12-05-2025
High lead levels found in parts of Blue Hole Creek
Recent water testing by the Mountain Watershed Association has revealed that Blue Hole Creek, which runs through Forbes State Forest in Saltlick Township, has a lot of lead in the water.
"First round of sampling was 370 ug/l (micrograms per liter) of water," said Eric Harder, a Youghiogheny riverkeeper with the Mountain Watershed Association. "In the drinking water world, you use parts per billion. If people were to have that in their drinking water or lead in their drinking water over one part per billion, the EPA says that's intentionally harmful to your health. And in this situation, leaves were at 370 ppb."
To put that 370 ppb number into perspective, Flint, Michigan's water had just 12 ppb at its worst.
Normally, this creek is considered an exceptional value waterway, a designation reserved for streams that have the best water quality, but now the water keepers and the Pennsylvania Department of Conservation and Natural Resources say that the public needs to know the danger this water poses.
"At this time, our recommendation is to avoid using that stream for consumption of fish," said Harder. "Avoid drinking (the water) and even be wary of jumping in and using it as a swimming hole."
Right now, the Mountain Watershed Association and the DCNR are working to find the source of this pollution and bring it under control.
The hope is that soon there will be signs posted around the stream to alert people that the water is contaminated.
