The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers will release water from the Kinzua Dam on the Allegheny River in Forest County on Monday through Thursday for scientists to study the impacts of the releases on fresh water mussels and fish.

The test release is part of a larger, multi-year project by the Corps and The Nature Conservancy to help the Corps manage flows from their dams along the Allegheny River to better mimic the natural flows of the river.

The Corps operates multiple locks and dams in the Allegheny watershed, including those located in the Alle-Kiski Valley at Kittanning, Clinton, Schenley, Natrona, Plum/Harmar, and Highland Park.

“The Corps wants to see if we can change our operations at the dams to benefit the mussel habitat,” said Jeff Hawk, Corps spokesman in Pittsburgh.

But first, the scientists have to gain a better understanding of the river habitat at the Kinzua dam. “We don’t know what the bottom of the river looks like,” said Brad Maurer, restoration engineer for The Nature Conservancy.

When the Corps releases water from Kinzua next week, the Western Pennsylvania Conservancy will use sonar to measure and record the shape of the river bottom to learn more about the underwater conditions for fish and mussels.

The Kinzua Dam are is “one of the most densely populated reaches for fresh waters mussels in the Allegheny River,” said Eric Chapman, director of aquatic science at the Western Pennsylvania Conservancy.

The release will not cause adverse affects to landowners downstream on the Allegheny River, according to the Corps.

“This is an incredible opportunity to learn about ways we can continue to improve the environment through innovative operations of our reservoirs,” said Col. Andrew “Coby” Short, commander of the Corps’ Pittsburgh District.

Also this month, the group is conducting a similar study in Tidioute to gain additional information about mussel habitat along the river.

---

Copyright ©2025— Trib Total Media, LLC (TribLIVE.com)

---