Clear Shade Coldwater Conservation Plan
The Stream Team utilized a grant from the Coldwater Heritage Partnership Program to prepare and publish a coldwater conservation plan for Somerset County’s Clear Shade Creek and two of its tributaries, Piney Run and Cub Run. The purposes of this plan were to gather data on this exceptional value watershed, identify threats to it, and plan a course of prevention and protection.
Clear Shade Creek Coldwater Conservation Plan (PDF, 4.35 MB)
Little Paint Creek Coldwater Conservation Plan
On behalf of the Paint Creek Regional Watershed Association, the Kiski-Conemaugh Stream Team gathered data for and compiled historical information to publish the Little Paint Creek Coldwater Conservation Plan in December 2011. Little Paint Creek is a second order stream with the best water quality in the 36 square-mile Paint Creek Watershed. The entire Little Paint Creek watershed is classified as a Coldwater Fishery by the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection. Focus on the headwaters of Little Paint Creek and its tributaries provided good baseline data on the aquatic health of these stream segments, and the plan recommends specific protection and enhancement measures. Interestingly, as a result of its survey of Fox’s Run during this project, the Pennsylvania Fish and Boat Commission listed Fox’s Run (UNT 45242) as a Wild Trout Water in 2011.
Little Paint Creek Coldwater Conservation Plan (PDF, 3.27 MB)
Quemahoning Coldwater Conservation Release Fishwater Management Plan
The Fishwater Management Plan is a project of the Somerset Conservation District in cooperation with the Pennsylvania Fish and Boat Commission, Mountain Laurel Chapter of Trout Unlimited and the Kiski-Conemaugh Stream Team.
The Conservation Release, which began in July 2010, at the Quemahoning Reservoir in Somerset County is now releasing 11.8 Million Gallons a Day (MGD) into the last mile of Quemahoning Creek and the Stonycreek River. The potential now exists for this release to improve aquatic resources in Quemahoning Creek and the Stonycreek River and significantly improve an already established fishery.
In order to maximize these benefits, this plan will attempt to address the current and future requirements needed to enhance the resource and the fishery.
Technical Assistance
The Stream Team provides assistance with special projects and events like the Pennsylvania Abandoned Mine Reclamation Conference and SCRIP projects, as time and resources permit.
The Kiski-Conemaugh Stream Team is a member of the Consortium for Scientific Assistance to Watersheds, which provides technical assistance to eligible watershed groups. For details, please visit: http://pa.water.usgs.gov/csaw/ or or contact Melissa Reckner.
Tubmill Creek Coldwater Conservation Plan
The Stream Team received grants from the Coldwater Heritage Partnership Program and Dominion Foundation/Western PA Conservancy to prepare and publish a coldwater conservation plan for Tubmill Creek in Westmoreland County. Tubmill Creek is an exceptional value stream from its source in Rachelwood to the Tubmill Reservoir. After the Reservoir, Tubmill Creek is classified as a Trout Stocked Fishery. Development and resource exploitation threaten this waterway.
Tubmill Creek Coldwater Conservation Plan (PDF, 6.36 MB)
Water Quality Monitoring Joint Venture
Utilizing a grant from the Colcom Foundation, the Kiski-Conemaugh Stream Team is expanding the water quality monitoring program developed in Somerset County in concert with the Somerset Conservation District and USGS throughout the Kiski-Conemaugh River Basin and beyond. The Stream Team is using in-stream data loggers to collect data from streams vulnerable to pollution from Marcellus Shale well development, coalmines, industry, and historical sources that may have been masked by AMD. These loggers are acquiring water temperature, conductivity, and level every 15 minutes, thereby providing baseline data. Spikes in conductivity will be investigated and abnormal results reported to the appropriate regulatory agencies. The Stream Team is also collecting other water chemical parameters and macroinvertebrates at logger locations.
Weaver Run Restoration
 The Stream Team prepared and submitted the application that won the Paint Creek Regional Watershed Association a Growing Greener grant from the PA Department of Environmental Protection to design and construct several treatment systems to remediate AMD that renders Weaver Run lifeless. Staff will be assisting with the management of this project. Weaver Run is a headwater stream in the Paint Creek Watershed that would offer prime trout habitat, if the water quality were improved. Construction on these systems is scheduled for 2011-2012.
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