Residents urge Susquehanna County commissioners to intervene as DEP plans to drain two private lakes

Residents of two private lakes told the Susquehanna County Board of Commissioners during public comment that the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection plans to drain Lake Marge and Lake Sophia within weeks because the lakes’ private dam owners have failed to keep up safety repairs.

At a meeting attended by Chairman Hall, Vice Chair Darrow and Commissioner McNamara, Bob Anderson, who identified himself as representing residents from Lake Marge and Lake Sophia, said the DEP notified residents that the lakes would be drained “in the next few weeks.” Anderson said the agency would not relocate wildlife and that the draining would leave “decayed swamp pits” that would harm property values, public health and the local environment.

The speakers’ request: county officials use their influence to contact DEP and state legislators, advise residents about property-assessment appeals and legal options, and consider short-term steps to delay draining until later in the year.

Why it matters: residents said the drain will create a public-nuisance smell, attract predators, spread decay into downstream waterways and reduce lakefront property values. Anderson said he had letters showing DEP identified dam problems in 2003 and that enforcement delays contributed to deterioration. He told the commissioners the contractor contracted to begin draining had told him the work “might be within the next week or two.”

What the commissioners said: Chairman Hall acknowledged the commissioners’ limited legal authority over the state agency but said they would “reach out to [DEP] and do what we can to try and at least … solicit conversations” and to contact state representatives, which may buy time for residents. Hall also advised property owners to consult solicitors and said owners can seek reassessment from the county assessment office if property values fall.

Discussion details: Anderson raised four areas where he sought county help—representation to state and federal levels, property-assessment support, planning/development assistance and ensuring county services—arguing the draining would hurt county tax revenue and tourism. He also said DEP told residents that owners would have a five-year window after draining to repair and reestablish the lakes, but that the cost could be prohibitive. Anderson quoted a contractor’s estimate and residents’ concerns about figures ranging from roughly $700,000 to $1.5 million to fix dams and restore lakes; he said many lakefront residents are retired and cannot afford those costs.

Residents and speakers pressed two practical requests: delay the drain until late fall (to avoid summer heat and odor) and for commissioners to press DEP for alternatives. One resident asked whether federal or state wildlife protections (for nesting raptors) could delay action; another said he had contacted the Game Commission and was told nesting eagles “can fly very far to find food” and that the agency would not intervene to stop draining.

Formal actions and direction: there was no formal vote directed at DEP. Commissioners closed public comment and proceeded with other agenda items. Chairman Hall and the board said they would contact DEP and the county’s state legislative delegation and report back to residents; the commissioners framed those contacts as advocacy, not as an enforceable legal step. Commissioners also advised residents that, should property values fall, they have the right to file an appeal with the county assessment office.

Unresolved points and limits of authority: commissioners repeatedly noted they have no regulatory authority over DEP and said state agencies generally handle dam-safety enforcement. Anderson and other residents said they had contacted Rep. Jonathan Fritz, Rep. Lisa Baker and Gov. Josh Shapiro’s office without success; commissioners said they would also reach out to those lawmakers. No environmental-impact study was presented at the meeting, and no formal county request to halt DEP action was passed.

What’s next: commissioners said they would reach out to DEP and to state legislators and promised to report back to the residents who spoke. Residents said they have been advised they may have up to five years to restore a drained lake if the owners complete required work, but they also said the initial draining could begin within one to two weeks.