Protecting a Precious Resource
The Somerset Conservation District, one of the lead agencies involved in the transformational Stonycreek River cleanup projects that began in the 1990s, has launched a campaign to ensure the waterway can stay as clean and full of life as it is today.
Many local anglers and outdoor enthusiasts can probably remember the pollution that plagued the Stonycreek 25 years ago. That changed when a small group of dedicated conservation volunteers and agency professionals combined forces to fund, administer, and construct a series of AMD passive treatment systems, collectively known as the Oven Run project sites, along the Stonycreek River in Somerset County. These multi-million-dollar systems, which rely on engineered and designed natural processes, have minimized the influx of acid and metal contamination from the AMD while adding life-supporting alkalinity to create the river we have the privilege of enjoying today.
The strength of the systems is that they have been and are effective. The shortcoming is that they only treat the AMD—not eliminate it. The same thousands of gallons a minute of AMD that has flowed from the abandoned mine sources for over 100 years still flow today. When the systems begin to fail as they age, the only fragile safeguard that prevents the destructive forces of the AMD from once again inundating the Stonycreek is compromised.
The only method to insure a continuation of the improved water quality of the Stonycreek River watershed, and the sustainable economic impacts it creates, is to ensure that future financial resources are in place to sustain those precious natural resources. The Somerset Conservation District’s Oven Run Sites A, D, E and F Trust Fund has been established to be the single most important long-term solution to assure the sustainability of the recreational, economic, and quality-of-life enhancing empowerments that the Stonycreek River now affords every citizen in the Cambria-Somerset region. Your help is critical: Those benefits can only continue if we act to protect our future today.
Every gift, big or small, will help ensure a vibrant, clean future for the Stonycreek. Gifts, which are tax-deductible, can also be made in “memory of” or “honor of” anyone you choose, and you can also set up recurring payments if protecting our waterways is a cause you are passionate about.
To make a simple, secure online gift today, simply click the “Donate Now” button below. If you prefer to mail in a donation, CLICK HERE to download and print a donation form.
Thank you for choosing to support the Stonycreek, today and forever.
