About the Permit
A draw down permit, more formally known as a Permit to Draw Off Water From Impoundments is a permit that regulates release of water from dams, ponds or impoundments in certain situations. It is a permit jointly reviewed by the Department of Environmental Protection - Division of Dam Safety, which looks at structural and safety issues, and the Fish and Boat Commission, which reviews environmental and recreational impacts in the impoundment and downstream. The permit has no fee associated with it.
Draw down permits are required for:
- Water bodies with a surface area that is greater than one acre; and
- Water bodies of any size that require another state permit, for example a DEP Dam Permit or a Waterways Obstruction and Encroachment Permit for the proposed project.
If you are considering dredging or activities that could affect wetlands or streams, it is important that you contact the Department of Environmental Protection Regional Office serving you to review what activities are regulated. A draw down permit application is to be submitted at least 30 days before a draw down event is to occur.
Apply for Permit
This application will be reviewed jointly by the Pennsylvania Fish and Boat Commission (PFBC) and the Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) Bureau of Waterways Engineering and if acceptable, a permit will be issued under the PFBC Fishing and Boating Regulations, 58 Pa. Code §51.81.
Submit the completed application to the address listed above along with a map of a suitable scale to locate your impoundment (USGS topo map, PennDOT County Highway or equivalent).
Drawdown Considerations
This practice, termed "draw down," can dry out and provide partial control of plants in the dewatered area. It is particularly effective when done in association with freezing weather.
If you draw a pond down after turtles, frogs and salamanders begin hibernation in the mud and this mud is exposed, chances are that these hibernating creatures will be killed. If your pond is larger than 1 acre, you must apply for a Pennsylvania DEP/Fish and Boat Commission Permit to Draw Off Water From Impoundments because release of larger amounts of water is a regulated activity.