Adam T. Bower Memorial Dam

The Adam T. Bower Memorial Dam (formerly known as the Sunbury Fabridam) is the world's longest inflatable dam.[2] The dam is located just below the confluence of the Western and Main Branches of the Susquehanna River, in Upper Augusta Township, between the town of Shamokin Dam and the city of Sunbury, Pennsylvania.

Adam T. Bower Memorial Dam
Adam T. Bower Memorial Dam, with Pennsylvania Route 61 in the background
CountryUnited States of America
LocationUpper Augusta Township, Northumberland County, Pennsylvania
PurposeRecreation
StatusOperational
Owner(s)Pennsylvania Department of Conservation and Natural Resources[1]
Dam and spillways
ImpoundsSusquehanna River
Height8 feet (2.4 m)[1]
Length2,563 feet (781 m)[1]
Reservoir
CreatesLake Augusta
Surface area3,000 acres (1,200 ha)
Detail of the Adam T. Bower Memorial Dam

The dam is 2,100 feet (640 m) long. When it is raised in the summer time, it creates the 3,000 acre (12 km²) Lake Augusta, which is used for recreation.[3] The dam and lake are part of Shikellamy State Park.

In 2001, the dam was renamed for Adam T. Bower, Chief Clerk of the Pennsylvania House of Representatives from 1967–68 and Director of Services during the Pennsylvania Constitutional Convention of 1967-68, by Act 2001-5 of the Pennsylvania General Assembly.[4]

There are plans underway to add a fish ladder to the dam. The fish ladder is primarily to allow the American shad to access the upper part of the Susquehanna.[3] For the 2007 season the dam was slated to be deflated slowly over the period from August 20 through August 23. This earlier than usual lowering of the dam was to facilitate the replacement and repair of at least 3 of the synthetic bags which comprise the dam.

Shamokin Dam

On this site there was the earlier Shamokin Dam. This dam maintained an adequate water level for ferry traffic across the Susquehanna from Shamokin (now Sunbury) to the west bank. It was destroyed in March, 1904 by the breakup of 22 inches (56 cm) of ice in the spring thaw. This is the dam for which the west bank town of Shamokin Dam was named.

There is another, existing, low head dam 1.2 miles (1.9 km) down stream, for the Shamokin Dam Power Plant.

References
  1. "Adam T. Bower Memorial in Northumberland County, PA". The Progress-Index.
  2. "Adam T. Bower Dam". Archived from the original on August 24, 2005. Retrieved 2006-07-29.
  3. Finnerty, John (2005-05-07). "State to fix inflatable dam". The Daily Item. Archived from the original on 2007-09-30. Retrieved 2006-07-15.
  4. "HOUSE BILL No. 678 Session of 2001". Archived from the original on 2005-11-26. Retrieved 2006-07-29.
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