The Duke Lake dam at Ryerson Station State Park in Greene County is moving and developing new cracks, state officials announced last week.

Engineering consultants working for the state said a park access bridge downstream of the dam also is moving. Investigations into the dam's instability continue.

The Department of Conservation and Natural Resources is considering creating a new channel for the North Fork of the Dunkard Fork of Wheeling Creek through the former reservoir area. The lake was drawn down in July when structural problems were first noted. Part of the spillway was removed late last month.

Dredging scheduled

Dredging operations are scheduled to begin tomorrow to remove a build-up of rocks and sand at the mouth of Walnut Creek where it flows into Lake Erie. The work should be completed by the end of the week and will clear the channel for boaters using the Pennsylvania Fish and Boat Commission's Walnut Creek access area.

Bay tests

A team of scientists will test the sediment in Erie's Presque Isle Bay this week to determine if contamination discovered in 1991 has abated.

The contamination caused problems for brown bullhead catfish in particular. The Environmental Protection Agency believes that environmental cleanup efforts in the past decade warrant removing the bay's status as an Area of Concern in the Great Lakes.

Studies indicate a drop in fish tumor rates, and this week's tests will determine whether sediment quality has also improved.

Lampricide set

Federal officials plan to apply a lampricide to Raccoon Creek in Erie later this week to kill sea lamprey larvae burrowed in the streambed. Weather permitting, the treatment will begin Friday and continue for two days.

Lamprey larvae hatch in some Great Lakes tributaries and become parasitic adults that move to the open water and kill fish, especially steelhead and lake trout. Anglers are advised to avoid lampricide-treated water, although Environmental Protection Agency officials say the waters pose no "unreasonable risk" to humans. The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service has been treating streams such as Raccoon for almost 50 years.

Erie fundraiser

The Pennsylvania Steelhead Association's annual Big Run Banquet is scheduled for 2 p.m. Saturday at Shades Beach in Harborcreek near Erie. A pig roast, beer and prizes are included in the price of a $20 ticket, with proceeds raising money for steelhead stockings and other programs. For more, call Poor Richard's at 814-474-5623.

Open house

Wildlife artist D. P. Krupka of Nanty Glo, Pa., will be the featured guest at Indiana Angler's open house from 10 a.m. until 5 p.m. Saturday at 218 Grandview Ave., in Indiana. Krupka's work will be on display. Tying and casting demonstrations also are on tap. For more, call 724-463-2011.