Wallenpaupack Permitting Policy
Public Lake Use and Shoreline Use Permitting Policy
Non-Standard Application
Application for Shoreline Use Permits – Non-Standard
Wallenpaupack Lake Elevation Chart
Standard Application
Application for Shoreline Use Permits – Standard
Lake Wallenpaupack History Brochure
Lake Wallenpaupack Watershed Management District
Committed to protecting, maintaining, and enhancing the water quality of Lake Wallenpaupack
Shoreline Buffer Flyer
Naturally Protecting Lake Wallenpaupack
Wallenpaupack Historical Society
Keeping the history of the Wallenpaupack area alive and accessible to present and future generations.
Wallenpaupack Environmental Learning Center
The center is used by community organizations that share an interest in clean water, conservation and resource preservation.
The Wallenpaupack hydroelectric plant is powered by the water contained by a 1,280-foot-long and 70-foot-high dam, which creates the popular 5,700-acre Lake Wallenpaupack. The lake has many benefits beyond clean, renewable electricity generation.
Electricity Generation
The generation process begins when water from the bottom of the lake flows into a 14-foot-wide pipe called a flow line.
The water travels 3.5 miles through the flow line to the power plant where it spins two turbines as it rushes past them. The turbines spin within each of the two generators to create 44 megawatts of electricity, which is enough power for about 35,000 typical homes. As the water exits the power plant, it flows into the nearby Lackawaxen River.
The ability of generation plants like Wallenpaupack to quickly respond to increases in electrical demand or fill in for large plants helps reduce stress on the electricity grid. Brookfield Renewable can also use the hydroelectric plant to manage lake levels in support of recreation or flood control, and to provide water to the Lackawaxen River in support of boating or fish habitat.
The lake also serves as a flood control resource for the Lackawaxen and Delaware rivers. The lake’s ability to hold water and store it for gradual release at an appropriate time helps to limit the effects of flooding downstream. We manage the lake level, in accordance with our FERC license, to support recreational uses and provide the maximum water-storage capability at times when flooding is most likely to occur.
Environmental Stewardship
Brookfield Renewable owns most of Lake Wallenpaupack’s shoreline and uses sound land management practices to help protect the quality of the lake’s water and the natural beauty of the shoreline.
The Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) granted its most recent license to Lake Wallenpaupack in 2005.
We are responsible for protecting the environmental, recreational, cultural, scenic and power production resources of the project.
We strive to balance the needs of these resources along the 52 miles of shoreline it owns around Lake Wallenpaupack. We also recognize that adjacent property owners, local residents and businesses, other users, and the environmental resources of the area are all important factors when making decisions affecting the use and access of the project lands and waters.
Brookfield Renewable owns most of Lake Wallenpaupack’s shoreline and uses sound land management practices to help protect the quality of the lake’s water and the natural beauty of the shoreline.
Permits for land and water uses
To meet our federal obligations, we require front-lot property owners to obtain permits for land and water uses that are on Lake Wallenpaupack’s property.
-Permits are issued for:
- Boats
- Docks
- Earth Moving
- Floats
- Land
- Vegetation Removal
Wallenpaupack Environmental Learning Center
The Learning center houses, the Lake Office and features:
- Displays about hydroelectric generation, recreation opportunities and the history of the building of the lake
- An auditorium
- Science laboratory
- Resource library
- Offices and meeting rooms
The center is used by community organizations that share an interest in clean water, conservation and resource preservation. It also provides office space to the Wallenpaupack Historical Society, Lake Wallenpaupack Watershed Management District , and the Pennsylvania Fish and Boat Commission .
