We Wanted to Do More

     The idea of having the trout nursery and stocking a segment of Blacklegs Creek was great, but we soon realized that there was much more work to be done. We were not satisfied with only being able to stock the stream upstream of the confluence of Big Run. Big Run's entrance into Blacklegs was our stopping point due to the terribly polluted water due to abandoned mine drainage (AMD). We knew that something had to be done to improve the water quality of all streams in the Blacklegs watershed in order to make a difference in Blacklegs Creek itself.

A Slow Start

     Our efforts got off to a slow start due to numerous factors. The biggest factors were the fact that we didn't know what we were getting into and the amount of available funding to complete projects was minimal. After a lot of headaches and receiving little assistance from outside the group, we decided to form the Blackleggs Creek Watershed Association in conjunction with the Blackleggs Trout Nursery. Additionally, we started to receive assistance from the Western PA Coalition for Abandoned Mine Reclamation (WPCAMR) and the Environmental Alliance for Senior Involvement (EASI). Through WPCAMR's small grant program, we were able to produce a colorful brochure/membership form and even complete a small project on the Kolb site. At the time, the $5,000 grant we received seemed like a million! EASI was also instrumental in moving our efforts forward by providing assistance with water quality monitoring throughout the watershed. This effort was also assisted by the Stream Team and the Indiana County Conservation District. During our original growing pains, we learned that in order to receive money to complete a project, it is necessary to have comprehensive water quality data. Without the help of the above mentioned groups, we would still be at ground zero.

Proud of Our Accomplishments...But Never Satisfied

      We were very excited about where we were going as an organization, be we still were unable to put a legitimate project in the ground. That's when Skelly and Loy, Inc. and the Growing Greener program came around. Skelly and Loy was able to assist us by preparing our funding proposals as well as providing the technical expertise that we were lacking. When Growing Greener came along, we were prepared to apply for projects that we had only dreamed of completing in the past. Along with Skelly and Loy, Mark Killar from WPCAMR as well as Rita Coleman and Karen Crowley from DEP were also valuable resources.
     After only two rounds of Growing Greener grants, our organization has received almost $271,000 in grant funds to complete three projects. This was a tremendous turnaround to say the least. Although we are excited about our success so far, we realize that there is still much work to be done. We pledge to never be satisfied until our overall goal of watershed remediation is accomplished.