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

tributary A tributary, or affluent, is a stream or river that flows into a larger stream or 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 drain the surrounding drainage ...

of the

Conemaugh River The Conemaugh River is a long tributary of the Kiskiminetas River in Westmoreland, Indiana, and Cambria counties in the U.S. state of Pennsylvania. The name means 'Otter Creek', originating from the Unami-Lenape language word ''kwənəmuxkw'' ...

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

Pennsylvania Pennsylvania (; ( Pennsylvania Dutch: )), officially the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, is a state spanning the Mid-Atlantic, Northeastern, Appalachian, and Great Lakes regions of the United States. It borders Delaware to its southeast, ...

in the

United States The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 states, a federal district, five major unincorporated territorie ...

Course

It rises in the mountains of eastern Somerset County from the headwater spring, Pius Spring, in Berlin, and flows north past

Shanksville Shanksville is a borough in Somerset County, Pennsylvania. It has a population of 197 as of the 2020 U.S. census. It is part of the Somerset, Pennsylvania Micropolitan Statistical Area and is located southeast of Pittsburgh and west of Philade ...

, Stoystown, Hooversville, and Ferndale. It joins the

Little Conemaugh River The Little Conemaugh River is a tributary of the Conemaugh River, approximately 30 mi (48 km) long, in western Pennsylvania in the United States. The main branch rises in eastern Cambria County, along the western slope of the Appalachi ...

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 or coal mines. Acid rock drainage occurs naturally within some environments as part of the rock weathering ...

from the long history of

coal mining Coal mining is the process of extracting coal from the ground. Coal is valued for its energy content and since the 1880s has been widely used to generate electricity. Steel and cement industries use coal as a fuel for extraction of iron from ...

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 are species of freshwater fish belonging to the genera '' Oncorhynchus'', ''Salmo'' and ''Salvelinus'', all of the subfamily Salmoninae of the family Salmonidae. The word ''trout'' is also used as part of the name of some non-salmoni ...

fishing.

Recreation

Following the sale of the

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

Bethlehem Steel Corporation The Bethlehem Steel Corporation was an American steelmaking company headquartered in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania. For most of the 20th century, it was one of the world's largest steel producing and shipbuilding companies. At the height of its succ ...

to the Cambria Somerset Authority, 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