North Park Lake dredging in progress, new dump site. (update pics 9-18-10)

[deepskyal]

Dredging is now in full process at North Park Lake. They have a new dump site for the silt only a couple miles away. Imagine 80 years of stuff in various layers being dumped in a big field.

I don't know if access is available to the site...may be posted like they did the lake...but I'm gonna check it out. They are taking out silt to a depth of 10' so the lake has the original depth of 20' from the 11 now.

A couple articles on the progress....http://findarticles.com/p/news-arti...orth-park-lake-dredging-project/ai_n54873673/.

http://www.thepittsburghchannel.com/news/23941164/detail.html

Here too is a map of the lake and the new dump site. I circled the dump and the lake, and also showed the pool on S. Ridge Road. There must be an access road between the dump and S. Ridge but I don't see it on the map. Google Earth is current enough to show the drained lake and some of the equipment in it working.

Al

 

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[RON (PA)]

Re: North Park Lake dredging in progress, new dump site.

There must be great finds in the dump pile. 80 years of swimming, fishing, throwing rings at mad lovers, etc. You could spend months at the dump site.

 

[deepskyal]

Re: North Park Lake dredging in progress, new dump site.

They'll be dredging Mon-Fri. 8-5. They're estimating something like 28 tri-axels running around 10 loads a day....something rediculous like that....a whole lot of silt being moved....

This to last til spring of next year. I need a very, very long vacation right now...

Al

 

[battlecat]

Re: North Park Lake dredging in progress, new dump site.

Wow that would be nice to hit!

 

[deepskyal]

All I can say is #$%@#!!

Found my way down to the dump site today. Didn't take the detector out of the car cause I wasn't sure if I'd get to it but a hike down a trail got me there. There is a road but it's marked with a no pedestrian symbol and construction vehicles only sign. There's a shelter just past the access road with a trail that will lead you down there.

I will say...it is a HUGE pile....and they only started. The area they are excavating is by the dam. If anyone is familiar, it's the vicinity of that tower that projects out into the water with the railing for people to walk out on.
If you're going to toss a coin in the water, this is certainly the place to do it. I'm sure thousands of people over the years have tossed coins to see how far into the lake they'd go. The stuff they dredged out of there is probably loaded with coins.

I spent about 2 hours trompsing around the dirt. I realized how out of shape I've gotten in the last year or so.


It's one monsterous clod after another. Ankle breaking holes, smelly, flies out the wazoo, and a few unidentified large fly-by's.

I eye-balled my first find.....of all things... a pull tab. I came across 2 beer bottles.(made it thru the dredging, ha!){In-tact}..maybe 70 ish A half dozen golf balls or so...a shredded tire...a real heavy whatzit...might have been copper?

As you'll see in the pics, don't think you'd have to fill your holes in here...grab and go...work fast! fast! fast!...if you can figure out a way to detect this heaping mass of clumpy goo...lol

Don't know for sure what I was expecting, but I'll tell you this....it sure as heck wasn't this abortion.

The pics speak for themselves.

On a final note...I just heard the work came to a stop over funding. The Corp of Engineers finished their portion and the county was to begin picking up the tab...and well...the contractors haven't got paid so they stopped last week. My girlfriend just told me that today. I personally haven't confirmed it, but she wouldn't lie.

So...how would you detect this?

Al

 

[davest]

I would start in the beginning. It's just like building a very, very large anything. One step at a time.

With that pile, you better bring two shovels for when one breaks or wears out.

Good luck, that looks like a great place especially with winter coming up.

 

[deepskyal]

Found the news video about the work stoppage.... http://news.yahoo.com/video/pittsbu...lake-dredging-stalled-21956317#video=21956317.

Maybe a small coil...or even a pinpointer...mmmm maybe too small. Im off work Mon and Tues...may drag my butt back down there after all.

Al

 

[deepskyal]

Went down today, 9/20, figuring the work stoppage. It hasn't stopped completely.
They aren't dredging the lake but they are working at the dump site with the bulldozers. Oh well....wait til the weekend I guess.

Al

 

[liftloop]

Man, looks like a good spot for old silver....should have a P.I detector, dig every thing.

 

[deepskyal]

Gave it a whirl last Saturday. They were working!

Went to another site and it was almost all slag so went back to N.Park when they were done.

It was like detecting craters. Even the "smooth" areas were chuck full of holes and lumps. They are using a disc looking device like I see farmers using to plow fields to level the earth there.
Talk about false signals every little bump against clods of mud.

I found a lone 1976 penny in about 2 hours of detecting. Tried a 10" coil then the 5.5". Lots and lots of can slaw.

Ankles were killing me from walking over lumps, twisting and turning as I went.
I'll probably try it again. So much area...there has to be a sweet spot somewhere in all those acres of lake bottom.

Al

 

[deepskyal]

More set-backs at the lake. Dredging has come to a stop again because of the record rains we just had and a small dam broke allowing the lake to fill back up again.

The Army Corps of Engineers is also complaining about the high moisture content of the dredgings. Somewhere around 45-50% versus the 15% they want to be able to grade the dumpings. Probably still lumpy as heck.

Hopin to get back out there sometime before it becomes a frozen wasteland and impossible to dig.

Al

 

[deepskyal]

Hard to believe but they are still dredging...in the water
Now that it's getting below freezing, all they'll have to do is skate over to their equipment...

