Conservation District and local watershed association receive grants to enhance trout fishing

LAMAR, PA – The Coldwater Heritage Partnership recently announced its grant funded projects for 2023, and Clinton County will be the recipient of close to $30,000 in funds aimed at building trout habitat in Fishing Creek and Trout Run. The Coldwater Heritage Partnership is a collaborative effort between the Pennsylvania Council of Trout Unlimited, PA Department of Conservation and Natural Resources, Foundation for Pennsylvania Watersheds, and PA Fish & Boat Commission

Earlier this year, the Clinton County Conservation District announced the kick-off of phase 1 of a two-year, $140,000 initiative with Mill Hall Borough, Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection and the Pennsylvania Fish and Boat Commission to restore the section of Fishing Creek running through Mill Hall Borough. The additional $15,000 secured from the Coldwater Heritage Partnership will be added to $85,000 available through DEP and the County-Wide Action Plan. “With the additional funding, we’ll be able to complete 70-75% of the project this year,” said Toby Boyer, Conservation District Watershed Specialist.

“We all enter the field of conservation to make a difference,” said Wade Jodun, Manager of the Clinton County Conservation District. “This project will not only increase habitat for trout but it will also help to prevent additional erosion and sediment loss.

Kettle Creek Watershed Association also secured a $15,000 from Coldwater Heritage Partnership to do large wood addition projects in Trout Run, a tributary to Kettle Creek in northern Clinton County. These projects will be completed with help from Trout Unlimited and will work to add fish habitat to Trout Run while also reconnecting the stream to its floodplain and reducing erosion and sediment to the watershed.

“These are amazing projects,” said Clinton County Commissioner, Angela Harding. “Dropping a fly or spinning lure into a trout stream is as much a part of life in Clinton County as the first day of deer season. These projects will have a positive impact on trout fishing for generations.”