Disaster at Duke Lake

The dam at Ryerson Station State Park remained in good condition for 45 years until early 2005. In April, park workers found unusual leaks in the concrete dam. Officials planned to lower the lake after Labor Day to repair the seepage, but conditions quickly worsened. By July, more cracks had appeared and were leaking 80 gallons of water per minute. State officials from the Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) and Department of Conservation and Natural Resources (DCNR) feared the dam could fail and put the community in danger.

On July 28, 2005, DCNR announced a 10-foot drawdown of Duke Lake. The next day, DEP Dam Safety instructed DCNR to keep the gates open and drain the lake completely. Thousands of fish died as the water disappeared. Locals like Shelly Richardson, Brandy Tuttle, and their children tried to save as many fish as they could by carrying them in coolers to nearby private ponds. According to Shelly and Brandy, the only official present was a park ranger who admonished them for illegally netting fish and gave them a parking ticket.

With no help from the PA Fish and Boat Commission, Game Comission, or DEP, responsibility for the cleanup fell to park staff. They were aided by a few staff from other state parks, a local excavating and drilling business, and six prisoners from Greene County Prison. After the fish were cleaned up, workers finished cutting a 100-foot hole through the dam on August 25, making sure the lake would stay empty and safe even during heavy rains.

The loss of Duke Lake was felt heavily by the Greene County community. “It was like the death of an old friend,” Brandy said. Together with their mother, Marie Carter, sister Diana Richardson, and neighbor Melissa Black, Shelly and Brandy formed the Friends of Duke Lake, who this documentary is named for.

On August 16, the group sent a poignant letter written from the lake’s perspective along with photos and videos of the draining to several local politicians, urging them to restore Duke Lake as quickly as possible. They followed up by sending a list of concerns and suggestions to state Representative H. William DeWeese, who grew up visiting Ryerson.

In September, DeWeese and state Senator J. Barry Stout created the Duke Lake Task Force dedicated to restoring the lake, with DeWeese promising that Ryerson “will not be put on the back burner.” The nonprofit Friends of Ryerson Station State Park (distinct from the unofficial group Friends of Duke Lake) joined the effort by petitioning for state funding to restore the park.