TRANSFER, Pa. – While the winter chill blankets the Shanango River Lake, park rangers and maintenance crews never stop working to improve visitors’ experiences ahead of the recreational season.
Currently, Shenango’s campsites are mostly empty as most of the lake’s surface is frozen solid, and snow covers the landscape around the waters.
The lake receives 750,000 visitors annually, most in the spring and summer, to enjoy camping and water sports. Yet much of the maintenance and preparation work happens at Shenango while snow still covers the ground.
“There is no such thing as ‘off-season’ at Shenango,” said Bill Spring, the resource manager at Shenango River Lake.
The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Pittsburgh District built and manages the reservoir for flood-risk mitigation purposes, but most visitors come to enjoy the lake’s natural beauty.
“We’re continually developing work plans to deliver the best experience to our visitors,” Spring said.
Lake staff recently built a dome-shaped greenhouse to allow park rangers to grow seedlings to increase the area’s native ecosystem ahead of spring. The plants bring more pollinators to the region, which improves bird and other wildlife populations.
“One of our main missions here is environmental stewardship,” said Aaron Haflich, a park ranger for Shenango. “The greenhouse provides cost savings by growing our own native flora instead of buying mature plants and trees.”
Additionally, Shenango’s maintenance workers have been remodeling bathrooms and shower facilities to improve campsites that see about 5,000 reservations annually.
“I’m truly honored to work with a dedicated group of professionals,” Spring said. “The team is dedicated to improving the visitor’s experience.”
The bathroom upgrades include new insulation, modern fixtures, fresh windows, beautifully retiled walls, and durable epoxy floors built to withstand heavy use. The upgrades will also make the bathrooms easier and faster to clean. So far, the team has completed three bathroom facilities, while tackling a shower house in a popular camping loop.
The upgrades aren’t just aesthetics, but financial investments. By modernizing aging infrastructure, the team reduces the need for costly repairs down the line, making efficient use of taxpayer dollars. But their work doesn’t always go according to plan.
A surprise waterline break recently threw a wrench into the crew’s schedule. While treating the campsite’s water, rangers noticed an unusual spike in chemical use.
The maintenance team investigated areas around the lake when they finally found a puddle of water that melted a large patch of snow near the ranger station.
They used an excavator and shovels to dig down, discovering a water line that cracked due to shifting underground soil, causing the pipe to rub against concrete. Digging deeper, they uncovered a bonus challenge: a fractured sewer line.
For Spring, incidents like these highlight the crew’s versatility.
“The maintenance team can quickly shift from remodeling bathrooms and, at the drop of a hat, respond to a waterline break,” he said. “Their ability to balance priorities and leverage their skillsets makes this team one of the best in the game.”
The crew’s in-house expertise saves Shenango from outsourcing expensive labor by handling about a dozen water-related repairs annually, and making these repairs is a point of pride for Spring and his staff.
The same maintenance crew remodeling bathrooms and fixing water lines also built the temperature-controlled, 32-foot-diameter greenhouse for the park rangers. The heated plexiglass igloo gives rangers over 800 square feet of space to grow plants from seeds.
From pollinator-friendly plants like blazing stars to blight-resistant chestnut trees, the greenhouse is a hub for springtime expectations.
“It’s not just about improving the campground,” said Haflich. “It’s about contributing to pollinators, birds, and insects.”
The dome-shaped greenhouse also serves as a staging area for tree propagation, reducing reliance on outside saplings that often struggle to survive. Partnering with groups like the Pennsylvania Game Commission and master gardeners, the team is laying the groundwork for self-sufficiency.
Rangers are also planning to add a thermal pond to introduce aquatic species, which could help combat “aquatic deserts,” areas lacking biodiversity while enhancing the lake’s habitat for years to come.
“It’s a work in progress,” Haflich admitted, but the potential is endless.
The rangers also discuss volunteer opportunities for locals who may want to get their hands dirty in the greenhouse. The greenhouse can also serve as a learning center for scouting or school groups visiting the lake to learn more about the region’s native plants.
“Our park rangers never stop focusing on seasonal goals that support our recreation and natural resource management initiatives,” Spring said. “They manage programs to improve park aesthetics and educate visitors on conservation.”
The team’s dedication to improving Shenango is visible in every blooming flower and every freshly-retiled bathroom.
Spring knows their visitors will notice these improvements, and he knows campers will come to appreciate the upgrades in the coming recreational months.
“We have considered every detail to ensure our programs deliver world-class recreational opportunities,” he said.
As winter winds down, the Shenango team is poised to welcome spring with open arms, ready to make 2025 a standout season.
| Date Taken: | 03.06.2025 |
| Date Posted: | 03.06.2025 09:47 |
| Story ID: | 492126 |
| Location: | TRANSFER, PENNSYLVANIA, US |
| Web Views: | 22 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
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