Lake Pymatuning in the US is where visitors can witness the sight of ducks standing on the back of fish to feed.
Pymatuning Lake was once a large marsh in the Crawford region of Pennsylvania, USA. The Shenango River flows through this ancient swamp and provides alluvium downstream in the Beaver and Shenango valleys. But when floods hit these two towns in 1913, the idea of taming the Shenango River was made. In 1933, a dam and lake were built to store water flowing into the marsh and regulate water flow along the Shenango River.
There are so many fish under the spillway that the mallards can run and jump on the fish’s backs to compete for bread.
A circular concrete spillway was also built to allow Pymatuning Lake to regulate water levels independently. Water flowing through the dam brings a natural food source to the area, including insects, shellfish, and molluscs, and attracts large numbers of fish that live in the structure.
Today, the Linesville spillway on Pymatuning Lake has become an attractive tourist destination. Hang looks at the fat carp in the dam, which always opens its mouth wide to wait for the pieces of bread that tourists drop into the water. There are so many fish under the spillway that the mallards can run and jump on the fish’s backs to compete for bread. This amusing sight has been used to promote the local tourism industry.
Today, the Linesville spillway on Pymatuning Lake has become an attractive tourist destination.
The message “Where ducks walk on fish” was displayed on a large sign at the entrance to Crawford. The local fire and drainage agency also used the image of a duck standing on a fish for its logo. However, the habit of feeding fish with bread has raised concerns among environmentalists because bread and other foods such as donuts and popcorn are bad for the fish’s health. But this action is still not prohibited for tourism purposes.
The Linesville spillway is now the second most popular tourist attraction in the state of Pennsylvania, with 500,000 visitors a year.