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Bringing back Pecks Pond

After years of overgrown vegetation and weeds, residents in Pecks Pond are taking matters into their own hands by signing letters that will be sent to the DCNR.

PECKS POND, Pa. — It looks the same as it did before: That's what residents who live around Pecks Pond in Porter Township say, after countless herbicide treatments. 

The lake is still not where they want it to be. 

"This isn't how it was originally. It used to be just a swamp out there, and then they put the dam in, so this is what we're stuck with," said Donna Craft, Horsham. 

Donna Craft of Horsham has been coming to the lake since she was 6 years old. 

She remembers fond memories of her time here are the lake before the state drained it to work on a dam, and it became filled with weeds. 

"I remember years ago when I was actually able to go down by the dam, and they had a swimming hole down there," said Craft. "I went down there swimming as a child in the water, but now I wouldn't want to be in the water."

Others like Cyrus Hallock, whose family purchased their home on the lake 3 years ago,  got a big surprise when they moved in. 

"We Bought it for the lake, and when the closing went through on the house and we moved in, we were only here for about three months before they drained it, so we felt, we felt kind of robbed of our lake access, but we're waiting for it to come back around to the glory that it should be," said Cyrus Hallock, Porter Township. 

So those who live around the lake are looking to do something about it.

Starting Sunday, advocates for Pecks Pond are encouraging folks who live around the lake to pick up a letter here at the Pickerel Inn. 

That letter will then be sent to the DCNR in Harrisburg in hopes that it will change the lake.

"You know all the money the state poured into that, you think they'd want to get the biggest bang for their buck," said Craft. "We all pay to lease the grounds here, we all support the communities that are around here and pay taxes, and to have it set up like it's kind of disheartening."

DCNR told Newswatch 16 that it's aware of the conditions at Pecks Pond and, in a statement, said:

"We are exploring options for long-term maintenance and improvements. We work to treat that vegetation as best as possible without harming other ecological resources in the area."

If you are interested in signing a letter that will get sent to the DCNR in Harrisburg, visit the Pickerel Inn Sunday through Labor Day. 

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