What's the Creek that Runs Through Benezette PA?

[MD_Gene]

Trying to find out the name of the creek/river that runs through Benezette. Is it stocked? Thanks

 

[RLeep2]

Benezette sits at the confluence of the Bennett Branch of the Sinnemahoning and Trout Run. Both to a greater or lesser extent are in recovery from decades of AMD. Neither is stocked so far as I know, at least anywhere really close to Benezette This doesn't mean there are no fish however. As recovering streams, both have sections where WQ is such that trout can survive. This is the way it usually seems to work with recovering streams. They often have spotty sport fish populations dependent upon the mix of un-impacted tribs and the acid load of the main stream at any given point. The trick is finding the more healthy sections.

 

[troutbert]

The Bennett Branch is now stocked. That began pretty recently, maybe 3 years ago or so.

I believe it's stocked from around Medix Run to the downstream side of Benezette, but you could check the PFBC website to get the exact info.

The Bennett Branch not many years ago was bright orange from AMD. But there was a large treatment plant put on the biggest mine drainage source, and now the streambed has a more normal coloration.

 

[troutbert]

troutbert wrote:
The Bennett Branch is now stocked. That began pretty recently, maybe 3 years ago or so.

I believe it's stocked from around Medix Run to the downstream side of Benezette, but you could check the PFBC website to get the exact info.

The Bennett Branch not many years ago was bright orange from AMD. But there was a large treatment plant put on the biggest mine drainage source, and now the streambed has a more normal coloration.

Has anyone fished it?

I've been thinking about trying it, because I think it would be fun to be fishing there and see elk along the stream.

 

[salvelinus]

A bull elk can put the gore in Gore-Tex! But yes, it would be neat and I have seen them standing in and along the creek whilst driving along 555.

 

[mote1977]

I’ve fished Bennett’s Branch a few times while in the area turkey hunting and snake hunting. It’s a nice stream. If you fish from Benezette downstream towards Driftwood there’s a pretty good chance you’ll see elk in or near the stream. Also up around the Medix Hotel I’ve seen them in the stream. Medix Run is also a very nice stream in that area. It’s stocked as well and has natives in the upper end.

 

[Will]

Hi, guys. Bumping this thread because I have a good friend with a camp up near Bennett's branch and I'm wondering how the place is doing. Does anyone know specifically which sections are currently on the stocking list, and whether there's any natural trout reproduction below the location of the treatment plant?

I recognize that with the current drought, now is not the time to be exploring, and there may be detrimental effects lasting beyond this year.

 

[wildtrout2]

I recognize that with the current drought, now is not the time to be exploring, and there may be detrimental effects lasting beyond this year.

You can count on that. I can see a lot of streams up in that area not recovering for several years, minimum. The numbers should rebound pretty quickly, but size takes much longer. jmo

 

[tomgamber]

WENT THROUGH THERE A LITTLE OVER A WEEK AGO. TROUT RUN WAS A TRICKLE AND THE BENNETT BRANCH WAS AS LOW AS I HAVE EVER SEEN IT. HASN'T RAINED SINCE. I DID SEE PEOPLE FISH THE BENNETT WHEN WE WERE UP FOR MEMORIAL DAY. THE ELK ARE EVERYWHERE RIGHT NOW.

 

[troutbert]

Here is how to find the answers to such questions.

Go to Acmemapper.com. https://mapper.acme.com/

Put "Benezette PA" in the search window. Take a look at the maps.

On Acmemapper they have the streams named correctly. The larger stream running past Benezette is the Bennett Branch Sinnemahoning Creek. The smaller stream flowing in from the north side is Trout Run.

Google Maps has a mistake. It labels Trout Run as the Bennett Branch. I've noticed that it is pretty common for Google Maps to name streams wrong.

Google Maps is surely the most widely used mapping website. And many other mapping websites are based on Google Maps. But stream name errors are very common.

What I've seen is mistakes similar to this mistake, i.e. they have one stream named correctly. But then that stream name is wrongly applied to nearby streams in the watershed.

I wonder how it is that Google got it wrong, but Acmemapper got it right. Google is one of the largest tech corporations in the world.

I think Acmemapper is just somebody's project, not a big business. But it's a heck of a NICE project. It's a great mapping website.

You can click on the Topo option to see the old school USGS topo maps. And you can click on Satellite imagery also.

 

[fayettenamese]

I fished trout run a few years ago in August. I was in Benezette and had no idea which stream it was. My wife and sister in law went to the little restaurant in town and I opted to fish while they were eating. I just waded in and let 'er rip. I fished about 2 hours and caught 3 wild browns. The flows were good that day, so I suspect thats about as good as it gets.