The public is invited to a picnic and joint meeting of Susquehanna Chapter of Trout Unlimited and the Loyalsock Creek Watershed Association today. The event will begin wtih a free picnic dinner at 5:30 p.m. and a tour of the Lycoming College Biology Field Station. The tour will feature its Clean Water Institute in teaching biology and environmental science including research and demonstration projects on conservation and restoration of the Loyalsock Creek riparian floodplain and ecosystem.

At 6:30 p.m. the program will feature presentations on abandoned mine discharge treatment issues and remedial work being done in the headwaters of Loyalsock Creek. There will be discussion of plans to upgrade treatment systems in need of rehabilitation and capacity expansion.

Speakers will be Bobby Hughes and Mike Hewitt of the Eastern PA Coalition for Abandoned Mine Reclamation and Tom Clark of the Susquehanna River Basin Commission. Both organizations and their speakers have extensive experience in treatment of AMD, and have been studying the status of the water quality of upper Loyalsock Creek and performance and condition of current systems used to treat AMD from tunnels used to drain water from under old coal mine shafts which discharge to Loyalsock Creek.

Hughes has 27 years’ experience in abandoned mine reclamation, AMD remediation, and watershed restoration with EPCAMR (22 years of which has included work in the Loyalsock Creek watershed with partners in Sullivan County), and as a grant writer, manager, conference coordinator., and administrator. He is executive vice president of the PA Council of Trout Unlimited and former NE Regional Director of PA Council of Trout Unlimited.

Clark is the Mine Drainage Program Coordinator for the Susquehanna River Basin Commission where he specializes in the treatment of abandoned mine discharges and the reclamation of abandoned mine lands. Prior to his tenure at SRBC, he ran an independent watershed consulting business for seven years serving multiple clients in Western Pennsylvania. He has a bachelor’s of science in biology (terrestrial ecology) from the University of Pittsburgh and an MS in biology (aquatic biology) from the California University of Pennsylvania working as a Research assistant under Dr. William Kimmel.

Hot dogs, corn on the cob, potato salad, chips, beverages and tableware will be provided for the picnic. Everyone can bring any additional food as desired, as well as a folding chair. Those who wish to attend should RSVP to zimmer@lycoming.edu by September

Please send RSVP to zimmer@lycoming.edu by Sept. 8 if attending the picnic so food can be estimated.

Lycoming College Biology Field Station is located at 3455 PA Route 87, just 3.5 miles north of Montoursville. The driveway is on the left at the mailbox immediately north of the Inflection Energy gas wellpad entrance. Do not go into the gas wellpad entrance. Signage to the TU event will be at the mailbox and entrance to the field station.