PHILIPSBURG – Last night, a group of local residents, conservation organizations and state agencies met at the Gethsemane United Methodist Church in Allport to discuss abandoned mine drainage (AMD) pollution in the Moshannon Creek watershed.
The meeting was hosted by Trout Unlimited and the Centre and Clearfield County Conservation Districts, and was also attended by representatives from the state Department of Environmental Protection, the Susquehanna River Basin Commission and the Pennsylvania Game Commission.
Rachel Kester, project coordinator for Trout Unlimited’s Eastern Abandoned Mine Program not only gave a brief presentation regarding the AMD issues facing Moshannon Creek, but also noted that there are numerous environmental and recreational assets in the watershed.
“There are 188 miles of streams in the watershed that are polluted by mine drainage,” said Kester, “but there are treatment technologies that can clean up the water, and interest in restoring the ‘Red Moshannon’ is growing.”
She also noted that the watershed contains areas of very good forested habitat with healthy streams that support thriving trout populations. These include Pennsylvania Fish and Boat Commission designated “Class A” and “Wilderness” trout streams, which are considered the best of the best when it comes to trout productivity and habitat.
Janie French, executive director of the Headwaters Charitable Trust, then led a facilitated brainstorming session to determine how to jumpstart cleanup efforts.
“In order to be successful, restoration efforts must start at the local level,” French said.
Over the course of the evening, the group came up with a number of ideas for improving Moshannon Creek. They plan to meet again soon and further develop their restoration strategy.
To learn more or receive notifications about upcoming meetings, please contact Trout Unlimited at rkester@tu.org or 814-577-7611.