Bald eagles nesting in Westmont are commonly seen hunting along Stoneycreek, the Kiski-Conemaugh River, and other water courses in Western PA. They also nest near Keystone Lake and hunt the Loyalhanna basin. While it is always great to see such a majestic bird, the real reason to rejoice is that the eagles indicate that there are now fish in the rivers. Many of our rivers, especially Stonycreek and the Kiski-Conemaugh, were effectively dead rivers 30 years ago, and for a long time before that. Way back in 1896, the State Commissioners of Fisheries stated of the Kiski-Conemaugh “Years ago, it was a fine fishing river, but within a comparatively recent date it has become polluted to such an extent that it is almost worthless as an angling stream.” The eagles indicate otherwise today.
