Updated:   7/22/2008 9:11:00 AM 

      Stream stewardship and restoration; the core of the Trout Unlimited mission


   In 1995, the Chestnut Ridge Chapter #670 of Trout Unlimited was formed by a handful of members. After forming our bylaws and electing our officers, we felt we needed a motto that would guide not only the current members of the chapter, but also be the guiding principle for future members and generations. After much thought, we decided on "Reclaiming the Past, Protecting the Present, Preparing for the Future."
   Since the birth of CRTU over twelve years ago, the chapter has been one of the primary forces in cold water conservation in Southwestern Pennsylvania. The numerous projects that we have undertaken have not only been written about locally, but also nationally. 
   This year our chapter is currently involved in the construction and maintenance of three acid mine drainage remediation projects. Glade, Jonathan and Morgan Run are all part of the Youghiogheny watershed so each improvement in the individual streams also accrues downstream to the entire river system as well. Also, all are primarily on public lands, which would provide more fishing opportunities. 
   In CRTU’s early years, the chapter focused primarily on resource restoration. Recently, chapter officers and directors have expanded CRTU’s educational efforts and outreach to youth. The chapter was awarded a PA Council grant to fund a Trout in the Classroom project in the West Greene School District. The trout were successfully released in Meadow Run on April 23, 2007. The students also took water samples and visited our nursery. A photographer from the Greene County newspaper took pictures of the students and the trout in the tank at Margaret Bell Miller Middle School before their release.
   The chapter is presently in negotiations with the US Army Corps of Engineers to lease two buildings and five acres located at the Youghiogheny River Lake property. These structures and property will be used as an environmental educational center. The chapter feels that one of the best ways to stop the abuse of the past is through education.
   The chapter’s efforts have not gone unnoticed by state and federal natural resource management agencies. Our members have been placed on several committees concerning water conservation in southwestern PA. This year Governor Rendell placed Resource Management Chairman Tom Shetterly on the Pennsylvania Fish and Boat Commission. This makes the second member from CRTU to serve as commissioner. Two other CRTU members, Ben Moyer and Eric Martin, have been asked to serve on the Governor’s Outdoor Task Force. The Task Force will submit recommendations to the Governor on how state government can encourage connection between people and nature. Fishing and public access to waterways will be part of the recommendations.
   Last year it was CRTU’s sincere honor to accept national Trout Unlimited’s 2006 Silver Trout award for best chapter, the second highest award for a chapter in the country.
The chapter has fun, too. Our membership meetings often feature interesting speakers and presentations; we have numerous fishing outings, conduct our annual banquet, a family picnic and the chapter Christmas party. We also provide our members a quarterly newsletter and access to the latest news of the chapter via our website at www.crtu.org
 
 


                                                                  Present Projects

Laurel Hill Creek Water Resources Plan
Dunbar Creek Natural Stream Channel Design Assessment

This year the chapter was awarded two grants. The first one is to engineer a natural stream design on Dunbar Creek. The cost is approximately $51,000 for the engineering. The second one is a hydrological study of surface and subsurface water in Laurel Hill Creek watershed. This will determine the amount of development in the headwaters. The cost of this project is approximately $251,000. Growing Greener II will fund both projects.


Morgan Run Acid Mine Remediation Project

 Morgan Run is a cold water stream also in Fayette County, which has been void of life due to abusive mining practices on the headwaters 40 years ago. Presently, all required permits are secured, the engineering phase is completed, and a contractor has been selected. After a year of intense negotiations involving CRTU, the DEP, the PA Game Commission and the landowner, we are ready to move ahead. We have acquired over $500,000 in grants for construction, which we hope to start this fall. Our goal on this project is to also establish a natural reproducing brook trout population.

Jonathan Run Acid Mine Remediation Project

The chapter has applied for a Growing Greener Grant for an engineering remediation system of this stream.  At one time Johnathan Run  in Fayette County was regulated trout stream by the PFBC.  Due to mining activity in the 60's and 70's at the headwaters, the stream was left polluted.  Within the next two years CRTU hopes to have naturally reproducing trout in this stream.  Johnathan Run is a picturesque stream running through Ohiopyle State Park and a tributary of the Youghiogheny River. Our acid mine remediation project on Jonathan Run  recently took an interesting turn when the Department of Environment Protection decided to go back to the original coal company that strip mined the area to force them to rectify the situation. CRTU had overseen the assessment and engineering and will oversee the construction and maintenance once started. Our goal on Jonathan Run is to return it to an exceptional value cold water fishery as it was prior to mining on the headwaters 20 years ago and to establish a natural reproducing brook trout population.

