I thought I heard a song I’ve just been dying to hear lately. It was getting a little chilly outside as the sun sets on the tree line but that’s alright, I threw on another top layer and a hat …
That Familiar Stream-side Tune
An Early Spring Hike Through Bear Run
While I’ve always loved exploring the woods, I found myself going out for walks much more frequently last week. I’ve been out daily as opposed to just on the weekends or when the weather was particularly pleasant. And I noticed …
Recreation in the Yough: Is Bacteria a Concern?
Mountain Watershed Association has been dedicated to clean water for over 25 years. We believe the path to cleaner water uses science, education, and advocacy. Our extensive water sampling program has continued for more than 10 years. By analyzing these …
MAX Environmental Hazardous Waste Expansion Part I
January 30th Community Meeting On January 30th, 2020, MAX Environmental Services, Pennsylvania’s largest Class C hazardous waste facility, held a voluntary public meeting to inform the community members of Yukon, Pennsylvania, of their intent to expand operations by creating a …
Source Water in the Highlands
The sources of water throughout our area seem abundant. In fact, Pennsylvania has the highest stream density and second only to Alaska for total stream miles in the country with 83,260 miles of streams and rivers! By many, all of …
A Hike in the Headwaters
On January 11, it was a beautiful 70-degree day. As peculiar as it sounds to be walking directly in the stream, following Indian Creek up into its headwaters, in mid-January, this was a perfect day for such an activity. What …
A Winter Welcoming
Hi! My name is Hannah Spencer and I’m the new Outreach Coordinator at Mountain Watershed. I’m delighted to be (virtually) introducing myself as a part of the organization and a new member of the Laurel Highlands community. I was born …
Fracking Company Largely Ignores Central Issues At Hearing
On November 5th, 2019, the Orphans’ Court of Allegheny County held a hearing on the freshwater pump station which Huntley & Huntley Exploration, now Olympus Energy, operates in Blythedale Park. Protect Elizabeth Township, a group of concerned community members, challenged Huntley & Huntley’s use of public parklands as a private water withdrawal pump station for fracking infrastructure.
Power Plant Host Agreement Coming to Light
Recently, members of Elizabeth Township were able to review the draft versions of the “Host Community Agreement” and “Sanitary Sewer Facilities Contribution Agreement,” which are contracts between Allegheny Energy Center LLC, (AEC) and the Township. These agreements were created in …
24 million gallons withdrawn from Yough for fracking in Elizabeth Twp
The peaceful waters of the Yough near West Newton have had a new look and sound since this summer. A temporary pump has been set up to allow Olympus (previously Huntley & Huntley) to withdrawal water from the Youghiogheny River …