Clean lakes for swimming (Erie, Bellefonte: real estate, 2014, house)

[Max and Catriona]

What lakes in PA do you recommend for swimming in clear, clean water? Thanks!

[North Beach Person]

Originally Posted by Max and Catriona

What lakes in PA do you recommend for swimming in clear, clean water? Thanks!

Here's the problem:
The standards have changed over the years so that lakes/impoundments that once were packed with swimmers are now closed as often as not due to bacterial contamination.

I grew up swimming here, as did almost all of us who grew up there:
https://visitpago.com/listings/walte...memorial-park/

Now you rarely see swimmers and in fact it used very little. It's below the dam that impounds the water supply for Brookville and is often lauded as some of the purest water supply in the state.

Several years ago the health department started closing it down so much that the Boro decided to more or less close it. The difficulty in finding lifeguards played a part in that. Friends of mine still there, who are involved in local affairs, said it was kind of a chicken and egg situation: was there a shortage of lifeguards or was it that none wanted to work because they couldn't be guaranteed a certain level of hours.

Then there's Clear Creek State Park near Brookville. Be aware that the water there is so cold all the time it will freeze your hair follicles off:
https://thebeautyaroundus.com/2014/1...mming-beach-2/

https://a-z-animals.com/blog/the-bes...-pennsylvania/

[gg]

I swam in the Allegheny river in the 70's-90's and I am still living. The hype is the usual. Plenty of clean water to swim in. Lake Erie is fine. Lots of small streams and rivers around as well. No problem.

[North Beach Person]

Originally Posted by gg

I swam in the Allegheny river in the 70's-90's and I am still living. The hype is the usual. Plenty of clean water to swim in. Lake Erie is fine. Lots of small streams and rivers around as well. No problem.

No problems except that tic and periodic drooling. Just like my kids and lead paint down here.

I agree with you, a lot of hype. Our beach is closed by the Health Department damn near every time it rains. Now, there is a lot of animal waste from the rural pioneer's dogs up hill from us now.

True story:
We share a sewer treatment plant with the adjoining Town. Our beach is tidal upflow from it while their beach is below it.

Anyway, the plant had a large untreated sewage spill during a thunderstorm while the tide was going out, away from us, and going right to their beach.

We got closed for ten days while theirs stayed open, right in the flow current.

[RetireinPA]

raystown.


the kicker being: raystown has exactly ZERO occupied real estate on its shores....no lawn fert, no leaky sand mounds or septic beds, nobody just dumping stuff. One thing I like doing on warm summer eves is running the shoreline like from say 7pts to snyders, you can see the bottom 20-30 feet as you go by.


anything you yank out of the lake you can eat without restriction.


ps: as to clear creek SP, that is part of the cook forest annex and is there water OTHER than the clarion thru it? It aint cold in the summer...dang thing is only a few feet deep, it warms well.

[RetireinPA]

Originally Posted by gg

I swam in the Allegheny river in the 70's-90's and I am still living. The hype is the usual. Plenty of clean water to swim in. Lake Erie is fine. Lots of small streams and rivers around as well. No problem.

location location location. first of all you stay OUT of the water when the CSOs go up, and just north of the 16th st, there is STILL open sewer flowing into it. swimming in kinzua or even just below warren to tidiute is just fine...but kittaning south? safe, but dont swallow.

[North Beach Person]

Originally Posted by RetireinPA

raystown.


the kicker being: raystown has exactly ZERO occupied real estate on its shores....no lawn fert, no leaky sand mounds or septic beds, nobody just dumping stuff. One thing I like doing on warm summer eves is running the shoreline like from say 7pts to snyders, you can see the bottom 20-30 feet as you go by.


anything you yank out of the lake you can eat without restriction.


ps: as to clear creek SP, that is part of the cook forest annex and is there water OTHER than the clarion thru it? It aint cold in the summer...dang thing is only a few feet deep, it warms well.

Then it's changed since the last time I was in it. The Clarion doesn't feed into the swimming area, that's mostly several streams and runs as well as springs.

[Max and Catriona]

Originally Posted by gg

I swam in the Allegheny river in the 70's-90's and I am still living. The hype is the usual. Plenty of clean water to swim in. Lake Erie is fine. Lots of small streams and rivers around as well. No problem.

^ I swam in Lake Erie once, at Presque Isle. Loved it!

Originally Posted by RetireinPA

raystown.

the kicker being: raystown has exactly ZERO occupied real estate on its shores....no lawn fert, no leaky sand mounds or septic beds, nobody just dumping stuff. One thing I like doing on warm summer eves is running the shoreline like from say 7pts to snyders, you can see the bottom 20-30 feet as you go by.

anything you yank out of the lake you can eat without restriction.

Raystown looks stunning! https://raystown.org/

[RetireinPA]

Originally Posted by Max and Catriona

Raystown looks stunning! https://raystown.org/

my folks moved there fall 83 so I spent every weekend home from college at it - on the water, at the beach, fishin, hunting. I graduated college in 87 and spring 88 got my first boat...been 36 summers? head up the overlook some day and the house hidden in the woods at the stop sign, was theirs.

[Wells5]

Most all of the natural lakes in PA are in the northeastern part. The rest of the state was shortchanged and relies on damned up creeks and rivers. Wayne County is loaded with natural lakes and ponds. Most are private. Most of the larger lakes in PA permit motor boats.


Bald Eagle State Park near Bellefonte has a nice artificial lake (formed by damning Bald Eagle Creek) but can get very crowded.