Cage Culture Nursery

Chestnut Ridge members raise more than 9,000 trophy size brook, brown and rainbow trout each year in the chapter’s unique “cage-culture” nursery . Living their entire lives in the cold clean water of the Youghiogheny tailrace, Chestnut Ridge’s trout grow healthy and big before their release in the Youghiogheny River and its tributaries including Meadow Run, Dunbar Creek and Laurel Hill Creek. Chapter-raised trout also provide excitement at youth outings and clinics across the region. The nursery is the first of its kind in Pennsylvania.  It is patterned after the nursery owned by the state of Maryland at the Jennings Randolph facility on the North fork of the Potomic River.  We have the capacity to raise 11,000 trout.  The chapter receives fingerling trout from the Pennsylvania Fish and Boat commission in July of each year.  Due to the success of our nursery, it has been written about in two nationally published articles.
http://www.hq.usace.army.mil/cepa/pubs/may01/story12.htm 

Spawning Beds

At present it has been determined that there are no naturally reproducing trout in the Youghiogheny River.  In an effort to try to establish a natural reproduction of native trout, the chapter has placed 26 ton of gravel suitable for spawning in the outflow area of the Youghiogheny Tailraces.  We have determined that over the past year trout that have been released from our nursery down river tended to migrate back to the nursery in the fall.  We felt that the only thing that stopped these trout from reproducing was adequate gravel.

http://www.pittsburghlive.com/x/valleyindependent/sports/outdoors/archive/s_87908.html

Glade Run Alkaline Sand Project

Chestnut Ridge Trout Unlimited is the driving force behind many successful stream restoration projects, including the widely acclaimed Glade Run Project. A tributary to popular Dunbar Creek, Glade Run had been devoid of fish and insect life since the 1950s, when abandoned coal mines released acid drainage into the stream. By adding alkaline sand at key points in the watershed, and by constructing a permanent anoxic limestone acid treatment system, the chapter improved water quality so that the stream now supports wild populations of reproducing brook trout.  Funding for this project has come from various sources:  Office of Surface Mines, PA Growing Greener Initiative, Miller Brewery (Friend of the Field) and the Chestnut Ridge Trout Unimited Chapter.  Approximately 700 tons of high quality alkaline sand is placed each year at the headwaters of Glade Run and two impacted tributaries.  Due to it's success this project has been highlighted nationally on several occasions. http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/05135/504741.stm





Youghiogheny Lake Deep Water Habitat

The chapter is partnering with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers to develop a deep water habitat program to try to relieve stress on small game fish at a time when the reservior is drawn to winter pool.  At present, there are no natural structures in the bottom of the deep part of the lake.  the plan calls for approxiametely two hundred fifty man made structures to be placed in the Youghioigheny Lake.

Adopt a Highway

The chapter is involved with the Pennsylvania Department of Transportation's Adopt A Highway Program.  We pick up trash for a two mile section of State Rt. 1055 where it parallels with Dunbar Creek.

                                                                                     Past Projects

Yough River Symposium

In June 1997 the chapter held the first ever symposium on the Yougiogheny River at Penn State Fayette Campus.  This two day event's objectives were to assemble individuals and representatives of groups, organizations, agencies and municipalities with an interest in the Youghiogheny River in one location to provide a forum for communication about issues affecting the river, our river communities and their future.

Yough River Access Stairs

CRTU contructed five sets of access stairs from the Youghiogheny Bike Trail to the Youghiogheny River and hopes to construct more in the future.  These steps will make the river more accessible to fisherman and help stop erosion of the trail.

Youghiogheny River Print

The chapter commissioned nationally known artist, David Ruimveld, to paint one of his unique river paints a depiction of the Youghiogheny
River.  From this painting the chapter made three hundred signed and  numbered prints that were for sale.  Mr. Ruimveld has done similar 
paintings of high quality trout fisheries such
as the Madison and Yellowstone Rivers in the west, the AuSable and Pierre Marquette in
Michigan, and the Beaverkill in New York.



Meadow Run Habitat Structures

The chapter partnered with Ohiopyle State Park, Presley Ridge School and the PFBC to construct fish habitat on a handicapped  section of Meadow Run.  The object of the project was to hold fish in a area that was set aside for handicapped fishing only.

Dirt Road Survey

The chapter participated in a statewide project to identify erosion from dirt roads that parallel trout streams.  the information was collected by PA Trout Unlimited Chapters.  This information was then forwarded to the state DEP.  State monies were set aside for the training of County Soil Conservation District employees and township road supervisors on way to remediate the erosion problem.


Chestnut Ridge continues to work for stream restoration and conservation.

Chestnut Ridge Trout Unlimited, Chapter 670
P.O. Box 483. Uniontown, PA. 15401

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