Stark dam
Stark
Stark is a privately-owned dam located in Lackawanna County, Pennsylvania, specifically in the Moosic Borough. Built in 1850, Stark stands at a height of 20 feet and spans 130 feet in length, offering a storage capacity of 106 acre-feet. The primary purpose of Stark is for recreation, providing a surface area of 25 acres for outdoor activities such as boating and fishing.
Managed by the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection, Stark is regulated and inspected by the state regularly to ensure its structural integrity and compliance with safety standards. With a low hazard potential and a satisfactory condition assessment, Stark poses minimal risk to the surrounding community. Despite its age, the dam has been maintained to meet safety guidelines, although emergency preparedness measures like an Emergency Action Plan (EAP) and risk assessment are yet to be fully developed.
Stark's location on Covey Creek, a tributary in the Baltimore District, makes it a valuable resource for water storage and recreational opportunities in the area. As water resource and climate enthusiasts, it is important to monitor and support the upkeep of dams like Stark to ensure their continued functionality and safety in the face of changing environmental conditions.
Dam data reference
Condition Assessment
- Satisfactory
- No existing or potential dam safety deficiencies are recognized. Acceptable performance is expected under all loading conditions (static, hydrologic, seismic) in accordance with the minimum applicable state or federal regulatory criteria or tolerable risk guidelines.
- Fair
- No existing dam safety deficiencies are recognized for normal operating conditions. Rare or extreme hydrologic and/or seismic events may result in a dam safety deficiency. Risk may be in the range to take further action.
- Poor
- A dam safety deficiency is recognized for normal operating conditions which may realistically occur. Remedial action is necessary. POOR may also be used when uncertainties exist as to critical analysis parameters which identify a potential dam safety deficiency.
- Unsatisfactory
- A dam safety deficiency is recognized that requires immediate or emergency remedial action for problem resolution.
- Not Rated
- The dam has not been inspected, is not under state or federal jurisdiction, or has been inspected but, for whatever reason, has not been rated.
Hazard Potential Classification
- High
- Dams assigned the high hazard potential classification are those where failure or mis-operation will probably cause loss of human life.
- Significant
- Dams assigned the significant hazard potential classification are those dams where failure or mis-operation results in no probable loss of human life but can cause economic loss, environmental damage, disruption of lifeline facilities, or impact other concerns. Significant hazard potential classification dams are often located in predominantly rural or agricultural areas but could be in areas with population and significant infrastructure.
- Low
- Dams assigned the low hazard potential classification are those where failure or mis-operation results in no probable loss of human life and low economic and/or environmental losses. Losses are principally limited to the owner's property.
- Undetermined
- Dams for which a downstream hazard potential has not been designated or is not provided.
Plan around the weather
Same NOAA / yr.no feed Snoflo's iOS app uses. Watch the precipitation column on the meteogram -- rain on the basin upstream typically lifts inflow 24-72 hours later.
Next 5 days, hour by hour
Temperature line with weather symbols on top, snow + rain accumulation as columns, humidity as a dotted line.
5-day forecast table
Every 3 hours, broken out across temperature, snow, rain, humidity, and wind. Each cell is colour-coded relative to the column min/max.
| Time | Condition | Temp (°F) | Snow (in) | Rain (in) | Humidity (%) | Wind (mps) | Wind dir |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Loading detailed forecast… | |||||||
15-day temperature & precipitation
Daily temperatures, snow, and rain projected over the next two weeks.
Nearby streamflow gauges
USGS streamgauges around Stark -- inflows here typically show up in storage 24-72 hours later.
| Streamgauge | Discharge | View |
|---|---|---|
| Lackawanna River At Old Forge | 400 cfs | → |
| Lackawanna R Bl Leggetts Creek At Scranton | 245 cfs | → |
| Susquehanna River At Wilkes-Barre | 9,940 cfs | → |
| Lackawanna River At Archbald | 186 cfs | → |
| Lehigh River At Stoddartsville | 168 cfs | → |
| Lehigh R Bl Francis E Walter Res Nr White Haven Pa | 410 cfs | → |
Make a day of it
Boat launches, lakeside camping, fishing access, and other reservoirs near Stark.
Boat launches
- Apple Tree Road
- Carverston Road-Francis Slocum State Park
- Fords Lake
- Nesbit Park
- Gouldsboro State Park
- Brady's Lake
Campgrounds
- Frances Slocum State Park
- Carpenter Town
- Lackawanna State Park
- Tobyhanna State Park
- Ledgedale Rec Area
- Lehigh Gorge Campground
More reservoirs
Track Stark in the Snoflo app
Save this dam as a favorite and get the local NOAA / yr.no forecast plus regional flow context wherever you are.
About Stark
Where does the data for Stark come from?
Structural and regulatory data come from the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers' National Inventory of Dams (NID). Weather forecast comes from NOAA / yr.no -- the same feed Snoflo's iOS app uses.
How often is the report updated?
NID structural data refreshes annually as the Corps publishes updated assessments. The weather forecast refreshes throughout the day.
What does the Low hazard rating mean?
The Corps of Engineers' hazard potential classification grades probable consequences if the dam fails: High = probable loss of human life; Significant = no probable loss of human life but possible economic loss / environmental damage; Low = no probable loss of human life, only minor economic / environmental losses. See the Dam Data Reference card above for the full definitions.
What's "% of normal"?
The current storage value compared to the historical average storage on this calendar day. 100% = right on average; values above 100% mean above-normal storage (wet year); values below mean below-normal (dry year or drought).
Can I get alerts when storage crosses a threshold?
Yes -- alerts are managed in the Snoflo iOS app. Favorite this dam, set a threshold, and you'll get a push the moment conditions cross.
Other water bodies near here
Snoflo-tracked reservoirs and dams within driving distance of Stark.