Director Angie Spagnoli was recently awarded the 2024 Junta Valley Audubon Society Conservation Award for her work with wetlands conservation, education and advocacy. We are very lucky to have her on the board. Congratulations Angie!
Links
19th Annual Riverbank Clean Up.
Over 100 volunteers filled two 40 ft. dumpsters with litter and some tires were collected from 30 miles of waterway. This is the 19th year of the clean up. High water and a power outage did not deter dedicated volunteers. Once again, Spruce Creek United Methodist Church provided a delicious lunch for the volunteers. Tastykake donated treats. Read about the event in The PA environment daily here.
A photo gallery is provided courtesy of Beth Intoccia, Chairperson Litter Lifters of West Vincent.
Upcoming events
Save the date: members banquet June 8th
LJRA outreach
President Bill Anderson delivered a presentation on the activities of the LJRA at a dinner for Environmental leaders hosted by the Moshannon Group Sierra Club attended by 30 local conservation groups.
March Meeting
The LJRA met Thursday March 14th. The minutes of the meeting can be downloaded here.
February Meeting
February 8th Bryan Chikotas, Fisheries Manager for the southcentral district and new Water Conservation Officer Brock Bensen attended and gave reports.
Minutes can be downloaded here
John Little (1946-2024)
We are saddened by the passing of former director and member John Little. John was a great supporter of LJRA and served as LJRA Director from 2005 until his illness interfered in 2015. He was very instrumental in our annual spring clean-up and served as a volunteer in many of the LJRA water quality improvement projects. John and wife Marie made their Rivers Edge property available for our fall banquets and promoted the LJRA to their many fishing guests. John ad Marie attended our summer banquet last June at the Rivers Edge now owned by Randy and John Green. He was our friend and our fellow river lover. We will miss John.
his obituary can be viewed here
Update: Rutter’s construction near Sandy Run
Rutter’s was fined $73,200 for violations of their NPDES permits at the Sandy Run site! LJRA opposed this project from its inception on the grounds that all the drainage would be into the Sandy Run wetlands, the major cold water source and wild trout spawning stream for the upper Little Juniata River. We have taken water samples from every significant rain event since they broke ground last year and notified BCCD of possible violations of the E&S (Erosion & Sedimentation) plan at the site. Blair County Conservation District (BCCD) performed multiple inspections that determined violations resulting in this penalty. LJRA will continue to monitor as truck stop operations begin in 2024. Directors Angie Spagnoli and Gary Miller and Eric Oliver were essential in monitoring activities at the site for the last year. Great job all!
January meeting
Dom Swentosky of Troutbitten (https://podcast.troutbitten.com/ ) gave a presentation on nymphing techniques to a full house.
December meeting minutes
Minutes can be downloaded here