Dutch Springs

Dutch Springs is a spring-fed lake located north of the city of Bethlehem, Pennsylvania, in the United States. Since 1980, a commercial recreation area, with facilities for scuba diving, has operated at the location.

Dutch Springs
Dutch Springs
Dutch Springs
LocationNorthampton County, near Bethlehem, Pennsylvania
Coordinates40.6845°N 75.3556°W / 40.6845; -75.3556
Typelake/recreation area
Basin countriesUnited States
Max. depth100 ft (30 m)
Websitehttp://dutchsprings.com

History

In 1933 the National Portland Cement Company purchased the land now known as Dutch Springs and began manufacturing cement and mining limestone. As the mining operation continued, the quarry began to fill with water. For the remainder of the quarry’s operational life, water had to be continuously pumped out. When National Portland Cement shut down in the 1970s, the pumps shut down as well and the now 50-acre (200,000 m2) quarry filled with water.[1]

In 1980, the land was bought and turned into a freshwater diving facility.[1] The facility is currently owned by Stu Schooley.[2]

Ecology

The lake is now home to many fish. Different species include largemouth bass, bluegills, koi, yellow perch as well as rainbow, zebra mussel, Crayfish, and palomino trout.[3][4]

Use

Today, Dutch Springs is an attraction for scuba divers of all levels. Sunken wooden platforms are used for diver certification testing, and numerous attractions such as a fire truck, school bus, trolley and several aircraft are submerged at different depths throughout the quarry.[4] In addition to the added underwater attractions, the original pumping station used by the National Portland Cement Company is now a popular dive site within the lake.

Local divers participate in an annual New Year's Eve dive.[4] The Boy Scouts of America offers a merit badge in scuba diving and Dutch springs provides site access and rental of some pieces of necessary diving equipment, such as air and weights.[3]

Dutch Springs also offers an "Aqua Park" and "Sky Challenge" as an alternative to scuba diving.[5]

See also
  • List of lakes in Pennsylvania

References
  1. Morgan, Julie. "Keeping 'em Diving in the Keystone State". Sport Diver. Retrieved 2011-02-21.
  2. Cassi, Sarah (2010-11-06). "Unconscious diver at Dutch Springs revived by rescuers". The Express-Times. Retrieved 2011-02-21.
  3. Huth, Kelly (2011-02-08). "Boy Scout Merit Badge now offered at Dutch Springs". The Express-Times. Retrieved 2011-02-21.
  4. Wichert, Bill (2010-01-01). "Scuba divers say goodbye to 2009 at Lower Nazareth Township's Dutch Springs". The Express-Times. Archived from the original on 2011-07-13. Retrieved 2011-02-21.
  5. Robinson, Dan (2010-08-27). "Day Trips: Dutch Springs Aqua Park". Myveronanj.com. Retrieved 2011-02-21.
This article is issued from Wikipedia. The text is licensed under Creative Commons - Attribution - Sharealike. Additional terms may apply for the media files.