Yough River Lake down to 1 boat launch as season nears its end

Yough River Lake in Somerset County will be down to just one usable launch ramp as federal officials close out the typical recreation season a little earlier than usual, they said Friday.

“We were a little bit ahead this year because of the dry season,” said Vince Klinkner, resource manager at the lake, which is operated by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. “The facility itself isn’t closing, we’re open year-round. But some of our accesses and amenities have closed and will be closing soon.”

The lake’s Mill Run and beach access ramps closed shortly after July 4, Klinkner said, and recent lower water levels required lake officials to shut down the Summer Field North boat ramp.

“We do still have the spillway launch ramp available,” he said. “Our typical recreation season runs through Labor Day, and the lake itself won’t be closing down.”

Craig Evanego, National Weather Service meteorologist in State College, said southern Somerset County and its neighbors in Maryland have had a dry summer.

“Garrett County in Maryland has been under extreme drought conditions for a while now, and so was southern Somerset briefly,” he said. “What’s feeding the Yough River Lake is largely coming from down in Maryland in the higher terrain, and it’s been a lot drier down there.”

Klinkner also said a red algae bloom that forced some restrictions earlier in the season appears to have passed.

“Our samples from last Monday came back with natural levels below any threshold for an advisory,” he said. “With the rain and cooler evenings, we believe the bloom’s over, so we have no restrictions in place right now.”

Keystone Beach Park in Derry Township, which also was affected by an algal bloom, closed to swimmers in late July and remains that off limits.

Swimming areas at Laurel Hill State Park remain open through mid-September.