National Fish Habitat Action Plan

Williams Run is a tributary of South Sandy Creek in Venango County, PA.  Aquatic habitat in Williams Run has been severely damaged since coal mining activities produced acid mine drainage in the stream. Water conditions were degraded with a very low pH, no alkalinity, and both iron and aluminum contamination. This point-source pollution left the stream uninhabitable for brook trout and other aquatic life.  Williams Run is currently listed on the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection’s 303d List of Impaired Streams.

Williams Run represents waterways across the country, including lakes and reservoirs, that are improving through the conservation efforts of the National Fish Habitat Action Plan—a bold initiative to reverse persistent declines in aquatic habitat.

The Driftless Area is a 24,000 square-mile area that encompasses portions of southeast Minnesota, northeast Iowa, southwest Wisconsin and northwest Illinois bypassed by the last continental glacier. The region has a high concentration of spring-fed coldwater streams and is recognized for its high diversity of plants, animals, and habitats. The Driftless Area Restoration Effort (DARE) partnership formed to address habitat degradation, loss, and alteration that are the primary factors contributing to the decline of fish populations in this unique region. 

Driftless Area Restoration Effort website