Both portals of the Wyoming Valley Levee along the River Common in Wilkes-Barre have been reopened, according to Christopher Belleman, executive director of the county Flood Protection Authority that manages the flood-control system for the Susquehanna River.
The gates have been up since December, but not to hold back the river. Instead, officials from the authority used the gates as a safety measure to prevent the public from unintentionally encountering high water.
With the river level at about 6 feet and still decreasing, Belleman stated that the authority wanted to remove the closures “in support of residents’ spring recreational activities.
“Hopefully the very busy weather pattern we experienced in late winter to early spring is behind us,” Belleman said in his email communication.
Furthermore, the authority has reopened pedestrian access in the flood wall along Riverside Drive in South Wilkes-Barre, in addition to the Millennium Circle and Northampton portals,
Luzerne County is planning to make a media announcement on Thursday at the Millennium Circle Portal to reveal this year’s music lineup for the popular free “Rockin’ the River” July concert series at the riverfront park in Wilkes-Barre.
The county started the concert series in July 2019, and it has drawn crowds ranging from 3,000 to nearly 6,000.
