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For the past two years, members of the Eastern PA Coalition of Abandoned Mine Reclamation walked every waterway in the 3.18-square mile Laurel Run watershed, searching for trout, bugs and problems.

They found all three.

Now that the assessment of the Laurel Run watershed is complete, EPCAMR I hoping municipalities will do their part to improve the streams and mitigate issues such as flooding and sedimentation.

“We hope this assessment makes municipalities aware of where the water flowing into their area comes from and what can be done to improve it,” said EPCAMR executive director Robert Hughes.

The Laurel Run watershed encompasses Plains, Wilkes-Barre and Bear Creek townships, Laurel Run Borough and Wilkes-Barre City. To assess the streams within the watershed, EPCAMR personnel conducted elector-shocking surveys searching for wild brook trout and used kick-nets and flipped over rocks to count macroinvertebrates.

When it comes to trout and bugs, the watershed above state Route 315 in Plains, particularly Laurel Run itself, looks pretty good.

Hughes said the largest brook trout they found measured 12 inches, and most were in the 4-inch to 6-inch range.

As far as aquatic insects, the primary food source of trout, Gabby Zawacki, GIS and watershed outreach specialist for EPCAMR, said abundant numbers of stoneflies and caddis flies were found in the upper reaches of the watershed in stream such as Deep Hollow.

“We were pleasantly surprised with what we found,” Hughes said. “It’s also encouraging that much of the watershed is on land owned by the state Department of Conservation and Natural Resources and will be protected. This has the potential to be a thriving recreational fishery.”

But there are challenges, particularly below Route 315 and in those stretches where coal mining has disrupted stream flow.

Hughes said Coal Brook, a tributary to Laurel Run, is heavily impacted by past mining practices and urbanization. The overall habitat quality degrades as Laurel Run travels through Wilkes-Barre City where water temperatures warm and the trout disappear.

“That’s where you start seeing different species, such as creek chubs and dace,” Hughes said. “Route 315 seems to be the dividing line between where you find trout and where the watershed transitions into a warm water environment.”

Hughes admitted that a full restoration of the watershed below Route 315 back to a coldwater fishery is unlikely, but municipalities can address issues such as sedimentation and lack of a riparian corridor to make improvements. The work could also aid in reducing flooding, Hughes said.

The assessment also listed several recommendations for municipalities to improve the streams in their locales. They include flow tracking to determine just how much water is being lost into the mines, riparian plantings and invasive knotweed removal and stream cleanups to remove trash and other debris from the stream corridor.

Hughes also expressed a willingness to assist municipalities that want to make improvements.

“We’ll gladly provide them with an opportunity to revisit any of the sites that we have identified should they want to see the problem areas and to work together on developing a solution to improving the overall condition of the streams and tributaries within the Laurel Run watershed,” Hughes said. “The bigger picture is to work with municipalities to make protect and improve the watershed.”

A wild brook trout caught during a survey of Laurel Run.
https://www.timesleader.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/01/web1_EPCAMRtrout.jpg.optimal.jpgA wild brook trout caught during a survey of Laurel Run. Courtesy of the Eastern PA Coalition of Abandoned Mine Reclamation

Eastern PA Coaltion of Abandoned Mine Reclamation personnel and members of Trout Unlimited conduct an electro-shocking survey to search for wild brook trout in Laurel Run.
https://www.timesleader.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/01/web1_EPCAMR1.jpg.optimal.jpgEastern PA Coaltion of Abandoned Mine Reclamation personnel and members of Trout Unlimited conduct an electro-shocking survey to search for wild brook trout in Laurel Run. Courtesy of the Eastern PA Coalition of Abandoned Mine Reclamation
EPCAMR recommends fixes for Laurel Run watershed

By Tom Venesky

[email protected]

ONLINE

To view the EPCAMR’s assessment of the Laurel Run watershed, visit http://tlgets.me/kak

Reach Tom Venesky at 570-991-6395 or on Twitter @TomVenesky