivers. There was little to no aquatic life because of industry until the 1960s. The rivers were in bad shape. The Kiskiminetas was a dead river, essentially because of all the acid-mine drainage. Water quality is extremely nuanced. There are people who don’t like having controlled water flows, but overall, it has benefitted the rivers. For example, the reason life is resuming in the Allegheny River is because of the water releases from the Kinzua reservoir.

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Canoe paddler
Neal Moore, a canoe paddler on a 7,500-mile journey across the United States, continues his journey north on the Allegheny River in Pittsburgh, Aug. 31, 2021. Moore began his canoe travels in Portland, Oregon, in February 2020 with a plan of paddling along 22 rivers across America and finish at the Statue of Liberty in December 2021. (U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Pittsburgh District photo by Michel Sauret)
Photo By: Michel Sauret
VIRIN: 210831-A-TI382-0899

PD: What about drinking water?

WC: The Pittsburgh District doesn’t make operations or decisions based on drinking water because it’s not within our authority. The states manage and set up their own standards for drinking water. However, the water quality mission we support improves aquatic life, which also means better drinking water for the surrounding communities.

PD: So, who benefits most from our water quality mission?

WC: It’s an ecosystem driver. The releases of our dams are heavily tied to the health in our rivers and our ecosystems. Aquatic and plant life benefit, which also benefit their surrounding habitats and communities. It’s a benefit that quadruples itself.

Conemaugh & Loyalhanna
Conemaugh & Loyalhanna
A view of the creek downstream from the Loyalhanna Lake dam in Saltsburg, Pennsylvania, Oct. 22, 2021. The Conemaugh River Lake and the Loyalhanna Lake dams, managed by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Pittsburgh District, are located within eight miles of each other in Saltsburg, Pennsylvania. Their reservoirs flow downstream to join and form the Kiskiminetas River, which leads into the Allegheny River. The two dams are partners in providing navigation and reducing flood damage across the Pittsburgh region. (U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Pittsburgh District photo by Michel Sauret)
Photo By: Michel Sauret
VIRIN: 211022-A-TI382-0699

PD: Who are your partners in improving water quality?

WC:  Water quality is strong because of its partnerships. We rely heavily on our partners to evaluate and maintain water quality. Our partners include the Department of Environmental Protection and the Fish and Boating Commission, not just here in Pennsylvania, but in all five states where our reservoirs are established.

fishing restock at woodcock
Woodcock Fish Restock
Brian Ensign, a fisheries biologist for the Pennsylvania Fish and Boat Commission, drives a boat to assist with a fish restock at Woodcock Creek Lake at Saegertown, Pennsylvania, Oct. 12, 2021. The U.S. Army Corps of engineers Pittsburgh District purchased a restock of fish that included 325 walleye, 250 muskellunge, 16,000 golden shiner and 32,000 fathead minnows. The restock was conducted to help replenish the fish population at Woodcock, which suffered a loss in March when a malfunction caused an unexpected drop in pool from the lake, sending many fish downstream. The Pennsylvania Fish and Boat Commission partnered with the Pittsburgh District by conducting several fish studies over the months and offered guidance on which fish and how many to restock. (U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Pittsburgh District photo by Michel Sauret)
Photo By: Michel Sauret
VIRIN: 211012-A-TI382-0458

PD: Thank you for taking the time to discuss our water management and quality missions in the Pittsburgh District! Any final thoughts?

WC: Whenever we were kids, our moms would always tell us, “Don’t go swimming in the Monongahela River. You know it’s nasty!” Now people my age are bringing their kids out there swimming and fishing because it’s improved that much. It’s a testament to nature’s resiliency.

MG: I love working in water management. People don’t have a phone number for mother nature, but they call up water management to find out how the rivers might behave. Our reservoirs hold water that impact the lives of thousands downstream. It’s not a joke. It’s not a boat ride. It’s an honor to operate the reservoirs the way they were intended.