PHILIPSBURG – Trout Unlimited and the Centre and Clearfield County Conservation Districts will hold a public meeting to discuss abandoned mine drainage (AMD) and other water quality impairments in the Moshannon Creek watershed on Oct. 30, at 6:30 p.m. at the Gethsemane Church, Hope Fellowship Hall, 369 Allport Cutoff, Allport.
The Moshannon Creek watershed is plagued by more than 188 miles of streams impacted by AMD. This not only has ecological impacts, but also has far-reaching economic impacts. In 2006, the Pennsylvania Fish and Boat Commission estimated that $3.6 million annually was lost in sport fishing revenue alone within the Moshannon Creek watershed due to AMD.
Trout Unlimited and the Centre and Clearfield County Conservation Districts are sponsoring a public meeting with community members, local officials and others interested in the issues facing the Moshannon Creek watershed. Technical knowledge is not necessary to participate in the meeting, just a desire to help restore the Moshannon Creek watershed.
Trout Unlimited’s Eastern Abandoned Mine Program is focused on the conservation, protection, and restoration of coldwater fisheries and their watersheds throughout the Appalachian region that have been impacted by historic coal mining. A main focus for this program is the West Branch Susquehanna Restoration Initiative, which was launched in 2004 as a comprehensive and collaborative effort aimed at the restoration of coldwater streams and the ultimate recovery of the West Branch Susquehanna River.
Trout Unlimited is the nation’s largest coldwater conservation organization, with more than 153,000 members dedicated to conserving, protecting, and restoring North America’s trout and salmon fisheries and their watersheds.