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Educational summary, not legal or engineering advice. Confirm with the agency before you start. Checked Oct 4, 2026.

Permit plan · Lower or drain the water

Your permit plan: Lower or drain the water

Based on your answers. Cards are in the order you'll usually need them. Checked Oct 4, 2026.

Your answers (change any of them)
  1. Who owns the water and the lakebed? A lake owned by our community or association · change
  2. Is the water body larger than 1 acre? No, 1 acre or smaller · change
  3. Does the project need another state permit, such as a dam permit or a water obstruction permit? Not sure · change
  4. Why are you lowering the water? To control weeds or manage fish · change
State

PFBC Permit to Draw Off Water from Impoundments

PFBC, reviewed with DEP dam safety staff

Form: PFBC Application to Draw Off Water from Impoundments (updated March 2026; file pfbc-dd01)

Timing: Apply at least 30 days before the drawdown.

Lowering the water in a pond, lake or other impoundment needs PFBC's Permit to Draw Off Water from Impoundments when the water body is larger than 1 acre, or at any size when the project needs another state permit (for example a DEP dam permit or a water obstruction and encroachment permit). Apply at least 30 days before the drawdown; there is no fee. PFBC and DEP's dam safety staff review it together. PFBC warns that drawing a pond down after turtles, frogs and salamanders begin hibernating in the mud can kill them.

What to have ready

  • The impoundment's name, county, municipality and receiving stream.
  • The DEP dam ID number, if the dam has one.
  • Surface area, maximum depth, and how far below normal pool you'll lower it.
  • Method (valve, gate, stoplog, siphon or pump) and the proposed dates.
  • Where any fish will be moved.
  • The purpose; for dam, dredging, shoreline, beach or dock work, the DEP supplement with plans and photos.
  • A map that locates the impoundment (USGS topographic or PennDOT county highway map).

Checked Oct 4, 2026 · Source: Apply to Draw Off Water from Impoundments This may be outdated

Info

Not sure which permit fits? Ask first

DEP regional office or your delegated conservation district

Ask DEP or your delegated conservation district before you register or build. Many small projects in or along Pennsylvania waters qualify for one of DEP's Chapter 105 general permits (GPs), registered with DEP or with a county conservation district that has Chapter 105 delegation. DEP or the district can only authorize a project that meets every term and condition of the general permit, so check the terms before you register. DEP prefers online registration through ePermitting, and conservation districts may charge their own review fee on top of the registration fee.

Checked Oct 4, 2026 · Source: Chapter 105 General Permits This may be outdated

Also check

Owner

Your association comes first

Your lake community or association

Your association's rules and approvals come first; they don't replace state permits. Ask for its approval in writing before you apply to the state.

A summary, not legal or engineering advice. The regulation, the permit documents and the product label control. Confirm with the agency before you start.

Pros for this work

Optional. We use it only to show pros who serve your area. It isn't saved with your plan.

Get this plan as a PDF, $9

Your cards plus a timeline counted back from your start date, a document checklist for each permit, a call list with links, questions to ask contractors and a tracker. Delivered instantly.

This is not a permit or an application. We don't file anything for you. Agency fees are paid only to the agency.

Have a credit code?

Pond & Shore PA plan · lakepennsylvania.us/plan/2x156 · Checked Oct 4, 2026

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