_The Shade Creek Watershed is located in Somerset County in the south western part of Pennsylvania. Dark Shade Creek joins Clear Shade Creek to form Shade Creek North of Central City. There is a 1.1 mile section of Dark Shade Creek that is rated Class IV/V during normal flows by American Whitewater. However, Dark Shade Creek is one of the largest polluters to the Stonycreek River, which is a great source of industrial grade water to Johnstown and is also a beautiful recreation river widely used for whitewater rafting.
Shade Creek Watershed Association, referred to as SCWA (pronounced SQUAW) by it's members, was founded in 1999 to protect and restore water and fish habitat of the Shade Creek Watershed. Our primary focus at inception was volunteer water monitoring, but since then we have performed stream cleanups, roadside litter cleanups, and community outreach.
Through the funding of a Growing Greener Grant, we have installed an anoxic limestone drain (ALD) in the headwaters of Shingle Run, a naturally acidic tributary of Dark Shade Creek. Additional limestone dosing has occurred in Shingle Run and other tributaries with very impressive results. In 2008, native brook trout were reintroduced into Shingle Run in conjunction with the Pennsylvania Fish Commission. A year later the stream was shocked and it was estimated that 37% of the fish remained and possibly establishing a population. It was again shocked in 2010 and was found to have 200 fish most young of the year and one 11 inch native.
In an effort to decrease the effects of AMD, which is very prevalent in this region, we have constructed a passive treatment system for the Reitz #1 Abandoned Mine Discharge, which impacts Laurel Run, another tributary of Dark Shade Creek. For more information on this project and others of SCWA, please go to our Projects Page.
Shade Creek Watershed Association, referred to as SCWA (pronounced SQUAW) by it's members, was founded in 1999 to protect and restore water and fish habitat of the Shade Creek Watershed. Our primary focus at inception was volunteer water monitoring, but since then we have performed stream cleanups, roadside litter cleanups, and community outreach.
Through the funding of a Growing Greener Grant, we have installed an anoxic limestone drain (ALD) in the headwaters of Shingle Run, a naturally acidic tributary of Dark Shade Creek. Additional limestone dosing has occurred in Shingle Run and other tributaries with very impressive results. In 2008, native brook trout were reintroduced into Shingle Run in conjunction with the Pennsylvania Fish Commission. A year later the stream was shocked and it was estimated that 37% of the fish remained and possibly establishing a population. It was again shocked in 2010 and was found to have 200 fish most young of the year and one 11 inch native.
In an effort to decrease the effects of AMD, which is very prevalent in this region, we have constructed a passive treatment system for the Reitz #1 Abandoned Mine Discharge, which impacts Laurel Run, another tributary of Dark Shade Creek. For more information on this project and others of SCWA, please go to our Projects Page.