Al

 

[bradyglover]

would they just let me walk out ther into the lake bed i was up there with the kids last fall and seen the mess i was thinkin the weather is getting better i wanted to go up there next sunday illl give it hell i just wanted to no if u tryed walking out there and was asked to leave
Thanks

 

[deepskyal]

would they just let me walk out ther into the lake bed i was up there with the kids last fall and seen the mess i was thinkin the weather is getting better i wanted to go up there next sunday illl give it hell i just wanted to no if u tryed walking out there and was asked to leave
Thanks

No....lots of signs posted no trespassing in construction areas, orange fencing in lots of access areas....and the rangers there WILL stop you from going in the lake bed.

If it doesn't snow, Sunday would be the day to go where they've been dumping the dredgings. Nobody back there and access is easy from the shelter behind the swimming pool. I plan on hitting that once things dry up a bit. Could be a bit trecherous with the clods and muck puddles. That, I believe, is where you'd find the goodies. Figure they dug out a good 15-20' worth just by the dam alone.

Al

 

[bradyglover]

yea i just watched the weather and sunday looks like my day I'm some what new to the research part of detecting and need to git out of my town of springdale i think i covered every inch of this place twice over. thanks a lot if u ever wanted to take a trip up there with me I'm sure i could learn a thing or to from you
iv never have gone with anyone but my 2 and 4 year old kids its fun sometimes but its time for daddy to get daddy time lol you no cut the cord

but anyway thanks for the info on that and let me no about the hunt Brady
DigItUp

 

[deepskyal]

yea i just watched the weather and sunday looks like my day I'm some what new to the research part of detecting and need to git out of my town of springdale i think i covered every inch of this place twice over. thanks a lot if u ever wanted to take a trip up there with me I'm sure i could learn a thing or to from you
iv never have gone with anyone but my 2 and 4 year old kids its fun sometimes but its time for daddy to get daddy time lol you no cut the cord

but anyway thanks for the info on that and let me no about the hunt Brady
DigItUp

Looks like we're neighbors...almost. My current domicile is in Natrona....10 minutes up the road. Only been here a couple years...seems like I move around a lot...and trying to sell this house now and move down to the N.Hills. Wish me luck in this economy!

I've had some luck up in Egan Park and the parklett by Alleg. Ludlum. Hit the old Natrona mine...not sure if it was mine #1 or #2...but it was interesting.
You should hit Highland Park...it's kickin up lots of stuff.
I know a couple fellows that have tore through N.Park. I hit that often but not any good finds of late. For the size of it, it's been hit to death and back. I been doing it since the early 80's. The one guy spends hours at NP. He got an award for the most finds of the year from there alone at the Butler club. I think he lives in that park...lol. Not a lot of silver...mostly clad and pennies...but he just likes hunting coins. I prefer looking for the elusive silver.

My work schedule is looking to be a lot like the last couple years.....unscheduled weekday overtime and Saturdays...I hate it! And generally, we're not informed until Friday of weekend work. Seriously screws with my personal life. Plus...I got a gf that lives in Westview and I only get to see her 1 day a week. That's why I'm selling this place. Don't like having to decide whether to see her or go detecting...lol
But I do intend on hitting that dredgings field soon. Probably be a Sunday when I know they won't be running dumptrucks or graders back there. Got to be a sweet spot in those acres somewhere. Lots of space....wouldn't mind the company.

Al

 

[mark v]

I'm some what new to the research part of detecting and need to git out of my town of springdale i think i covered every inch of this place twice over. DigItUp

I thought I had covered every inch of that place, twice.
I'm down the road from you on the border of Harmarville and Indiana Township. Send me a PM if you are ever looking for someone to detect with.

 

[TreasureWriter]

Hello All,

I was surprised to see this topic. This is my old stomping ground. Do you see where the townhouses are just above where it says Wildwood Road? This is the spot where the old Wildwood swimming pool used to be. It was built in 1929 by the Burns Family. Margaret Burns Kroll was my Great-Aunt. Anyway they sold it around 1980 to the developer. This is where I learned about metal detecting in the early 70's. I recovered loads of coins and jewelry from the 12 acres that the pool set on. My uncle only permitted one other person to hunt the pool grounds. Every time we would excavate we would turn up coins. I'm sure there is plenty left but getting permission might be a problem now. I also remember when they drained the lake the first time. I found plenty of fishing gear and a wallet right at the spillway. North Park is a gold mine to coin shoot with about 100 pavilions, some in remote forgotten locations as well as ball fields and other amenities that have been in use for nearly 100 years. It's a great place for a beginning metal detector enthusiast to learn. I've found nearly every type of silver, copper and clad American coin in this park and lots of jewelry.

 

[deepskyal]

Hi Treasurewriter,

I remember swimming in Wildwood. Was sad to see it gone and turned to townhouses. Didn't they fill that pool in when they built the townhouses? I had dreams of what I missed detecting there...never had the chance.
North Park is getting pretty scarce to detect anymore. I know one fella that devotes his free time to NP exclusively. Finds tons of clad and pennies...even wins the most coins in a year at the club he belongs to.
I've been hitting NP since the early 80's and my finds have definately changed but I still get the occasional suprise. I hit a ballfield this year and didn't get so much as a blip on my detector. Somebody pounded it hard and systematically, cleaning out every bit of trash as they went. I got a hearty laugh from that and God bless the soul that spent so much time at one field. Only a detectorist can make the ground that free of junk.
But I also got my own little park I hit....played there as a kid back in the early 60's. Not finding much there anymore either but I know I'm one of the only that hit it. Find too many easy clad quarters to imagine any competition.

Al