By John Zaktansky, Middle Susquehanna RiverKeeper

After stocking trout on the Little Shamokin Creek recently, Jacob Bennett, of the Pennsylvania Fish and Boat Commission, acknowledged that local waterways are definitely running below levels expected for mid-April.

"Yeah, they are low, which will likely mean very warm and shallow creeks," he said. "That is not great for stocked fish or places like Penns (Creek) with natural reproduction."

Statistically, every monitoring station the United States Geological Survey (USGS) operates in the region is currently below the 25th percentile and several are below the 10th percentile for this time of year, according to Matt Wilson, director of the Susquehanna University's Freshwater Research Institute.

"The best available data for the Susquehanna watershed -- and the majority of the country -- comes from US Geological Survey stream gauge stations," he said "Most of these stations continuously monitor discharge (total volume) of water, stage height (the depth of the stream or river relative to a constant point), or both. Most of these have been operating for several decades, so they provide a wealth of information about how flows have changed over time."

"The Susquehanna River Basin has experienced below normal precipitation over the last 30, 60, and 90 days," said John Balay, the planning and operations manager for the Susquehanna River Basin Commission (SRBC).

Wilson agreed, pointing to lack of precipitation over the winter months as a major contributing factor.

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-- Susquehanna River Basin Commission Approved 39 Water Use Permits For Shale Gas Well Drilling Pads In Bradford, Clinton, Lycoming, Potter, Susquehanna, Tioga and Wyoming Counties  [PaEN]

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[Posted: April 21, 2023]

4/24/2023