The Stonycreek River (also referred to as Stony Creek) is a

tributary A tributary, or an ''affluent'', is a stream or river that flows into a larger stream (''main stem'' or ''"parent"''), river, or a lake. A tributary does not flow directly into a sea or ocean. Tributaries, and the main stem river into which they ...

of the

Conemaugh River The Conemaugh River is a tributary of the Kiskiminetas River in Westmoreland County, Pennsylvania, Westmoreland, Indiana County, Pennsylvania, Indiana, and Cambria County, Pennsylvania, Cambria counties in the U.S. state of Pennsylvania. The ...

, approximately 45 mi (72 km) long, in southwestern

Pennsylvania Pennsylvania, officially the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, is a U.S. state, state spanning the Mid-Atlantic (United States), Mid-Atlantic, Northeastern United States, Northeastern, Appalachian, and Great Lakes region, Great Lakes regions o ...

, United States.

Course

It rises in the mountains of eastern Somerset County from the headwater spring, Pius Spring, in Berlin, and flows north past Shanksville, Stoystown, Hooversville, and Ferndale. It joins the Little Conemaugh River at Johnstown to form the

. Additional variant names include: Achsinne-hanne, Gordon, and Sinne-hanna. The river basin is in a highly scenic area but had been considered among the most degraded in the state, largely as the result of

acid mine drainage Acid mine drainage, acid and metalliferous drainage (AMD), or acid rock drainage (ARD) is the outflow of acidic water from metal mines and coal mines. Acid rock drainage occurs naturally within some environments as part of the rock weatherin ...

from the long history of

coal mining Coal mining is the process of resource extraction, extracting coal from the ground or from a mine. Coal is valued for its Energy value of coal, energy content and since the 1880s has been widely used to Electricity generation, generate electr ...

in the region. The recovery of the river has been an ongoing project of federal, state, and private agencies, and continues to progress. In recent decades, the river has become a popular destination for

trout Trout (: trout) is a generic common name for numerous species of carnivorous freshwater ray-finned fishes belonging to the genera '' Oncorhynchus'', ''Salmo'' and ''Salvelinus'', all of which are members of the subfamily Salmoninae in the ...

fishing.

Recreation

Following the sale of the

Quemahoning Reservoir The Quemahoning Reservoir, also known to locals as The Que, is created by the Quemahoning Dam, located on Quemahoning Creek on the border of Quemahoning Township, Pennsylvania, Quemahoning Township, Conemaugh Township, Somerset County, Pennsylvan ...

Bethlehem Steel Corporation The Bethlehem Steel Corporation was an American steelmaking company headquartered in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania. Until its closure in 2003, it was one of the world's largest steel-producing and shipbuilding companies. At the height of its success ...

to the

Cambria Somerset Authority The Cambria Somerset Authority (CSA) was formed in 1999, in anticipation of acquiring water interests and related land properties of Manufacturers Water Company, a subsidiary of Bethlehem Steel Corporation. Transfer of ownership occurred in Augus ...

, there have been periodic releases of water into the Stonycreek in order to facilitate

whitewater rafting Rafting and whitewater rafting are recreational outdoor activities which use an inflatable raft to navigate a river or other body of water. This is often done on whitewater or different degrees of rough water. Dealing with risk is often a ...

as an additional recreational opportunity. As of early 2010, there was a proposal to substantially increase discharges from the reservoir to improve whitewater rafting on the Stonycreek River.

References

External links

Stonycreek Quemahoning InitiativeStonycreek River fisheriesStonycreek River Rendezvous
an annual whitewater event and competition
Benscreek Canoe and Kayak Club
*Stonycreek whitewater informatio

http://www.americanwhitewater.org/content/River/detail/id/284
Trout Unlimited, Mountain Laurel Chapter, Stonycreek RiverU.S. Geological Survey: PA stream gaging stations
{{authority control Rivers of Pennsylvania Tributaries of the Kiskiminetas River Rivers of Somerset County, Pennsylvania Rivers of Cambria County, Pennsylvania

Course

Recreation

See also

References

External links