Stevenson Dam Rehabilitation Project Approved

A $23 million rehabilitation project has been approved for the George B. Stevenson Dam at Sinnemahoning State Park, near the Potter/Cameron county border. Safety risks at the 57-year-old dam will be addressed with construction of a grout curtain and cutoff wall along the upstream toe of the embankment to eliminate or greatly reduce the amount of seepage through the rock foundation. Engineering studies have shown the potential for embankment material to wash away, threatening a failure of the dam that could affect communities as far downstream as 140 miles. Funds for the dam project, to be supervised by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, will come from state-issued bonds. The Corps maintains Stevenson Dam and three other structures to control flooding on the West Branch of the Susquehanna River. George B. Stevenson Dam was built for flood protection in 1955. The 142-acre reservoir offers opportunities for fishing and boating in a biologically diverse, sprawling 1,910-acre park.