19 May 2014

NASA partners with Marine Design Center to refurbish barge

NASA's Pegasus barge, which throughout the space shuttle era ferried shuttle external tanks and other hardware from NASA's manufacturing site in New Orleans to its Florida launch facilities, is about to cast off on a new mission as part of NASA's efforts to send humans to deep space. NASA is collaborating in the barge's return to service with the U.S. Army Corp of Engineers' Marine Design Center, headquartered in Philadelphia, which made the contract award May 14. NASA's Marshall Space Flight Center in Huntsville, Alabama, maintains the barge for the agency.

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.