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 Laurel
Mountain Conservancy
Protecting Laurel Run
and Hinckston Run
..more
on Laurel Run
Click
here for topo map
Hinckston Run and Laurel Run are
beautiful, small streams that flow directly into the Conemaugh River below
the confluence of the Little Conemaugh and Stonycreek Rivers.
The Laurel Mountain Conservancy has
received a Growing Greener grant to conduct a watershed assessment. The
assessment is being done by the Cambria County Conservation District.
Hinckston Run enters the Conemaugh
River in the Minersville neighborhood of the City of Johnstown just above
the Fourth street bridge that connects Minersville with Cambria City. The
Hinckston Run Watershed lies entirely within Cambria County starting just
north of route 22 and flowing south to the Conemaugh.
Hinckston Run Dam, an industrial reservoir purchased about 1999 by the
Cambria Somerset Authority, is located on the stream approximately two
miles north of Minersville.
The run flows through a mix of forest,
small farms and urban areas. The water quality is very good above the reservoir
and contains a diverse quantity of macro-invertebrates, as well as both
warm water and cold water fish.
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The lower portion of the watershed below
the dam is polluted by the Ryder slag dump. Slag is a residue or byproduct
from steel manufacturing left over from Bethlehem Steel Corp. The dump
is located on the east side of the stream. The west side contains several
abandoned mine discharges.
The upper portion of the watershed
is threatened by an active surface mine at headwaters and an abandoned
petroleum storage facility located near the village of Vinco.
Laurel Run begins just south of Route
22, high on Laurel Ridge, near the Village of Chickoree, from which "Chickoree
Mountain" gets its name. The stream flows south, entering the Conemaugh
River near Coopersdale, just upstream of the scenic Conemaugh Gap or Conemaugh
Gorge.
The watershed, located entirely in
Cambria County, and is primarily forested. The stream has very good water
quality and contains a diverse population of macro-invertebrates and brook
trout.
Prior to the 1977 flood, the Greater
Johnstown Water Authority owned and operated a drinking water reservoir
approximately one mile up-steam from the Conemaugh River, near the Village
of Tanneryville. The 1977 flood breached the dam, causing extensive property
damage and loss of life to the residents of Tanneryville.
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