Exelon Nuclear: the fisherman's friend?

If you or someone you know is spending Saturday morning in hip waders up at Franconia Township's annual fishing derby, tell them to tip their hat in the direction of the

Exelon Nuclear will pump extra water into the East Branch of the Perkiomen Creek in order to support the annual fishing derby.  The resulting level of water will only be increased by a few inches, but will help enable the event to go on as planned. 

Authorized by the Delaware River Basin Commission, the pumping is dependent on the expected water level of the creek the day of the event. Exelon said it will not increase pumping if it is not needed.

The company does not pump water directly into the Perkiomen Creek, explained company spokesperson Joseph Szafran.

"We increase the flow into the Bradshaw Reservoir [in Bucks County], which leads into the East Branch of the Perkiomen Creek thereby raising the level of the creek," Szafran said Friday.

Though the Limerick Generating Station sits on the bank of the Schuylkill River, the pipeline and reservoir infrastructure that provides water to cool the plant's reactors stretches across the entire region.

The company said it pumps water daily from various water sources in order to operate the power plant. Depending on Schuylkill River conditions, water can be pumped from the Delaware River by a pumping station in Point Pleasant.  A pipeline allows it to be discharged to the East Branch of the Perkiomen Creek via the Bradshaw Reservoir, and then withdrawn downstream for use at the Limerick site.