Welcome center sign receives update

In 2007, the Tioga County Concerned Citizens Committee and the group's partners in Upper Tioga River Watershed reclamation efforts, the Hillside Rod and Gun Club, Trout Unlimited, Susquehanna River Basin Commission and others unveiled an information sign at the Route 15 Welcome Center in northern Tioga County recently.

The sign, according to a news release, provides a brief history of coal mining in the Upper Tioga River Watershed as well as information about the resulting Acid Mine Drainage pollution that has plagued the river since the late 1970's. The pollution is so severe that the river can no longer support aquatic life from Blossburg north to Tioga Lake at the Tioga Hammond Dam.

In late 2023, the Tioga County Concerned Citizens Committee and Hillside Watershed Committee and their partners began the process of updating the sign to reflect existing and proposed improvements in the watershed, the news release said. Updated information includes improvements in water quality as a result of the Fall Brook treatment systems and information about the proposed Tioga River Acid Mine Drainage treatment plant. The commission's Stacey Hanrahan and Andrew King assisted with the update. The sign is located on the southside of the Route 15 Welcome Center.