Contribution of Lycoming College CWI to the PFBC Unassessed Waters Project (2010-2015)

Elaine Langone Center, Terrace Room

This is the 6th year that Lycoming College CWI has participated with PA fish and Boat Commission in the Unassessed Waters Project. To date, the CWI team has completed a total of 399 streams in the Loyalsock, Lycoming, and Pine Creek Watersheds (about 16% of the total amount of streams sampled all together). In the past 3 years, streams in the Genesee, Alleghany, White Deer Hole Creek, Black Hole Creek, Quenshukeny, Pine Run, and Antes Creek watersheds, as well as unnamed tributaries in Tioga County have been completed. Data for this project has been logged into the PFBC Unassessed Waters Data set for consideration of trout stream protection. The number of class A, B, C, D, and E streams from each watershed will be presented. On average, 50% of the streams sampled support wild trout and nearly 20% are considered class A or B trout streams. A breakdown of the benefit and limitations of this program will be presented. In addition, a comparison of the Alleghany Plateau Region and the Ridge-Valley Plateau Region will be done, in terms of supporting trout populations. In 2015, Lycoming College sampled 38 streams in total, 17 were dry and 12 had wild trout. The Oswayo, White Deer Hole Creek, and Mill Creek Watersheds were sampled. Oswayo had 27 total streams surveyed, 15 dry and 8 had wild trout. White Deer Hole Creek had a total of 6 surveyed, 2 dry with no wild trout. Finally, Mill Creek had 5 surveyed streams with 0 dry and 4 with wild trout.