Allegheny Mountain Chapter of Trout Unlimited

Ken Undercoffer has completed the Lick Run Assessment and Conservation Plan conducted under the Coldwater Heritage Partnership grant AMCTU received in 2004.

Ken’s full report can be read at by clicking here (Be warned – this is a large file and it might take a while to download.)

Below are some highlights:

Scope

This was an 18-month effort to determine the ecological condition of Lick Run from the headwaters to Stone Run, a distance of about six miles. Lick Run is a medium-sized freestone stream located in Clearfield County. The headwaters are relatively inaccessible and heavily forested with maple, beech, oak and other hardwoods as well as significant stands of second-growth hemlock and white pine. The stream is well shaded and runs clear even after heavy rain events.

Lick Run is currently rated by the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection as a High Quality Coldwater Fishery and holds a self-sustaining population of native brook trout. There is reason to believe that this population has been degraded in the upper reaches by chronic and periodic acid deposition.

Donna Carnahan, Watershed specialist for the Clearfield County Conservation District and Carl Undercofler head of the Clearfield County Senior Environmental Corps provided on-the-ground help for this assessment.

Project Objectives

• Review the history of the Lick Run fishery.
• Describe the physical characteristics of the watershed.
• Determine the environmental condition of the upper Lick Run watershed.
• Determine the water quality and biological indicators in upper Lick Run.
• Determine the possible negative effects of acid precipitation in the headwaters of Lick Run.
• Develop a plan for conserving and protecting the upper Lick Run watershed.

Conclusions

The Study Section of Lick Run in General:

• Is a forested, picturesque wilderness with few signs of human disturbance from the sources at Crystal Spring and Panther Rocks Camp to the Southern boundary of SGL #90.
• Access by motor vehicles is limited to: Panther Rocks Camp, Crystal Spring, Doctors Fork (4-wheel drive), SGL #90 parking lot (walk-in) and Stone Run (privately owned).
• Water temperatures and habitat are suitable for brook trout throughout the entire year from about a half-mile below each of its primary sources at Crystal Spring and Panther Rocks Camp to Stone Run.
• Silting is almost non-existent.
• Benthic invertebrates present are primarily black flies, a few species of small stone flies and caddis; pollution intolerant mayfly species are scarce and only begin to appear downstream of Doctors Fork at the SGL #90 bridge.
• On average, pH of the Lick Run main stem increases progressing downstream all the way to the confluence of Stone Run; however, there are pockets of reduced pH where low-pH springs and tributaries enter the main stem.
• The pH of inflowing tributaries and springs is highly variable and, on average, increases progressing downstream.

Lick Run Main Stem from Panther Rocks Camp to Doctors Fork:

• Starting about a half-mile below the source has excellent habitat comprised of riffles and pools formed by large rocks and large woody debris.
• Contains few brook trout and shows no signs of natural reproduction.
• Has been degraded by acid precipitation to the point where even the relatively acid-resistant brook trout cannot survive and reproduce.
• Has only a few species of benthic invertebrates: primarily black flies, small stone flies, caddis and no mayflies.

Lick Run Main Stem from Doctors Fork to the SGL # 90 bridge:

• Holds a low-level, but fishable, population of naturally reproducing native brook trout.
• Is fairly low-gradient with plenty of cover including undercut banks, large woody debris and a few pools formed by large rocks.
• Benthic life increases: mostly small stoneflies caddis and blackflies; a few mayflies are present at the SGL #90 bridge.

Lick Run from SGL # 90 bridge to Stone Run:

• Holds a good population of naturally reproducing native brook trout up to 243mm.
• Has some of the best habitat in the study section, which includes a high-gradient section in the middle with large rocks and deep pools.
• Becomes low-gradient at the southern SGL# 90 boundary with large woody debris and occasional large rocks that form deep pools and excellent holding water.
• Has an ATV trail on the privately-owned section between SGL #90 and Stone Run and there are some signs of human disturbance.
• It is, however, still relatively undisturbed between SGL #90 and Stone Run.

Recommendations

• An acid precipitation remediation plan for the headwaters of Lick Run above Doctors Fork should be developed.
• Any acid precipitation remediation plan should include provisions to minimize physical changes to the stream and its riparian border in order to preserve the wilderness nature of the area.
• The section of the Lick Run main stem from Doctors Fork to Stone Run should be preserved as a wild brook trout fishery.
• Hatchery trout, including hatchery brook trout, should not be reintroduced into Lick Run in order to protect the wild brook trout population from the well-known detrimental effects of stocking over wild trout populations and introgression of undesirable characteristics into the wild brook trout population.
• Lick Run, from the confluence of Doctors Fork to Stone Run, should be considered for addition to the Brook Trout Enhancement Program.
• If the upstream section of Lick Run main stem above Doctors Fork can be restored, it too should be added to the Brook Trout Enhancement Program.
• The upper reaches of Lick Run should be monitored for many years into the future in order to determine how the stream is responding to changes in the amount of acid precipitation over time and the potential beneficial effects of acid precipitation remediation work that may be done in the headwaters.
• The landowners on the privately owned section between the SGL#90 southern boundary and Stone Run should be encouraged to protect the stream and its riparian border in its relatively unimpaired state.
• The lower reaches of Lick Run from Stone Run to the West Branch of the Susquehanna should be assessed and recommendations made as to how best restore and protect water quality and habitat there. This larger and potentially more fertile section, where native brook trout still exist, could be improved tremendously if the AMD problems below SR1006 were mitigated and the relatively undisturbed riparian zone is preserved in its current state.