Beltzville Dam will receive $1.4 million for repair and maintenance projects in the infrastructure law passed by Congress last month.

The money will go toward maintaining gates located underwater near the dam’s tower, and repaving a section of the emergency spillway.

During the project, which is expected to be completed this year, there will be no interruption to the recreation at Beltzville State Park, according to the Army Corps of Engineers.

“This is strictly preventive maintenance, like changing the oil in your car,” said Dave Williams, hydrologic technician and head dam operator at the Francis E. Walter Dam.

Beltzville Dam was completed in 1971 and is owned by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. The Pennsylvania Department of Conservation and Natural Resources leases the land occupied by Beltzville State Park.

The work funded in the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs act was identified during routine annual inspections.

The Army Corps plans to use the funds to hire a contractor to repair the dam’s hydraulic steel structure, which allows gates along the dam tower to open and close. When they are closed, the gates provide an additional level of safety for workers who have to enter the dam’s conduit. The conduit is the tunnel which carries water from the lake into the Pohopoco Creek.

A routine inspection identified rust and corrosion on the structure for the gates. The work will involve divers grinding off the existing paint on the structure, and repainting it with a special paint which can be applied underwater.

“The (gates) are 100 percent functional at this time. Dams require operations and maintenance,” Williams said.

Visitors to the park may see vehicles on top of the dam while the work is taking place.

The funding will also go toward replacing paving in the dam’s emergency spillway. Inspections also revealed cracking in the 50-year-old spillway. Sections will be dug out and replaced with new concrete.

Sen. Bob Casey announced the funding last week. He said the investment will allow for the continued enjoyment of the dam for years to come.

“The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers built the Beltzville Dam to mitigate flood damage and control water supply, but also created a recreation area where Pennsylvanians can swim, fish and enjoy time outdoors with their loved ones,” Casey said.

Ben Monk, the manager of Beltzville State Park, said that the Army Corps’ work to maintain the dam is important for the people who live downstream from it, and those who use the lake for recreation.

“If they don’t keep the dam maintained, we don’t have much of a lake,” Monk said.

The park system saw record attendance in 2020, and on many weekends the day use and parking areas of Beltzville reached capacity.