SCRANTON — A $680,000 Pennsylvania American Water project to improve a section of Roaring Brook in Scranton muddied from an upstream dam project in 2024 will include construction of a disabled-accessible fishing platform, restoration of the streambank and enhancement of aquatic habitat, the company recently announced.
The project in the Darcy Park area across from the East Scranton Little League fields along Richter Avenue stems from an agreement reached last year between the state Department of Environmental Protection and PAW after the water company inadvertently released large quantities of silt and sediment from a dam rehabilitation project in Dunmore.
The water company will mobilize for the Roaring Brook project along Richter Avenue near Myrtle Street after the city approves a temporary easement for access to the site, PAW said.
On July 15, Scranton City Council introduced an ordinance from the administration of Mayor Paige Gebhardt Cognetti to authorize the temporary easement. The ordinance likely would come back before council for a second vote on advancement at its next meeting Tuesday at 6:30 p.m. at City Hall. If advanced, the legislation likely would return to council a week later for a vote on adoption.
The DEP mandated the corrective action plan after the release of sediment that occurred during work at the No. 7 Reservoir Dam in Dunmore in February 2024.
“We appreciate the community’s patience as we complete this important work,” Jeremy Eden, senior director of northeast operations for Pennsylvania American Water, said in a statement. “This project not only improves access to Roaring Brook but also strengthens the long-term health of the stream for everyone to enjoy.”
The project will:
• Restore and regrade 580 feet of streambank along Roaring Brook in Darcy Park.
• Relocate the existing walking path to the top of a newly shaped bank.
• Place boulders in the stream channel to enhance the aquatic habitat.
• Plant native trees and shrubs and install educational signs.
• Install terraced steps for access to the water’s edge.
• Construct a disabled-accessible fishing platform.
• Create a rock bank retaining wall along 70 feet of the stream to prevent erosion.
During construction, pedestrian access to Darcy Park will remain open, but visitors should expect limited access and temporary detours on some walking trails, the water company said. Safety signs and barriers will be in place to guide park users around active work zones. PAW expects to complete the Darcy Park project in the fall.
The city will continue to own the land and the improvements undertaken by PAW upon completion of the work, according to the proposed ordinance.
After the release of sediment, the DEP in March 2024 determined the silt pollution in Roaring Brook violated state law and regulations. Later that month, the agency released a study that determined the excessive silt significantly impaired Roaring Brook, nearly wiping out macroinvertebrates by 90-95% in some areas by burying stream-bottom habitats in sandy silt up to 3½ feet deep.
The confluence of Roaring Brook and the Lackawanna River in South Scranton on Friday, Feb. 16, 2024, showing Roaring Brook still discolored brown from silty sediment upstream from Pennsylvania American Water’s No. 7 Reservoir dam rehabilitation project in Dunmore, and the stark contrast of the muddied Roaring Brook where it dumps into the clear waters of the Lackawanna River. FILE PHOTO / JIM LOCKWOOD
The muddied Roaring Brook in Scranton in the area of Richter Avenue and Myrtle Street on Feb. 21, 2024. FILE PHOTO / JIM LOCKWOOD
In June 2024, the DEP agreed not to fine PAW for polluting Roaring Brook and the Lackawanna River with silt from the dam project, in lieu of the water company doing remediation and enhancements valued in excess of $300,000. The DEP entered into a “Consent Order and Agreement” requiring the water company to take steps that include devising a plan of action for cleanup of the sediment in Roaring Brook, as approved by the DEP, and a plan of study for Roaring Brook and the Lackawanna River.
The initial dredging of Roaring Brook took place in the Darcy Park area and downstream along Cedar Avenue in the fall of 2024 to remove sediment from the waterway and its banks, PAW said.
Monitoring for additional sediment remains ongoing at the sites while work progresses at the No. 7 Reservoir Dam, and will continue twice a year after completion of remediation measures, according to PAW.
Meanwhile, the $17 million dam rehabilitation project began in October 2023 to upgrade the 152-year-old dam’s structure for stability and help ensure compliance with DEP dam safety regulations. The water company expects to complete the No. 7 Reservoir Dam project in mid-2026.
Roaring Brook flows along Darcy Park on Richter Avenue across from the East Scranton Little League fields. (IMAGE SCREEN COPY / GOOGLE)
Roaring Brook flows along Darcy Park on Richter Avenue in Scranton on Tuesday, July 15, 2025. (REBECCA PARTICKA/STAFF PHOTOGRPAHER)
Roaring Brook flows along Darcy Park on Richter Avenue in Scranton on Tuesday, July 15, 2025. (REBECCA PARTICKA/STAFF PHOTOGRPAHER)
Roaring Brook flows along Darcy Park on Richter Avenue in Scranton on Tuesday, July 15, 2025. (REBECCA PARTICKA/STAFF PHOTOGRPAHER)
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Roaring Brook flows along Darcy Park on Richter Avenue across from the East Scranton Little League fields. (IMAGE SCREEN COPY / GOOGLE)