Officials with the Army Corps of Engineers will share details on a master plan draft revision for Beltzville Lake during an open house 4-6 p.m. Jan. 7 at the Towamensing Township Volunteer Fire Company.
The master plan for Beltzville Lake, which was last approved in 1971, needs to be updated to address changes in regional land use, population, outdoor recreation trends and management policy, according to a news release from the Corps.
Corps’ members will provide an opportunity for the public to ask questions and provide feedback. A 30-day public comment period will run Jan. 7 through Feb. 6.
The final master plan is slated for approval in April, according to the Corps’ website. The plan takes 18-24 months to complete. A previous public comment period started in October 2024.
The plan does not address flood risk management or water conservation.
For the open house, people can submit their thoughts via email to PDPA-NAP@usace.army.mil or via a comment form on https://www.nap.usace.army.mil/Missions/Civil-Works/Beltzville-Dam/Beltzville-Dam-Master-Plan/ the Master Plan Revision webpage.
Nestled in Beltzville State Park in Carbon County, the nearly 1,000-acre Beltzville Lake, which the Corps constructed in the early 1970s, is a popular fishing, boating and recreation spot for Lehigh Valley residents and others. The lake and Beltzville Dam are also a Corps’ flood control project, used to manage water levels in the Pohopoco Creek. The state Department of Conservation and Natural Resources manages the park.
The fire company is at 105 Firehouse Road in the township, near Lehighton.
