PINE GROVE - A local diver went to the bottom of Sweet Arrow Lake on Wednesday morning to make sure the dam meets state Department of Environmental Protection requirements.
The inspection was performed by Aquatic Investigations, a sister company of Levkulic Associates, Birdsboro.
"They found absolutely nothing. The lake is in excellent condition," Bob Evanchalk, park manager, said Monday. "I'm not surprised because when it was inspected 10 years ago, it was in remarkable condition."
Evanchalk said the condition of dams built later than 1920 generally don't experience drastic changes over time as designs have improved. However, there is always an opportunity for something to go wrong.
"Everything looked pretty good," John Levkulic, principal owner of Levkulic Associates, said Monday. "The facility down there is absolutely beautiful."
Terry Martzall was the diver. Levkulic said Martzall checked the condition of existing structures, such as a sliding gate valve and the piping to make sure they were clean and free from obstruction. He also took videos of the underwater inspection for DEP. The state will also receive a written report of the inspection.
"The dive went well," he said. "There was nothing we saw that was out of the ordinary or that should be cause for alarm."
Levkulic said the last inspection of the lake was done about 10 years ago before it was filled with water.
Evanchalk said the inspection cost less than $3,000, significantly less than estimates to drain the lake.
Colleen Connolly, a spokeswoman for DEP's Northeast Regional Office, said the state requires the inspections to check for any cracks or erosion in the dam, waterflow, debris or any damage caused by storms or natural disasters.
Connolly also said the inspections are used to determine if the structures are "high hazard dams." The term is used by DEP to classify dams that could threaten the lives of local residents.
The designation does not suggest a dam is in danger of failing. It indicates that should a dam fail, homes, businesses, schools, hospitals and assisted-living care facilities, or important infrastructure would be at risk.
There are about 780 high-hazard dams in DEP's jurisdiction. These dams undergo two inspections each year.
The lake at Sweet Arrow Lake County Park is not a high-hazard dam. Connolly said the lake has passed every inspection since its construction.