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The Beech Creek Watershed has been adversely impacted by past mining operations, but work is under way to remediate its streams, according to a Pennsylvania Trout Unlimited official.
"Much of it is impaired, but there are Class A trout streams in the watershed," Brian Cooper, TU's Abandoned Mine Drainage project manager, said.
Cooper addressed the issue at the recent TU Susquehanna Chapter meeting. Abandoned mines along Beech Creek introduced acid mine drainage contamination, resulting in much of Beech Creek to become devoid of aquatic life, he said.
Efforts by TU have been made to secure grant money to fund treatment systems to remediate the problem.
"We do a conceptual design of the acid mine drainage treatment system," he said.
Surveys are later conducted to make a treatment system evaluation. For many years, the Beech Creek Watershed was the site of clay and coal mining operations, Cooper noted.
For now, many of the efforts to introduce much-improved water quality are being focused on Sandy Run, a Beech Creek tributary perhaps the most severely impacted by acid mine drainage of streams in the watershed.
Beech Creek itself is all or mostly devoid of fish thanks in part to pollution from its tributaries.
"Beech Creek has a huge potential for a trout fishery," Cooper said. "It's a very cold stream."
Interesting enough, wild trout have been found in Beech Creek feeder streams, giving hope to restoration efforts throughout the watershed.
He referred to Beech Creek, located along the Clinton/Center counties line, as one of the most beautiful streams without trout.
Cooper conceded the cleanup will require much funding and many years of work. Beech Creek is among various watersheds coming under TU scrutiny for remediation work. His group, he noted, conducts water quality testing of a waterway, identifies areas of treatment, and provides technical assistance in coordination with other organizations.
Scott Koser, program manager for TU's Pennsylvania Coldwater Habitat Program, heads up efforts to improve trout fisheries.
"Our goal is to identify shared priority waters for native and wild trout and salmon and to take action to fix them," he said.
Efforts are concentrated throughout the state, including watersheds of central Pennsylvania.
Stream remediation can include measures such as construction of riparian buffers or root wads along waterways.
Riparian buffers introduce better water quality by preventing sediment and pollution from agricultural fields, residential lawns, roadways, and other sources. Trees in the riparian buffer improve trout habitat by limiting solar radiation to prevent fish from being adversely impacted by high-water temperatures.
Root wads provide streambank stabilization to promote improved fish habitat. They support bank revegetation and collect sediment and debris to enhance overall bank structure.
Root wad work has been done among sections of Cross Fork Creek, a Potter County stream with populations of wild brook and brown trout.
Koser noted that some recently completed stream construction remedial work has been done along sections of Kettle Creek, Blockhouse Creek, and the Pine Creek tributary of Ott Fork.
Overall, TU develops strategic action plans for watersheds across the state with streams identified in need of treatment.