Laurel Run

Laurel Run is listed by Pennsylvania Fish and Boat Commission as one of six Class A Wild Trout Streams containing native brook trout within Somerset County.  Approximately 35% of land near the stream’s mouth is owned by the Pennsylvania Game Commission, while the headwater portion is under private ownership.  Brook trout is one of the most sensitive aquatic species to land use changes, and has been found to decline when area of  impervious surface (roadways, parking lots, etc.)  in a watershed reaches only 4%.  The goals of this study will be to provide more up-to-date documentation of the health of this fishery, to  identify unique physical and ecological features of the watershed, and to engage the public in awareness and protection of this resource.

Founded in 1932, Western Pennsylvania Conservancy (WPC) is a non-profit conservation organization dedicated to protecting, conserving, and restoring land and water for the diversity of the region’s plants, animals, and their ecosystems.  Through science-based strategies, collaboration, and recognition of the relationship between humankind and nature, WPC achieves tangible conservation outcomes for present and future generations.  Somerset County Conservation District is a partner in this effort to study Laurel Run, and will be providing guidance with the public outreach and field assessment component.  A larger goal will be to develop a protocol that can be used by the Conservation District to assess the health of native trout streams throughout the entire Wills Creek Watershed which contains Laurel Run.

The main components of this study will be  a. Public Outreach,  b. Visual Assessment, and  c. Macroinvertebrate and Fish Sampling.  A public meeting will be held in spring 2006 to inform watershed residents about the plan and gain insight into their issues and concerns.  They will also be invited to take part in the visual assessment in early summer, which will include walking the length of Laurel Run to evaluate the stream according to components such as health of the riparian zone, fish habitat, and degree of sedimentation.  Also in early summer, fish and macroinvertebrate sampling will be used to determine the health of naturally reproducing trout populations and possible impairments to water quality.  A list of aquatic species found within Laurel Run will be developed.  A final report of these findings, with recommendations for the stream’s protection, will be completed in fall 2006.

For more information about this project, contact

Christy Meredith

Western Pennsylvania Conservancy

Freshwater Conservation Program

246 South Walnut Street

Blairsville, PA 15717

(724) 459-0953

cmeredith@paconserve.org

http://www.paconserve.org

   Download the Laurel Run Conservation Plan here