MUDDY CREEK TWP — The duck pond dam in Moraine State Park is no more.

Jake Weiland, assistant park manager, said the dam in the northeast corner of Lake Arthur at Muddy Creek was removed early in November.

The dam was installed in 1994 in conjunction with the state Fish and Boat Commission, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, the U.S. Soil Conservation Service and Waterfowl USA.

“Its life expectancy was 20 years,” Weiland said.

Part of the reason it was removed was for safety purposes as it had started to fail.

It was removed in a way so as to not impact environmental resources.

Without the dam, the area will return to its natural state and will allow fish easier passage up the creek. Additionally, boaters are able to paddle up the creek without having to portage around the dam, and hunters and trappers will have an easier time.

The dam was installed to enhance wetland conditions at that part of the park and to provide a feeding place for waterfowl. Weiland said the benefits of removing the dam outweighed the reasons for installing it in the first place, and said that the area still will be a habitat for waterfowl.

“I think this is one of the best projects we’ve done in a while, in terms of resource management,” Weiland said.

Other projects also recently took place at that park and at McConnells Mill State Park in Lawrence County.

In September, a canoe access area to the Slippery Rock Creek was installed by the gristmill area in McConnells Mill. Before this, there was no official access point, and potential canoe riders would have to enter the creek by walking on slick stones.

“That is a success story,” Weiland said.

In the spring, a new dock will be placed at Bear Run launch on Moraine’s South Shore. The dock will have a few more fingers for boats than the current dock.

Last year, officials finished a shore erosion project at Watts Bay marina on Moraine’s North Shore. Part of the shore there was eroding, leading to a three- to-four-foot drop-off from the shore to the lake.

The shoreline was shaped in a way that it would break waves and prevent future erosion.

Park Manager Dustin Drew said the plan is for the park to promote that area as a shore fishing spot next year.