Restoration work to occur in late July through early August 2026, weather permitting

 

HEATH TOWNSHIP, PA – July 15, 2026 – Fish such as native brook trout, smallmouth bass and more in Callen Run will have improved habitat, thanks to a dam removal project scheduled to be implemented in late July by the Western Pennsylvania Conservancy with several partners.

Callen Run, a High Quality Coldwater Fishery with wild trout that is a tributary to the Clarion River, is popular with anglers and outdoor enthusiasts. The project will begin July 20 and last through early August, weather permitting, in Heath Township, Jefferson County.

In addition to the Conservancy, project partners include Heath Township Sportsmen’s Club, National Fuel, Jefferson County Conservation District, PennWest-Clarion, American Rivers, the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection and the Pennsylvania Fish and Boat Commission.

Luke Bobnar, watershed projects manager with the Conservancy, says the project aims to reconnect fish populations with historic habitat, while providing improved water intake pipes for Heath Township Sportsmen’s Club Co-Op Trout Nursery and a dry hydrant line for the Sigel Volunteer Fire Department.

“A five-foot-tall dam has been on Callen Run since the early 1900s, when it replaced one that had been in place since roughly the Civil War,” Luke says, noting that the stream provides water for the trout nursery. “The dam is silted in, and the water going into the nursery can get pretty warm in summer. Removing the dam will allow colder water to enter the nursery and river, which is healthier for trout in the Clarion River and for the overall ecosystem.”

The work will include removing the dam and much of the sediment, and grading and stabilizing the banks. There will be evidence of construction at the site and downstream. Some muddy water is expected, but water quality will not be affected.

Support from local anglers and outdoor enthusiasts, as well as the Heath Township Sportsmen’s Club, made the project possible, says Luke, noting that discussion for the project began nearly a decade ago.

“After the stream works for a year healing itself, we plan to reassess, then design and install appropriate fish habitat structures,” he says. The project is a continuation of work done during the past decade in the watershed, including a dam removal on Johns Run in 2018 that improved stream connectivity for several species.

This project was financed in part by a grant from the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania – Commonwealth Financing Authority, as well as by the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service and National Fuel Gas Company.

For more information about the Callen Run habitat improvement project, please contact Kylie Maland, WPC’s watershed manager for Lake Erie and Ohio River basin, at 814-776-1114 or [email protected].

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About the Western Pennsylvania Conservancy:

The Western Pennsylvania Conservancy (WPC) enhances the region by protecting and restoring exceptional places. A private nonprofit conservation organization founded in 1932, WPC has helped establish 11 state parks, conserved more than 290,000 acres of natural lands, protected or restored more than 3,000 miles of rivers and streams, and assessed thousands of wildlife species and their habitats. The Conservancy owns and operates Frank Lloyd Wright’s Fallingwater, which is on the UNESCO World Heritage List and symbolizes people living in harmony with nature. In addition, WPC enriches our region’s cities and towns through 125 community gardens and other green spaces and thousands of trees that are planted with the help of more than 7,000 volunteers. The work of the Conservancy is accomplished through the support of more than 10,000 members. For more information, visit WaterLandLife.org or Fallingwater.org.

Media Contact:
Jennifer Sumoske
Senior Communications Specialist
412-586-2328
[email protected]