Trout Habitat Stream Restoration Project Made Possible By Growing Greener In Venango County

DEP Regional Director Jim Miller and staff Thursday joined with project partners and community leaders to tour fish passage structures that are in place and support increased spawning habitat and passage for native and wild trout in the Porcupine Run watershed in Venango County.

The project was funded in part through a Growing Greener grant.

Porcupine Run is designated as an Exceptional Value waterway and recognized as a popular Class A wild trout fishery by anglers. There are few streams in Pennsylvania that can claim the opportunity to catch native brook trout as well as rainbow and brown trout.

“Growing Greener grants such as this, make a big difference in improving our streams and natural habitat,” said Director Miller. “I am pleased that another four miles of spawning habit in an Exceptional Value Waterway has been enhanced resulting in measurable water quality improvements.”

Six fish passage structures were installed in both the headwaters of Porcupine Run and its tributaries to improve movement of fish and increase spawning habitat. The structures replace outdated culverts that impeded fish movement and sediment transport.

The result was four miles of new spawning habitat for trout populations, reduced erosion and decreased sediment build up in the stream.

The Growing Greener grant was awarded to Venango County Conservation District with significant contributions from Bruce Dickson, Director of Operations at Red Horse Environmental, the Iron Horse Chapter of Trout Unlimited and a public private partnership with Chagrin Land Limited Partnership.

For more information on this program, visit DEP’s Growing Greener webpage and visit the PA Growing Greener Coalition website.