Rehabilitation of the Inflatable Dam - Shikellamy State Park, Sunbury, PA

The inflatable dam at Shikellamy State Park spans the Susquehanna River for 2,100 feet in the town of Sunbury, Pennsylvania, approximately one mile downstream. of the confluence of the north and west branches
of the river. The drainage area at the dam is 18,300 square miles. The average daily flow at the dam is 26,680 cfs with a maximum flow of 620,000 cfs recorded on June 21, 1972. The dam forms an impoundment of over 3,000 acres, extending some 6.5 miles upstream. The shoreline extends over 30 miles around the pool.
The concept of an inflatable dam at this site was conceived during the mid-1960's as a means of creating a recreational area on the Susquehanna River for boating, fishing, and other water sports. The original dam construction started in 1966. The dam consisted of 6 bays each 300 feet long and one bay 175 feet long. A rubber dam was anchored in each bay separated by concrete piers. Construction was completed in November of 1970 at a cost of $1,310,632. The original rubber dams were two ply, five mil thick rubber with both upstream and downstream anchoring lines. The dam used water and air as an inflation medium.