Lancaster County Limestone Spring Creeks

[salvelinusfontinalis]

Living here in Lancaster County I can tell you all about degraded watersheds. Streams can recover quickly from abusive behavior rather quickly and this has been proven time and time again. Here in Lancaster County however some of our streams are lost forever it seems and a lot of them are limestoners. He have the most of any county in PA and yet only a few are any good. Then it got me thinking.....what of the little Limestone Spring Creeks in the area? are they lost forever to the practices of farming? Are they lost forever to the behavior of man. Are they lost to nitrates , siltation and posting?
So I decided to try qand find a few today and that i did. While i didnt turn up any trout i found some delightful Limestone Spring Creeks. Some degraded and some in very good shape and with loads of potential.

Indian Run - I have been to this stream before and it is a stocked fishery right outside of Ephrata. This was the last stream of 3 i visited today before work and i only had time to explore the very lowest section of the stream. some stream restoration was done here and someday this section could be really good. towmorrow if the rain calms down...ill explore the upper watershed.

indian run 1
indian run2
indian run3
indian run4
indian run5

Cedar Run - this stream is extremely small and the uppermost sections are still in good shape with loads of weeds. The lower section is very degraded but the aquatic veg is still there. with some tender loving care this stream might have a chance. the only fish i turned up were blacknose dace and very large ones at that. i might have caught a pa record there today it was about 10 inches! That minnow does say alot about the health of the watershed thought being they often reside in clean very cold water.

cedar run1
cedar run 2
lower ceadr run
lower cedar run2
an old dam on lower cedar....cant help the stream much
ceck out this hole on upper cedar...im tellin you it was very deep and the water was low!

UNT Conestoga River - This stream was a total suprise and a very pleasant one at that! i was driving down the road and just happened to glance over and saw loads of weeds. This stream is still in very good shape in the upper section. i have not explored the lower water yet. i wonder why no fish are in it. The water is crystal clear...with some siltation and loads and loads of weeds. The siltation is from mailnly the stream bank eroding but there are alot of areas with a cobbled bottom. this small stream also has some good depth to it, even with the lower water. seductive currents just like a limestone spring creek should have. THIS STREAM HAS MASSIVE POTENTIAL. im intending on talking to Mike K and Donegal TU about this stream. some of the banks need repair so the dont erode anymore....but if nitrates are low enough and everything works out right...i would love to see small wild browns infesting this stream!

UNT1
UNT2
UNT3
UNT4
UNT5
UNT7
UNT7
UNT8
UNT9
UNT10
UNT12
UNT13
So as u can see all is not lost for lancaster Countys limestone spring creeks. maybe someday we can have a piece of what we once lost and browns will be rising to BWO's between the watercress here in the center of amish country. :-D

 

[tobewan77]

Wonderful post!
I grew up all through those areas.

Those shots of indian run (or some say trout run) takes me way back. I remember trolling those waters after stockings many times as a young kid. I thought the guy that now owns that house of the left side of covered bridge was pretty protective of the stream bank on his land. He's done some nice work along there tho.

What does the UNT mean on the conestoga? There are dynamite sections along the conestoga for smallies and such.

It's too bad the farming practice in Lancaster has been to farm until the ultimate edge and cut down everything in your way. Lots of pheasant & grouse holding areas just gone.

 

[salvelinusfontinalis]

ya that guy is still protective of his land. signs are up everywhere....good thing i was on the side not posted :-D
UNT= unnamed tributary. the stream doesnt have a name but im going to call it potential spring run 🙂

 

[simfective]

Execellent, salvelinusfontinalis. Thanks and more thanks.
simfective

 

[JoelD]

reminds me of my trip to alexander spring run in Mifflin co. very nice post Sal.

 

[Dances_With_Brookies]

Joel-
I know Alexander Spring as well... :-D One pretty little stream with loads of dink browns-just the way I like it. Did you by chance ever try Coffee Run in and around the same area?

 

[JoelD]

DWB,

No, we didnt get to hit coffee though we did drive up the road it parallels to get a look at it. Nice looking little stream. I had always heard it was HEAVILY posted but it didnt seem that way when we were there (at least in the upper part). Unfortunately we didnt get to fish it as we ran out of time. We will probably go up there again next summer and make sure to hit coffee as well as tea and make it a 2 day trip.

 

[Dances_With_Brookies]

Joel-
If you remember...hit me up as you get closer to your trip. There are NUMEROUS little spring creeks in the area holding trout that are an adventure all their own. If you decide to go a little further north on RT 322, I can put you on two smaller limestoners that will rival Spring Creek minus the fanfare, and each with excellent public access.

 

[JoelD]

DWB,

Thanks, perhaps we'll hit you up. I appreciate the offer.

 

[longbow64]

Your right about inian run, only problem is, it gets absolutely hammered after stockings. Where that dumps into the cocalico there are some deeper holes that would provide some refuge. There is not much cover on that stream. And yes that gentleman is VERY protective of his bank.