The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Pittsburgh District opens four crest gates at the Conemaugh Dam from April 4 through April 6, 2024, to release between 9,800 and 19,000 cubic feet of water per second in Clarksburg, Pennsylvania. Although the release included a large amount of water, it was well within the dam’s and downstream channel’s capacity. The downstream channel can handle a water flow of up to 28,000 cubic feet per second. Conducting a crest gate operation does not constitute an emergency. It is a normal part of the Pittsburgh District’s operations during high water events following heavy rain. The city of Pittsburgh and the surrounding region faced two weeks of back-to-back heavy rain in April that resulted in river levels reaching the Point State Park fountain and submerging streets known as Pittsburgh’s “bathtub.” However, if it had not been for the region’s reservoirs, managed by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Pittsburgh District, flood waters would have reached the entire length of Liberty Avenue, a road stretching across more than 25 city blocks. The Pittsburgh District manages 16 reservoirs built over several decades to hold back water and reduce the damage of catastrophic floods. Since 1938 when the first dam was built in the region, the Pittsburgh District prevented more than $14 billion in flood damages to homes, businesses and infrastructure. (U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Pittsburgh District photo by Michel Sauret)