1 Jul 2020

Blue Marsh Lake Swimming Beach to Open; Restrictions in Place for Holiday Weekend

The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers announced the swimming beach at Blue Marsh Lake will open to the public on July 2, 2020. The bathhouse and shower facilities at the beach will also open. Visitation in the Dry Brooks Day Use Area will be limited to 75% capacity. Park Rangers will be monitoring the visitation and closing the area as needed.

23 Jun 2020

Blue Marsh Lake Stilling Basin Closure Announcement

Beginning on June 29, 2020, portions of the Blue Marsh Lake Stilling Basin and Multi-Use Trail will be closed to the public. This closure is related to the ongoing Western Berks Water Authority pipeline construction project to connect the treatment plant directly to the dam.

28 May 2020

Army Corps observes National Dam Safety Awareness Day

The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers’ Philadelphia District recognizes National Dam Safety Awareness Day on May 31, which commemorates the 1889 failure of the South Fork Dam in Johnstown, Pa. The event was the nation’s worst dam failure and resulted in more than 2000 deaths. The USACE Philadelphia District owns and operates five earthfill dams in eastern Pennsylvania, which have prevented approximately $415 million in flood damages since their construction

19 Mar 2020

UPDATE: All scheduled events at Blue Marsh Lake cancelled

Following guidelines issued by U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Headquarters, all scheduled events at Blue Marsh Lake are cancelled until further notice. This includes all previously issued Special Use Permits for organized activities such as fishing tournaments, trail races, church services, and search and rescue training. The beach area is closed to public use and large group use of the picnic areas is prohibited. Park Rangers are still on duty and will be disbursing any large groups they come upon while on patrol.

16 Mar 2020

All scheduled events at Blue Marsh Lake cancelled

Due to concerns on the spread of the Coronavirus and based on guidelines from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, all scheduled events and programs at Blue Marsh Lake are cancelled until the end of the April.

2 May 2014

Blue Marsh Lake Day Use Area to Re-Open

With the reduction in lake level, the staff at Blue Marsh will open the Dry Brooks Day Use area and Church Road Access for day use activities on Saturday, May 3. Swimming at the beach area will be prohibited. Restroom facilities at both areas will be restricted to portable toilets only.

2 May 2014

Blue Marsh Lake begins water releases

May 2, 1014— Blue Marsh Lake recreation facilities have been closed to the public due to recent heavy rain and flood damage reduction actions. The lake level rose nearly five and a half feet higher than the normal summer pool. On the evening of May 1, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers determined the Schuylkill River could accept additional storm run-off and at 10 p.m., dam operators started taking actions to reduce water levels in the lake. The current release level from the dam is 2500 cubic feet per second. While this is not a major release, it is a significant amount of water.

1 Jul 2013

Blue Marsh Lake rangers remind visitors to play it safe

The Fourth of July week is upon us and the staff at Blue Marsh Lake is encouraging visitors to have fun, stay safe, and make it home alive. The week of the Fourth of July is the busiest week of the year at the project site, where people enjoy fishing, swimming, boating, hiking and more. While outdoor recreation is fun and healthy, we urge visitors to plan for the unexpected and think about these three safety tips this Fourth of July week.

3 Jun 2013

Army Corps to host Get Outdoors Day at Blue Marsh Lake

The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers’ Philadelphia District will host Get Outdoors Day at Blue Marsh Lake on June 15 from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. Visitors can enjoy free activities, including kayaking, fishing, dam control tower tours, biking, hiking, K9 demonstrations and visits from Bobber the Water Safety Dog and Smokey the Bear. Park Rangers and partner organizations will also hold a number of other water and outdoor safety programs throughout the day.

24 May 2013

Blue Marsh Lake visitors reminded to play it safe

Memorial Day is the kick off weekend of the summer at Blue Marsh Lake and visitors are encouraged to have fun, stay safe, and make it home alive. Blue Marsh Lake hosts over 900,000 visits annually where people enjoy fishing, boating, hiking and more. While outdoor recreation is fun and healthy, the project staff urges our visitors to plan for the unexpected and think about these three safety tips this Memorial Day.