BEAR CREEK TRIBUTARY

The Bear Creek watershed is the smallest subwatershed at 0.7 square miles.  It originates in Hamilton Township and flows through Blossburg Borough, joining the Tioga River just north of the Main Street bridge.  It is impacted by abandoned deep mine discharges.  Per the SRBC report, mining in the Upper Tioga River Watershed started in this subwatershed.

There are at least five discharges impacting this watershed, all occurring within a very small area.  The Bear Creek watershed is the least accessible.

BAMR completed a significant surface reclamation and recontouring project at the headwaters to Bear Creek.  Unfortunately, no noticeable improvement in water quality or quantity was realized as a result of this work. 

The watershed committee collected water samples and flows from Bear Creek that were used in the development of the updated plans for restoring the Upper Tioga River Watershed.  Using this data, SRBC and BAMR were able to determine that the Tioga River can be restored without treating this tributary, which is difficult to treat due to steep terrain.  There are no plans to treat Bear Creek at this time. 

The Tioga River Abandoned Mine Drainage Treatment Plant Project will compensate for AMD pollution from Bear Creek.  There may be a short section of the River at the mouth of the Bear Creek discharge that will be more acidic, but it will not negatively impact the Tioga River downstream from the discharge.