WHITE HAVEN, PA -- The U.S. Army Corps Engineers’ Philadelphia District shared the 2025 Recreation Plan for the Francis E. Walter Dam. The plan specifies dates and actions associated with whitewater and fishing releases from the dam from late March to early October of 2025. USACE coordinates the plan with the Pennsylvania Fish & Boat Commission and the Pennsylvania Department of Conservation and Natural Resources.
In 2025, the plan includes 24 whitewater releases and 22 fishing enhancement releases (unchanged from prior years). The 2025 recreation plan has one minor change from the prior year. In the event of excess storage above elevation 1355, and after all other increments have been funded, any additional storage will be utilized for fisheries augmentation releases from Saturday, September 27 through the start of mega release ramping on Thursday, October 9.
Dates for fishing releases and whitewater releases are noted below. Several dates are dependent on adequate water storage in the reservoir. It’s important to note that the need for flood control operations could result in the cancellation of any scheduled dates.
Whitewater Releases Schedule (dates with * are dependent on adequate water storage):
- May: 10, 17, 24, 25
- June: 7, 8, 21, 22
- July: 12, 13, 19, 20, 26, 27
- August: 2, 3, 9, 10, 16, 17, 23*, 24*, 30*, 31*
- October: as provided by end of year releases
Fishing Enhancement Releases Schedule
Planned dates (16) for fishing releases (target 400cfs*)
- *March: 22, 23, 29, 30
- *April: 5, 6, 12, 13, 19, 20, 26, 27
- *May: 3, 4, 11, 18
- * Release will be set to match inflow with a target release up to 400cfs. Inflow will not be augmented by use of storage to satisfy the 400cfs target.
Planned dates (6) for fishing releases (target 350 cubic feet per second**) are:
- **September: 6, 7, 13, 14, 20, 21
- **** With the pool at 1365 on July 1, storage is sufficient to support the planned white-water recreation releases through August 17 and Fisheries augmentation releases of up to 100 cubic feet per second through Friday July 11 and up to 50 cubic feet per second through Friday 5 September. After those dates, additional water must be accumulated during the recreation season to make the six additional 350 cubic feet per second fishing releases possible.
More details are available at: https://www.nap.usace.army.mil/Missions/Civil-Works/Francis-E-Walter-Dam/Flow-Management-Plan-Schedule/
Release no. 24-041