Category: Rock Run
Rock Run Water Tests March 2023
Monthly Rock Run Water Tests 2-25-23
It was a cold morning as the FTTU citizen scientists conducted monthly pH and alkalinity tests with frozen hands.
We arrived to find even more trees and branches down over the stream.
Air Temp – 28° F
Water Temp – 37.5° F
pH – 7.3
Alkalinity – 3.4
Linn Run Discharge – 21.1 ft³/sec – Medium High
Rock Run Water Tests February 2023
“If a tree falls in the forest, and no-one is there to hear, does it make a sound?”
The answer is “Yes”, and a pretty loud one too when this one came crashing down roots and all across Rock Run, probably during high winds from the storm on 1/25/23.
Results of water tests 1/29/23
Water Temperature: 38.5°
Air Temperature: 38°
pH: 7.8
Alkalinity: 3.8
Linn Run Gauge: 1.94′
Rock Run Water Tests 1-1-23
The first of the year brings some snow but warming temperatures.
Air Temperature – 37°F
Water Temperature – 34.5°F
Linn Run Gauge – 1.81 ft.
pH – 7.5
Alkalinity – 4.3 ppm
Final Rock Run Water Tests For 2022
FTTU Citizen Scientists wrapped up monthly water tests at the mouth of Rock Run for 2022. After a few months of low water, The flow was at its highest since April. Readings showed pH at 7.4, and Alkalinity at 5.5. Air temperature was 50° and water temperature was 43°. Linn Run gauge was at 2.03 ft. and discharge was 16.3 ft³/sec.
Averages over the 12 months of 2022 were 7.55 pH and 6.85 alkalinity. Alkalinity was down a bit from 2021 but average flow was a little higher. Those two things go hand-in-hand. When flow is up, alkalinity goes down. Overall averages show significant improvement and slow but steady progress since we started doing monthly tests in 2017. Alkalinity that year was 5.9 and pH was 6.47.
The pH and alkalinity chart for 2022 can be seen here – pH Chart 2022
Rock Run Water Tests for November
Water quality tests for November:
Air Temperature: 42° F
Water Temperature: 47.5° F
pH: 7.5
Alkalinity: 12.4
Linn Run Gauge: 1.46
Linn Run Flow: 1.9 ft³/sec
A splash of rain brought water levels up a bit but alkalinity also went up. Maybe recent addition of limestone has helped.
Rock Run Water Tests 10-1-22
Air Temperature – 49°F
Water Temperature – 51.5°F
pH – 7.6
Alkalinity – 11.0
Some rain would be nice. Flow only slightly better than September. Trout are getting ready to spawn and will need to move.
Limestone Moved to Stream Banks in Rock Run Headwaters
Twenty-Five tons of limestone sand delivered in May was moved to final position along the stream banks of the East Branch of Rock Run in the stream’s headwaters.
The sand will slowly wash into the stream and buffer acidity creating more hospitable water chemistry for trout and other aquatic organisms.
This makes a grand total of 600 tons of sand placed in Rock Run since the inception of the project in 2005
Your raffle ticket/donation dollars at work, FTTU purchases 25 tons of high calcium limestone every 2-3 years for about $2,000.
FTTU’s project manager, Denny Hess was on hand to oversee the transfer and placement. Denny had the sand placed in 3 different locations.
A big Thank You to Linn Run Park Manager Corey Snyder and the Park Maintenance Staff for their help. The use of their front loader and dump truck saved many hours of hard labor.
Rock Run Water Tests For September
Water tests for September were done on Sautrday the 2nd.
Air Temperature: 66° F
Water Temperature: 65° F
pH: 7.4
Alkalinity: 12.3
Linn Run Gauge: 1.34
Linn Run Discharge: 1.2
Lowest flow of the year.
Stream may look dried up in photo below, but there is flowing water and trout can find refuge in pools.
Rock Run Water Tests August 2022
It’s the dog days and low flows of summer in the Laurel Highlands.
Here’s the results of our monthly water tests:
Air Temp – 69°F
Water Temp – 65.5°F
Linn Run Discharge – 1.90 ft³/sec
Linn Run Gauge – 1.42 ft
pH – 7.4
Alkalinity – 9.1
Lowest flow and highest water temperature of 2022 so far. Still hospitable to trout.
Flow goes down alkalinity goes up.
Rock Run Water Quality Tests for July
Here’s the results of the monthly water quality testing at the mouth of Rock Run for July 2022.
- Air Temperature: 68° F
- Water Temperature: 62.5° F
- pH: 7.4
- Alkalinity: 7.7
- Linn Run Gauge Height: 1.73 ft.
- Linn Run Discharge: 7.0 ft³/sec
For all the stats for 2022, see the Rock Run Page.
