Stoneycreek River
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The Stoneycreek River is a tributary of the Conemaugh River, approximately 45 mi (72 km) long, in southwestern Pennsylvania in the United States. Note: Stoneycreek and Stonycreek are variant spellings for the same river.
It rises in the mountains of eastern Somerset County and flows north, through Lake Stoneycreek reservoir, then north past Shanksville, Stoystown, Hooversville, and Ferndale. It joins the Little Conemaugh River at Johnstown to form the Conemaugh River.
The river basin is in a highly scenic area but has been considered among the most degraded in the state, largely as the result of acid mine drainage from the long history of coal extraction in the region. The recovery of the river has been an ongoing project of federal, state, and private agencies, and continues to progress. In recent decades the river has become a popular destination for trout fishing.
Following the sale of the Quemahoning Reservoir by Bethlehem Steel Corporation to the Cambria Somerset Authority, there have been periodic releases of water into the Stonycreek in order to facilitate whitewater rafting as an additional recreational opportunity.
See also
External link
- USGS: Stoneycreek and Little Conemaugh Acid Mine Drainage Study (http://pa.water.usgs.gov/projects/amd/stonycreek.html)
- Stonycreek River Fisheries (http://www.scrip.pa-conservation.org/fishston.htm)