The East Branch is located in Elk County and McKean County and along with the West Branch forms the Clarion River at Johnsonburg. The upper portion of the watershed, located above the East Branch Lake, is the targeted area for this project because of the potential to improve the headwaters, East Branch Lake, and the section between the East Branch Lake and Johnsonburg. This project involves the construction of a passive treatment system on Smith Run, a headwater tributary of the East Branch of the Clarion River upstream of the East Branch Lake. This tributary to the East Branch, as well as many others, are affected by acidification from acid rain, which is related to the low acid buffering (i.e. limestone) in the soils and underlying geology within the watershed
Headwaters Charitable Trust has targeted the East Branch as one of their focus watersheds due to its value in the local region and its potential to provide recreational and economic benefits to local communities. This is coupled with historic efforts by a number of citizen and governmental groups, including Elk County Fisherman, Jim Zwald TU, the Elk County Freshwater Association and DEP-BAMR, to restore the East Branch. Dietz-Gourley Consulting LLC will be the engineering firm overseeing the design and execution of the project.
Headwaters Executive Director Jane French provided a reminder of the foundation’s vital role in the efforts to improve water quality in these local watersheds. She said, “The Stackpole-Hall Foundation was one of the original funders for acid rain deposition work on the Big Mill Creek tributary through the Elk County Conservation District, who worked with the all-volunteer Elk County Freshwater Association. The positive results of that project were a major factor in receiving DEP funding for this Smith Run project. We are so pleased to see the Foundation’s continuing support of these important projects which they helped to initiate.”