Cowanesque Lake Project Kicks Off

The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers at Tioga-Hammond and Cowanesque Lakes and the Pennsylvania Fish and Boat Commission last week commenced work to complete Pennsylvania’s largest fish habitat improvement project.

About 2,500 tons of rock rubble humps and reefs will be placed into Cowanesque Lake through a cooperative partnership between the Pennsylvania Fish and Boat Commission and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. These structures will provide habitat and cover for a variety of macro invertebrates such as crayfish and may flies. These structures will benefit the entire ecosystem as well as anglers alike for generations to come.

A national survey conducted by Mississippi State University in 2010 found that the main factor in lake habitat impairment in the northeast United States is the lack of structural habitat. In order for fisheries to reach full fish production potential, the reservoir needs 30 to 50 percent coverage of natural, native, and artificial habitat.

This project will bring the lake into this optimal range, providing the best habitat for fish.

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