Cooperative Nursery Partnerships by Spring Gearhart photos by the author

Raising trout using water from acid Creek. With a history of acid mine Operation mine drainage—impossible? Not at drainage pollution, these two water- So how does Sabatose’s theory of the Toby Creek Watershed Associa- ways have greatly benefi ted from the using acid mine drainage water from a tion Cooperative Nursery in Brock- clean-up efforts of the association. polluted stream work to raise healthy way. This trout nursery, built using There are only two watershed asso- trout of all species? the unique idea of Pennsylvania Fish ciations, including Toby Creek, with Acid mine discharge water passes & Boat Commissioner William Saba- nurseries enrolled in the Pennsylvania beneath a road and goes to a water tose and Analytical Services owner Fish & Boat Commission’s Coopera- treatment station where the water is and CEO, uses out-of-the-box think- tive Nursery Program. cleaned to drinking water standards. ing as well as 21st century technology Toby Creek Watershed Associa- At the treatment station, potassium to accomplish what others may view tion’s nursery took one year to build. permanganate (KMnO4) is added to as the impossible. The cost included $1.7 million from the water and is aerated to remove the Pennsylvania Department of En- the iron. The water turns red. A Almost 2 years vironmental Protection (Growing liquid polymer is added that sepa- as a nursery Greener) and the U.S. Department of rates the iron from the water. In a Going into its second year of op- the Interior, Offi ce of Surface Mining clarifying vat, the iron is collected at eration, the nursery is operated by the for the construction of the building, the bottom while the clean water is Toby Creek Watershed Association. pollution clarifi cation equipment, siphoned off the top. The iron (iron The association is in its 41st year of and pumps. The nursery received hydroxide) goes to a holding tank operation and was founded by Saba- $100,000 from the Pennsylvania Fish and is then taken into a fi lter press tose. It is one of the oldest watershed & Boat Commission for construction and formed into a solid on a conveyer associations in the state, and its mem- related to raising fi sh. belt. The clean water is channeled to bers are very concerned with the water two circular tanks quality of the Clarion River and Toby where the trout are raised. At a Glance “We’re cleaning Nursery’s Name: up the environ- Toby Creek Watershed ment and getting a Association Cooperative Nursery benefi cial use out of it by raising fi sh. Operated by: Toby Creek The trout grow fast Watershed Association because of the ideal Established: 2005 water temperature of 50 degrees year- Years in Operation: almost 2 round. There is a Active Nursery Operation very low mortal- Membership: 1 ity rate because the entire nursery is Type of Fish Raised: Brook indoors [predators trout, rainbow trout, brown can’t get at it] and trout, and golden rainbow trout water quality is not Commissioner Sabatose feeds trout. Trout are hand-fed Quantity Stocked: 10,000 compromised [by three times a day. Each tank currently holds 5,000 trout. outside factors].

22 Pennsylvania Angler & Boater • May-June 2007 www.fi sh.state.pa.us Toby Creek Watershed Association Cooperative Nursery

the iron hydroxide is Trout are stocked by the Brockway captured and sent to a Sportsmen’s Club of Brockway and land fi ll. However, in the the Island Run Sportsmen’s Club of future as the operation Ridgway. The following waterways grows, the waste may be are stocked: Little Toby Creek (ma- sold for use in pottery, jority), Whetstone Run (a branch of paint and other similar Little Toby Creek), Clarion River, chemicals. Rattlesnake Creek, Rattlesnake Run, The fi sh waste is col- Mead Run, Boggy Run, many chil- lected from the bottom of dren’s derbies (12 and under), and a the tanks using an auto- children’s only area (12 and under) in matic waste clean-out sys- Brockway (Little Toby Creek). tem. The waste then goes On the left, drinkable water. On the right, acid mine to a pond, into a fi ltering Support, funding discharge water. wetland area and cleaner Toby Creek receives support and We lost only four fi sh this year,” says into a creek. At a larger facility, the funding from many agencies. Some Sabatose. waste could be sold for fertilizer. of these agencies include the Pennsyl- The cooperative nursery is present- “We need to work smarter,” says Sa- vania Department of Environmental ly raising 10,000 trout each year, but batose. By using all materials to their Protection, the Pennsylvania Fish & it has the ability to raise 20,000 trout fullest potential, the nursery is doing Boat Commission, and the Pennsyl- each year. Additional trout could be just that. vania Game Commission as well as raised for the Pennsylvania Fish & local companies and the community. Boat Commission or, if purchased, for Stocking a restaurant with profi ts going back During the fi rst year of operation, Activities into operating expenses or stream the association raised all rainbow Each year the nursery holds an open clean-up. This type of nursery could trout. This year, Toby Creek Water- house to educate the public. Last year, also be adapted for other fi sh species, shed Association is raising 9,200 brook 500 people attended this event. not just trout. trout, 500 rainbow trout, 200 brown This year’s event was also a success Trout are received in August. Each trout and 100 golden rainbow trout. with 425 people in attendance for the tank currently holds 5,000 trout. Trout are hand-fed three times a day. Toby Creek Watershed Associa- tion’s trout nursery is operated by one full-time operations manager. Due to the technical aspects of this nurs- ery, this is a paid position by the Toby Creek Watershed Association. There is also a back-up operator. And if needed, Sabatose and another water- shed chemist are on hand. Their total operational cost for two years is $85,000. The nursery uses sensors to moni- tor power outages, changes in oxygen levels, and changes in water tempera- tures. An automated telephone sys- tem dials a list of numbers to notify personnel of such emergencies. What happens to the raw material The nursery uses sensors to monitor power outages, changes in oxygen levels, from the iron removal (iron hydrox- and changes in water temperatures. An automated telephone system dials a list ide) and the fi sh waste? Currently of numbers to notify personnel of such emergencies.

www.fi sh.state.pa.us Pennsylvania Angler & Boater • May-June 2007 23 dedication to L. Eugene Smith (former nology has a future and will be used Jefferson County legislator). L. Eugene for fl agship hatcheries,” says Sabatose. Smith was instrumental in helping The Pennsylvania Fish & Boat Com- convince the public of the infl uence of mission plans to use some of the same acid mine drainage on waterways and technology in a trout expansion project the environment in the 1960s, when at the Reynoldsdale State Fish Hatch- this idea was not popular. ery in New Paris, Bedford County. The Reynoldsdale project will in- Recognition clude the same type of oxygen injec- Recently, the association applied tion system, tanks and automatic waste for the Governor’s Excellence Award clean-out system at the bottom or side of Technology. of each tank. The Commission expects In September 2006, the Toby Creek a design shortly. At that time, the proj- Watershed’s nursery also won fi rst ect will go out for contractor bid. place with 80 percent of all votes in For more information on the Toby the Cutting Edge/Initiative Technol- Creek Watershed Association or the ogy category for a display at the 4th trout nursery, contact William Sa- Annual Ohio River Watershed Cel- batose at 814-265-8749 (Analytical ebration in Pittsburgh. Services). To make donations for the association’s projects, mail correspon- The iron (iron hydroxide) is taken Future dence to the Toby Creek Watershed into a fi lter press and formed into a “We’re the only fi sh nursery of this Association, P.O. Box 237, Brockway, solid. kind in the United States. This tech- PA 15824.

24 Pennsylvania Angler & Boater • May-June 2007 www.fi sh.state.pa.us