The Maidencreek Watershed & Lake Ontelaunee
Lake Ontelaunee was constructed in 1926 and is located about eight miles north of the City of Reading. At present, this lake provides the water supply for the City of Reading. It has a water surface area of 1,082 acres and a capacity of 3.88 billion gallons. Though this lake’s main purpose was to establish a water supply for the City of Reading, it has also become a favorite hunting and fishing location. The lake has many access points and trails around the lake and much of the land surrounding the lake is managed by the PA Game Commission for wildlife habitat. Most warm water species of fish abound in this large lake, and in the fall and spring the lake becomes a favorite resting place for waterfowl that are migrating. In the winter this is one of the hot spots for ice fishing. No boats are allowed on this lake, it is a day use only facility, and picnic areas are available.
The primary source of the lake water comes from the Maiden Creek Watershed which flows into Lake Ontelaunee. From Lake Ontelaunee, raw lake water makes its way to get treated at the Maidencreek Filter Plant and then to the Maidencreek Pumping Station. Water is pumped to the City’s distribution systems for travel to homes, businesses, schools, churches, etc. The Berks Conservancy invests much of our time and resources into improving the quality of the streams that feed this very important water source for the City of Reading.
We accomplish much of this work through the Schuylkill Action Network (SAN) partnership.
