The Spillway Area The Spillway located near Linesville has attracted visitors even before construction was completed. Carp that were in the Shenango River began gathering at the spillway to capture natural food that was being washed over the bowl. Over time, tourists began feeding bread to the carp and ducks that gathered there. Today, more than 300,000 yearly visitors make this one of their vacation stops. The tradition of feeding fish at the spillway is a unique exception to DCNR’s “No Feeding Wildlife” policy. Wildlife, including geese, have been attracted to this spillway bowl since it was constructed in 1934. The flow of water over the bowl provides a smorgasbord of plant material, insect larvae, crayfish, and other invertebrates for waterfowl and fish to eat. During the 1930s, it was common to feed wildlife at parks and the spillway was no exception. Roadside vendors began to provide bread to feed the fish. As word of this unique area spread, it quickly became a popular tourist attraction. DCNR allows fish-feeding at the spillway because of its cultural and historical value. Feeding wildlife may provide a few minutes of entertainment, but it can lead to serious problems for both humans and wildlife. Follow posted rules and regulations and remember these important principles: Do not feed wildlife anywhere in the park with the unique exception of fish-feeding at the spillway. When feeding fish at the spillway, use the traditional bread or pellets, which target fish instead of ducks and geese. Do not feed fish other foods such as chips, popcorn, or pastries. Keep areas clean of food and litter.
(The above copy and additional information is available at: http://www.dcnr.pa.gov/StateParks/FindAPark/PymatuningStatePark/Pages/WildlifeWatching.aspx
You can claim credit for this cache in two ways:
1. Simply post a photo of yourself and your GPS at the cache site; or if you are camera shy just a picture of your GPS at the cache site.
OR
2. Message or email the answers to the following questions. A. Migrating birds travel across Pennsylvania on the ________ flyway. B. The Common Carp is the largest member of the _________ family. C. The largest carp ever caught in Pennsylvania weighed over ______ pounds. D. The photo of the reservoir and spillway construction was dated ________. E. How many fish did you see ?________% ( Using the cache page photo to represent 100%; if there were half as many you answer would be 50%, only one quarter would be 25% and so on. )
NOTE: The Summer of 201`7 saw a dramatic fish kill among the carp population in Pymatuning lake. There is a species specific disease that attacks coy and carp. The spillway fish population has been greatly reduced because they congregate together. Hopefully, the disease will run its course and the fish population will rebound.
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Virtual Reward - 2017/2018
This Virtual Cache is part of a limited release of Virtuals created between August 24, 2017 and August 24, 2018. Only 4,000 cache owners were given the opportunity to hide a Virtual Cache. Learn more about Virtual Rewards on the Geocaching Blog.
