The Conemaugh Valley Conservancy is working to update the Kiski-Conemaugh River Basin Conservation Plan, published in 1999. It is documenting the status of the 121 recommendations made in the Plan and is quantifying chemical and biological changes in key waterways over the last 16 years due to the numerous restoration projects that transpired as a result of the Plan and watershed initiatives. This presentation will highlight significant findings, trends, and areas of concern.

1. State of the Kiski-Conemaugh
River Basin
Preliminary Findings
Melissa Reckner, Director
Eric Null, Aquatic Biologist

2. The Original
 Published in 1999
 Spearheaded by KCRBA
 120+ recommendations

3. The Update
 $60,000 DCNR Community
Conservation Partnerships Program grant
 Passed through the CCCRA
 $15,000 FPW grant
 Colcom Foundation
 DEP Growing Greener
 Laurel Foundation
 Norcross Foundation
 Robert Waters Charitable Trust of the CFA
 Volunteers!

4. John Linkes

8. Data
galore!
In 2015,
• 230 Water
Monitoring Sites
• 47 fish surveys
• 45 macroinvertebrate
surveys
• 9 river fish surveys in
partnership with Cal
U

9. AMD primary focus
 62 treatment systems
 SRI evaluating
 Findings indicate that there are
key systems keeping the
watershed alive
 Many systems are not consistent
enough to support sustainable life

10. Biological Evaluation
 Systems evaluated by their ability to support
resident, sustainable biological populations
 Chemistry must remain good 24/7 to sustain
populations
 Receiving waters will also be damaged by
inconsistent chemistry

11. Preliminary Results
 Focus on 13 streams
 Total treatment costs were assembled from PA
DEP data
 Biological & chemical data were analyzed
 More treatment systems results will be in the final
plan

12. The Thirteen Streams
 Six streams have been successfully reclamated
 Seven streams remain biologically dead
 $4.6 Million Spent on Successful Systems
 $4.75 Million Spent on Unsuccessful Systems

13. Reasons For System Failure
 Under Sized
 Wrong Location
 Discharges are too Large and Hot for the
technology that was used

14. Importance of Functioning Systems
 Ralph W. Abele stated, "If the fish can't
survive in the water, there are serious
problems for man.”
 Economic Problems
 It is our responsibility as stewards of the
watersheds to utilize all available technology
and assessment methods to maximize the
health of our streams

15. K-C Plan Update Objectives
 Using Chemistry and Biology, design a
template for Maximum Efficacy of new
treatment system locations
 Achieve more reclamated stream miles for
available funds
 Establish Keystone Systems to focus O&M
money
 Render solutions based on advancing
technology

16. 8
12
2
6
12
10
2
3
6
3
4 4
15 15
14
10
15 16
19
11
15
14
17
14
0
2
4
6
8
10
12
14
16
18
20
NumberofFishSpeciesCollected
Pre 2001
2007
2015
11
Stonycreek River

17. Little Conemaugh River
2
1
7
3
7
9
0
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
Johnstown Mineral Point Lilly
NumberofFishSpecies
Little Conemaugh River Fish Species Collected, 1999
& 2015
1999 2015
8 Creek Chubs
& 18 White
Sucker to
30 Dace &
1 White Sucker
22 Creek Chubs
to
357 Individuals
(dace, darter,
suckers)

18. Blacklick Creek
Blacklick Creek at Campbells Mill
8/24/2011 9/17/2015
Common Name PFBC CalU
Banded Darter 12
Bluegill 10
Bluntnose Minnow 18
Central Stoneroller 5 10
Fantail Darter 4 3
Greenside Darter 13 1
Largemouth Bass 2
Logperch 2
Northern Hogsucker 20 3
Rainbow Darter 24 9
Rock Bass 5 2
Rosyface Shiner 8
Smallmouth Bass 2
TOTAL INDIVIDUALS 101 52
TOTAL SPECIES 9 10
 DEP & PFBC have
surveyed sites on the
mainstem in 2008, 2011,
2015
 All sites exhibit pollution
impacts on the fish
community
 Sites showed low diversity
and low individuals when
compared to healthy warm
water fisheries

19. Loyalhanna Creek
 Very healthy, large warm water stream
 Astounding diversity
Loyalhanna Creek at Route 982
1986 2009 2015
Number of
Fish Species
Recorded
1 23 23

20. Conemaugh River
8
14
6
13
16
9
4
6
8
10
12
14
16
18
White Blairsville Seward
NumberofSpecies
Conemaugh River Fish Species Collected,
1997 & 2015
1997 2015

21. Conemaugh River
 The station in White had a complete fish community shift from tolerant
to intolerant species
 Two rare species captured here: Big Eyed Chub and Streamline Chub
 The station in Seward also had a community shift from tolerant to
mostly intolerant fish species
 Blairsville had the least community change
Big Eyed Chub
Streamline Chub

22. Conemaugh River
0.1
0.42
0.07
0
0.1
0.2
0.3
0.4
0.5
White Blairsville Seward
Jaccard Coefficient of Community Similarity at
Conemaugh River sites
Jaccard Coefficient
The closer to 1, the less change has happened
The closer to 0, the more change has happened

23. Kiskiminetas River
16 16
28
0
5
10
15
20
25
30
1980 1990 2000 2015
NumberofSpecies
Kiskiminetas River Fish Species Collected Over Last
35 Years

24. Other issues
 Sedimentation
 Agricultural run-off
 Sewage
 Salts
 Shale Gas Development
 Industrial discharges
 Development
 Thermal pollution
 Habitat fragmentation

25. Your turn!
Public Comments Welcomed!
Melissa Reckner
814-444-2669
mreckner@kcstreamteam.org