Little Juniata River Association -a 501 c3 non-profit organization
Our mission is to: “Monitor, Preserve and Improve the Little Juniata River and its tributaries as cold water resources”.
The LJRA replaced vegetation on Sept 7th that was destroyed when a sewer pipe was repaired across Sandy Run, an important tributary of the J. Trees were planted by 18 volunteers. Thank you to Angie for organizing and arranging for the delivery of trees.
Little Juniata River Association 14th Annual River Bank Clean-up
The Little Juniata River Association will hold its 14thAnnual River Bank Clean-up on Saturday, April 6th. LJRA members and volunteers will meet at the Spruce Creek United Methodist Church parking lot at 8:30 am where ladies from the church will serve drinks and treats from Tastykake. Each year, the LJRA leads more than 200 volunteers, including scouts, church groups and office groups, in a stream bank clean-up. There is also an upper river meeting point at the New Pig Corp. parking lot near Tipton for those who prefer to clean-up closer to Altoona. The clean-up will be followed by a lunch hosted by the Spruce Creek United Methodist Church around noon.
In all more than 20 miles of stream banks and roadside pull-offs from Bellwood to Barree are visited. Anyone who wishes to lead a group or participate as an individual, can contact Bill Anderson at 814 684 5922 or [email protected], or simply show up in the church parking or the New Pig parking lot, at 8:30 am on April 6th. Bags, gloves and water will be furnished.
Remote stream monitoring is here!
Thanks to the Susquehanna River Basin Commission and landowners Andrew and Jessica Walker, we now have nearly real-time readings of water temperature, pH, flow, turbidity
.
2018 River Bank Clean-up
Saturday, July 21st, 9:00 am to noon
This is a make-up date for the April 7th clean up that was cancelled due to snow.
Meet at the Spruce Creek United Methodist Church parking lot at 8:30AM. Groups (church, office, clubs, etc.) are welcome. We will clean-up river banks and parking areas from Altoona to Barree. All bags, gloves and vests furnished. More people with waders are needed.
Kelso run project restoration project
The LJRA will be participating in a stream bank restoration project on Kelso Run, a wild brook trout tributary to Bells Gap Run from wednesday June 27th thru Saturday June 30th. Volunteers are needed. Please email [email protected] more information.
A section of the J opened up to fishing
Members of the LJRA conducted a clean up recently on previously posted land on the upper J. The clean up, and other actions, led to the opening of 0.6 mile of the river to fishing. A major goal of the LJRA is to improve landowner relations to increase access. Landowners are encouraged to contact the LJRA and see if we can mitigate problems before deciding to post your land. Fisherman can maintain access to open waters by cleaning up when you see trash, reporting vandals and thanking landowners when you see them.
Annual Riverbank Cleanup- Canceled!
Unfortunately, Mother Nature is playing dirty tricks on us again. The Little J watershed is predicted to receive 2-4 inches of snow late Friday night into Saturday afternoon. Out of concern for the safety of the volunteers and the effectiveness of the clean up (can’t see trash under inches of snow) the directors decided to cancel the River Bank Clean-up. We are considering scheduling a low water clean up this summer. Check back to the website for more information or visit the Facebook Page. We appreciate your willingness to participate. The next project will be habitat restoration at Kelso Run in June.
Goals and Projects of 2018
Work to reopen closed sections on the middle river for the spring fishing season.
Thirteenth annual Spring River-bank Clean-up is scheduled for Saturday April 7th. This activity not only cleans the river, but also improves landowner relations.
Kelso Run brook trout habitat restoration was rescheduled from this past fall to early June 2018. The project is fully funded and permitted.
Trout habitat improvement on the upper J. Channel narrowing and structure installation is planned on 400 feet of the river upstream of the Tipton off ramp. The project design is complete. Funding and permitting will be secured this year.
Complete design and approvals for the fish passage around the American Eagle Paper Mill dam in Tyrone.
Install temperature, flow and other gauges on lower river in cooperation with HCCD. The goal is to provide the data in real time on a web-based interface.
Kelso Run Project Postponed until the Spring
Due to delays in obtaining the permit required to do the work, the Kelso Run project must be delayed until the Spring. Work cannot be performed during the Fall spawn in order to protect the brook trout.
Attention fisherman: telemetry study underway
Juniata College, in partnership with the LJRA, is repeating the brown trout telemetry study. So far 40 transmitters have been placed. If you catch a trout with a transmitter wire (see photo), please return it to the water and handle as gently as possible. Obtain a picture if possible and report the location and date caught as well as any observations about the health of the fish. Email the information ([email protected]) or call 814 684 5922. This is great way for you to participate in the study.