Yough water level remains low after relatively dry summer, fall

The lack of rainfall statewide has created some unique circumstances.

Seawater in the Delaware River. Exposure of a Fayette County bridge not seen in 30 years. And a rare opportunity to haul tires and trash from the Youghiogheny River in Westmoreland County.

In April, the Youghiogheny River was 14 feet deep where it winds through Ohiopyle, according to U.S. Geological Survey data. As of Wednesday, it was barely a foot deep. It’s hovered around that level since Oct. 20, excluding a brief period when it rose to nearly 2 feet Nov. 11-12.

The lack of rainfall has had some upsides.

The typically submerged Great Crossings Bridge at Yough River Lake has been uncovered and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers estimates that more than 40,000 people have flocked to see the 206-year-old span.

Lack of late-year rain

According to the National Weather Service, the region’s annual precipitation levels are above normal.

As of Wednesday, the region had seen about 38.8 inches of precipitation, roughly 3 inches above the annual average. That figure is much closer to the annual precipitation record (52.93 inches in 2004) than the all-time annual low (20.33 inches in 1930), records show.

But since August, the region surrounding the Yough has received only 11 inches of rainfall.

“In Deep Creek, Md., which is where the Yough’s headwaters are, they’ve had 46.1 inches of precipitation this year, which is a healthy amount,” said National Weather Service Meteorologist John Darnley. “But from June 1 to August, and then a couple more times, the rainfall graph sort of flatlines.”

The National Weather Service gathers some of its data from the nationwide Community Collaborative Rain, Hail and Snow Network. Data from one of its volunteers in McHenry, Md., shows that since August, it rained an inch or more just three times: Aug. 9, Aug. 30 and Oct. 1. What mostly stands out are large gaps in the calendar where there was hardly any rainfall at all, including a two-and-a-half-week stretch in early September when there was just 0.15 inches of rain.

“Even during the spring, they weren’t seeing as much rain as we had in Pittsburgh,” Darnley said. “And of course the rain in Pittsburgh is all flowing north and west toward the Ohio River. We had hardly any cyclonic flow over the Great Lakes, which brings that moisture to the area in the form of thunderstorms. We didn’t see much of that at all.”

The next few days may help out a little, with winter storm watches and warnings in effect for eastern Westmoreland and Somerset counties.

Halliburton hopes it doesn’t help too much, though.

“Hopefully the water doesn’t rise too much and we’ll still be able to get a good deal of tires out of the river,” he said.

Effects on wildlife

The local fish population hasn’t been harmed by the steep drop in water levels, according to the Pennsylvania Fish & Boat Commission’s Mike Parker.

“Fish might not be the smartest animals, but they’re not dumb. They know how to survive,” Parker said. “And lowering water levels is a gradual process, so there’s an adjustment period where they are able to seek out deeper water and places where they can survive without any issues.”

But fish confined to shallower waters could be more stressed out than usual, he added.

“It’s a good time to consider ethical fishing practices,” Parker said. “If you come upon a low section of creek or river and you see a lot of fish there, you should recognize that those fish are already pretty stressed. It seems like a good opportunity to catch a lot of fish, but ask yourself if there’s much sport in that.”

Parker said sudden changes in water temperature are much more likely to pose a danger to the local fish population.