|
|
|
How it All Started
 here are many stories out there about how our group
actually came into existence. Instead of trying to tell them all,
we feel that this excerpt from a 1986 article that appeared in
the Indiana Gazette summed it up the best. The article was written
by Jim Bothell in the Outdoor Outlook section of the paper.
he Blackleggs Trout organization, which is located
two miles outside of Clarksburg, just below the Luzerne 9, mine
is the first cooperative nursery in Indiana County and hopefully
a step towards better trout fishing in the county.
"The organization first began to take shape
two years ago when a group of us who work at Lucerne 9 decided
to put some money together and stock trout in Blackleggs Creek,"
Ray Grafton, recording secretary for the Blackleggs Trout Nursery
organization, said.
"There were six or seven of us who put some money together
and bought trout and stocked them in Blackleggs Creek from Clarksburg
downstream for about a mile and a half. We found that many of
the trout lived through the winter and we decided that we may
really had something."
From that point, the organization inquired about buying fish
and having them stocked in the stream.
After contacting the Fish Commission and area Waterways Conservation
Officer Jan Caveney, the group of concerned outdoorsmen found
that it would be more to their benefit to raise trout from the
fingerling stage, which would be provided by the Fish Commission,
to maturity and stock them on their own rather than purchase
mature fish.
With some help from Caveney and a growing interest from other
outdoorsmen in the possibility of raising and stocking trout,
the groundwork for the Blackleggs Trout Nursery was laid early
this year (1986).
In February (1986), the Blackleggs organization was incorporated
by the state as a non-profit organization. Being all of 200
members strong (junior members included) the organization at
that point began to push ahead toward construction of the nursery.
The Water Comes From Where?
One of the most surprising aspects about this
project is where the organization gets over half of its water
supply.
"Just about 70 percent of the water for
the nursery will be what is being pumped out of the nearby mine
and into our ponds. The R&P Coal Company has been a big supporter
of this entire project," said Grafton.
"In fact, R&P has made a very generous
donation to help us with the construction of the nursery."
Unbelievable Generosity
The Blackleggs organization and the entire project has received
some generous donations which included the ground on which it
is being built. The ground was donated by the Blaisin family,
which resides in the Clarksburg area.
So far $5,500 has been spent in construction, a figure
which would be much greater if not for such local businesses
as Lucerne Mine 9, Mickey's Excavating, contractor Jack Lentz,
Central Cambria Drilling, Lawton Cement and David Trucking.
Art Grguric and Grafton are quick to thank all of the people,
members and nonmenbers, who have given time, material and money.
The project would never have been a reality without the support
it received.
"We are especially indebted to Mike Gatski, who is the
mine superintendent of Luzerne 9," said Grguric. "We
owe him a lot."
Add to the volunteers the many area children who excitedly
turned out for stocking. "Our biggest support came from
our wives," joked Grguric. "We just about lived here
day and night for the last two weeks."
nd that was just the beginning! This group has incredible community
support, and is driven by a group of very hard-working, dedicated
individuals. Congratulations to them on their on successes in
their watershed. Be sure to check out there website, where we
gathered the above information, for more details on their current
projects.Go to: http://www.blackleggs.org/home.htm
|
|
|
|
