HARRISBURG – The Pennsylvania Fish and Boat Commission (PFBC) announced a pair of Erie County grants awarded through the Erie Access Improvement Program, according to Senate Game & Fisheries Committee Chairman Sen. Dan Laughlin (R-Erie). Projects awarded through the 2021-2022 round of grants include:
- Erie-Western PA Port Authority — Parade Street Dock along Presque Isle Bay, $248,700
- Pennsylvania Sea Grant/Pennsylvania State University — Manchester Falls Fish Passage Feasibility Study, Walnut Creek, $99,900
The Erie Access Improvement Program is funded through proceeds from the sale of Lake Erie permits to be used towards programs that benefit public fishing, including enhanced access and habitat projects on or at Lake Erie and the watersheds of Lake Erie.
“Due to high water levels in Lake Erie, the public access wall at the Parade Street Dock was undermined and has failed, forcing the closure of the facility, which has been a popular and highly utilized urban fishing area,” said Laughlin. “The funds will be used to reopen this facility with the construction of a new retaining wall and a new concrete walkway, in addition to installation of safety ladders as well as ADA accessibility elements, including an accessible parking area immediately adjacent to the site.”
As for the grant for the Manchester Falls Fish Passage Feasibility Study, Pennsylvania Sea Grant, through the Pennsylvania State University, will utilize the funding to procure the services of a qualified design and engineering firm and facilitate the study through completion.
“Manchester Falls is a large waterfall that restricts the migration of steelhead trout in Walnut Creek, and the study is expected to provide an implementable framework to increase fish passage and improve fishing opportunities upstream of Manchester Falls on Walnut Creek,” Laughlin explained. “In addition to improving fish passage, the completed study will also address ways to prevent invasive species from migrating upstream.
“Steelhead fishing is a major part of what makes our region a major destination for anglers from throughout the Pennsylvania and many other states,” added Laughlin.
Contact: Dawn Fidler dfidler@pasen.gov