State of Stream Report

In 2009, the aquatic communities of French Creek and its ten major tributaries were assessed as part of the Pennsylvania Natural Heritage Program. Sites were surveyed for mussels, fish, and macroinvertebrates (worms, insects, leeches, crayfish, water fleas and related small, spineless animals), and representative habitats were mapped. The survey detected 23 of the 29 native freshwater mussels historically recorded in the watershed, and analysis of macroinvertebrates indicated fair to good water quality at the tributary survey sites. Two federal and state endangered mussel species—pearly clubshell (Pleurobema clava) and northern riffleshell (Epioblasma torulosa rangiana)–have been lost from over 95 percent of their historic world ranges, yet maintain relatively healthy populations in the watershed.

Conservation recommendations resulting from the survey were to continue to make agricultural best management practices a high priority, maintain and create new riparian buffer zones, avoid the channeling of streams, and to monitor and continuously improve stormwater and run-off.

You can download the full report by clicking here.