Bacterial results in PA rivers, streams includes impacts in Clinton, Lycoming
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A story by the Penn Capital-Star, which ran in yesterday's edition of The Express, detailed a report by nonprofit PennEnvironment which found harmful levels of fecal indicator bacteria -- E. coli, which is the most commonly used bacteria to assess water fecal contamination -- spreading throughout rivers and streams across the state, including in Clinton and Lycoming counties.
According to the study's methodology, test results were considered unsafe, or failed, if "at least one sample result per testing day exceeded EPA's Beach Action Value for E. coli of 190 colony-forming units per 100 milliliters for freshwater recreational waters."
The methodology also states that the value used to make these determinations is based "on an estimated illness rate of 32 swimmers per 1,000."
This illness rate was surpassed in some waterways that run through Clinton and Lycoming counties.
The data that PennEnvironment used was drawn from E. coli monitoring data from 2024 and 2025, from the National Water Quality Monitoring Council's Water Quality Portal. This data is available to the public.
Cedar Run, in southwest Clinton County, was tested eight times, and found E. coli exceeding safe limits on two of those days.
Also, at the northern edge of Clinton County, a Kettle Creek site upstream of the former Route 318 bridge at Cross Fork was tested for 10 days -- one of those 10 days saw exceedances.
In happier news, Slate Run, which was tested about 500 feet upstream from its confluence with Pine Creek, had zero test results exceeding safe levels over eight tests.
The West Branch of the Susquehanna River was tested near Antes Fort, downstream of Nippenose Road, and over five test days, also had zero unsafe test results.
Moving further into Lycoming County, Pine Run, near Linden, in Lycoming County, received various bad results.
While Pine Run tested clean across five test days downstream of the Pine Run Road bridge, Little Pine Run and Pine Run, at their confluence were each tested six times, and both waterways failed one E. coli test day each.
Moving downstream further, Pine Run, near its confluence with the Susquehanna River, was tested near Browns Lane. Across six test days, four were failures.
Just on the other side of Linden, Quenshukeny Run was tested near the Front Street bridge five times. One of those exceeded safe levels.
Notably, major Clinton County waterways including the Susquehanna River, Bald Eagle Creek and Sinnemahoning Creek, did not have their test results included as part of this study.