Member Spotlight: Clinton County Conservation District

by Scott Koser, Clinton County Conservation District

In a letter from PA Fish Commission's State Fish Warden George Cross addressed to Chief Fish Culturist C.R. Buller dated September 22nd, 1952 in regard to Tangascootack Creek Cross stated; "...however I feel from the junction of the North Fork, to the river it will not support fish life..., I feel this stream is lost as a trout stream ..." Cross also stated "... I can't find anything. Pools where there was plenty of fish life is [sic} barren now". The following year the stream was removed from the stocking list on the basis that mining activity had polluted the stream to an extent that it was no longer habitable for trout. Mining ceased in the watershed in the mid 1980's. The pollution created from the mining continued but the restoration of streams impacted by mining began.  Read More...

Technical Corner: Braving the Ice and Snow: Why Winter Sampling is Important

by Rachel Kester, Trout Unlimited

Ah, winter. A time when plunging temperatures, shorter days, and inclement weather may have you diving back under the covers and wishing you could hibernate until spring. But alas, stream monitoring duties beckon. You may ask yourself, is it truly necessary to continue sampling for water chemistry and even macroinvertebrates through the long winter months? The short answer is yes and after consulting with our friends at the DEP, here's why:  Read More...