Lake Somerset is 253-acre lake that is over 60 years old. A leak in the base of the dam forced a six foot draw down in the level of the lake to reduce pressure on the dam for safety concerns. In the fall of 2017, it was drained completely down with a lot of the fish being captured and relocated to other lakes. Delays with permitting and funding kept the start of the 8-million-dollar project rebuilding of the spill way, improvements to the dam and the lake itself, until the spring of 2020. It looks like it should be close to being completed by the end of this year, 2021.
The county entered into a lease agreement with the PA Fish and Boat commission in 2015 to lease the ground surrounding the lake for the making of a county nature park. The newly built trail you see here is the first ½ mile segment of a trail that will eventually be a complete 5-mile loop around the entire lake as moneys become available for construction. This only took place due to the efforts of several different officials, groups, organizations, and dedicated individuals. One of these groups is the Somerset Lake Action Committee that is part of the Somerset County Conservancy.
I debated if I should have given this a 1 terrain rating but while it should be wheelchair accessable it might not quite be for some. Take some time and enjoy the view, Keep an eye out for the many different variety of birds in the area.
Congrats to hshepley on the FTF!