Beltzville State Park has closed its beach for the season due to low water levels in the lake.

That means the thousands of visitors expected at the park for Labor Day weekend won’t be able to swim.

Boating, picnicking and fishing will still be available.

“We’re still anticipating a big crowd, we’re just trying to get the word out ahead of time that the beach is going to be closed for swimming,” said Benjamin Monk, manager of Beltzville State Park.

The lake is about 4 feet lower than its normal levels. That is because the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers has been releasing extra water to boost low water levels in the Delaware watershed.

With releases expected to continue, the lake expects that the water level will be below the minimum level to use the lake’s swimming beach.

The Delaware River Basin Commission owns water storage at Beltzville. In the last two weeks, the Army Corps has been releasing some of the stored water, at DRBC’s request to maintain flow in the Delaware River. DRBC is responsible for making sure the Delaware flows strong enough to push back salt water from the Delaware Bay.

“Due to the dry conditions this summer, the DRBC has been directing releases from Beltzville to meet the Trenton flow target,” a DRBC representative said in an email.

If the ‘salt front’ reaches Philadelphia, it can affect drinking water sources.

More than half of Pennsylvania counties are currently in a drought watch due to an unusually dry summer. The entire state of New Jersey is in a drought watch.

If current conditions continue and the lake drops another two feet, the Preachers Camp boat launch will have to be closed. Water levels would have to drop an additional 10 feet in order to close Pine Run Boat Launch.

“I don’t foresee us losing enough water that the boat launches have to close for the weekend,” Monk said.