Bear Creek Lake

About Bear Creek Lake

The primary purpose of Bear Creek Lake is recreation. The dam creates a reservoir used for recreational activities such as fishing, boating, and swimming. The dam is owned by Bear Creek Association (private). It impounds the Bear Creek.

The dam stands 17 feet tall and stretches 325 feet across, creates a reservoir covering 80 acres, has a maximum storage capacity of 765 acre-feet, and collects water from a drainage area of 35 square miles. Completed in 1915, the structure is over a century old.

This dam carries a high hazard potential classification, which means that a failure or uncontrolled release of water would likely cause loss of human life. This classification reflects the consequences of failure, not the likelihood — it indicates that people live or work in the area downstream. Its condition is rated satisfactory, indicating no existing or potential dam safety deficiencies are recognized. An emergency action plan is in place for this dam. The most recent inspection on record was 01/27/2021.

Living Downstream

If you live or work downstream of this dam, consider taking these steps: learn your local evacuation routes, check whether your county emergency management office has a dam failure inundation map, and sign up for local emergency alerts. The Pennsylvania dam safety program can provide more specific information about emergency planning for this structure.

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