Category: Citizen Science
FTTU Volunteers Help with Woolly Adelgid Treatment
Seven FTTU volunteers recently helped DCNR personnel with the treatment of Hemlock trees for Woolly Adelgid in Linn Run State Park.
The first day, the crew worked from Flat Rock to Adams Falls and the second day, from Adams Falls to the second cabin. Focusing on trees in the riparian zone of Linn Run.
In all, around 430 Hemlock trees were treated with insecticide to prevent Woolly Adelgid infection.
The Hemlock Woolly Adelgid is a tiny aphid-like insect that feeds on the sap of Hemlocks. It is native to east Asia and is invasive to Pennsylvania.
A Woolly Adelgid infestation disrupts the flow of nutrients in the infected tree and causes branch die back and the death of the tree in 4 to 10 years if left untreated.
The Hemlock is the state tree of Pennsylvania and is closely identified with trout streams providing shade and cover for trout.
Quarterly water test results from the mouth of Rock Run.
Air Temperature: 70° F
Water Temperature: 63.5° F
pH: 6.95
Alkalinity: 9.6
Linn Run Gauge: 1.93 ft
Linn Run Discharge: 11.8 ft³/sec
Rock Run Water Tests 4.11.26
Quarterly water tests were conducted at the mouth of Rock Run the morning of April 11, 2026.
Air Temperature: 45
Water Temperature: 47
pH: 6.6
Alkalinity: 5.8
Linn Run Gauge: 2.09
Linn Run Discharge: 22.1 ft³/sec
Pretty good alkalinity number for a moderately high flow.
Rock Run Water Tests - January 2026
“Niether rain nor snow…” the saying goes. Snow covered roads and 20 degree temperatures did not deter the FTTU Citizen Scientists from their duties at the mouth of Rock Run.
The results:
Air Temperature: 21° F
Water Temperature: 33° F
pH: 6.8
Alkalinity: 5.1
Linn Run Gauge: 1.94′
Linn Run Discharge: 13.8 ft³/sec
Rock Run Water Tests - Summer 2025
With 8 years of data collected, we have decided to do water sampling quarterly instead of monthly. We may eventually include Linn Run in our sampling as well.
Results for summer 2025 collected on June 29th are as follows:
Air Temperature – 70° F
Water Temperature – 65°
Linn Run Gauge – 1.92′
Linn Run Discharge – 14.2 ft³/sec
pH – 7.2
Alkalinity – 7.7
Rock Run Water Tests for March 2025
Air Temperature: 34° F
Water Temperature: 37.5° F
pH: 7.1
Alkalinity: 6
Linn Run Gauge: 2.11 ft
Linn Run Discharge: 25 ft³/sec
Rock Run Water Test Results for February
The citizen scientists were out on a cold Saturday morning collecting water samples at the mouth of Rock Run.
Air Temperature: 26° F
Water Temperature: 34° F
Linn Run Flow: N/A
Linn Run Discharge: 4.66 ft³/sec
pH: 6.7
Alkalinity: 4.8
Conditions: High and Clear
Melting snow and rain brought up the flow which usually brings the alkalinity down but it was only down slightly from January. Although 4.8 is still considered low alkalinity, we no longer are noticing downward spikes of 1.5 with high water.
Soon we will begin testing the headwaters of Linn Run before and after placement of limestone sand there.
Rock Run Water Tests 1.4.24
“Neither snow nor rain…” the saying goes. The FTTU citizen scientists kicked off the new year on a bitter cold day at Linn Run State Park. Several inches of snow and 16 degree temperatures greeted the testers making conditions difficult for conducting water tests.
The Results:
Air Temperature: 16°F
Water Temperature: 31°F
Linn Run Gauge: 1.87′
Linn Run Discharge: 4.66 ft³/sec
pH: 7.1
Alkalinity: 5.4
Rock Run Water Tests 12.4.24
Here’s the results of Rock Run water tests from the last month of 2024.
Air Temperature – 35° F
Water Temperature – 36.5° F
pH – 7.0
Alkalinity – 6.7
Linn Run Gauge – 1.87′
Linn Run Discharge – 4.49 ft³/sec
Good to see Rock Run and Linn Run back to normal flows.
Here are the final results of another year of water quality testing at the mouth of Rock Run.
Rock Run Water Tests 11.2.24
Results of water tests done on Rock Run on Saturday November 2, 2024
Air Temperature – 41°
Water Temperature – 49°
pH – 7.1
Alkalinity – 11.2
Linn Run Gauge – 1.43 ft
Lin Run Discharge – .62 ft³/sec
