A high amount of lead contamination has been found in a Laurel Ridge stream known for its pristine conditions.

The finding in Blue Hole Creek, at the border of Fayette and Somerset counties, poses a danger to wildlife and humans, as it is a popular spot for fishing and to replenish water for those on the Laurel Highlands Hiking Trail. Water samples by the Mountain Watershed Association showed there was 370 micrograms per liter of lead, said Eric Harder, Youghiogheny riverkeeper. Aluminum levels also were high.

“It’s one thing to impact the stream for wildlife, but when there’s public health to the extent of nearly 400 times of the recommended level for drinking water, it just really rings home,” he said.

The creek starts at the top of Laurel Ridge near Seven Springs Ski Resort. It passes over the Laurel Highlands Hiking Trail and flows under a gravel road in Forbes State Forest that is popular with cyclists, anglers and snowmobile riders.

An exceptional value waterway designation for Blue Hole Creek means it typically has high water quality and abundant stream life, and is protected from development and pollution.

The association is regularly monitoring levels of pollution in the creek, Harder said. The state Department of Conservation and Natural Resources has put up signs along the Laurel Highlands Hiking Trail, near the Grindle Ridge shelter, warning hikers about the water, spokesperson Wesley Robinson said.

The state Department of Environmental Protection investigated the lead contamination and is working with the responsible party on a remediation plan, Robinson said. That party has not been publicly identified. No one from the DEP responded to a message.

A 2024 DEP report obtained by TribLive indicated that the agency received a complaint in 2021 and conducted testing on Blue Hole Creek in 2023. Those tests showed waterways in that area were impaired. The report indicated the possible source of contamination in at least one part of the stream may have been from a local airport and gun range in the watershed.

“It is likely that acidic rain and surface waters were interacting with metals, such as lead, from the airport and gun range, causing the elevated measurements instream,” the report said. “The combination of acidic conditions and heavy metals made for a highly toxic environment for aquatic life.”

It was unclear from the report if the official source of contamination was determined.

Staff at the Mountain Watershed Association recently have been getting the word out on social media to groups that may frequent the Laurel Highlands Hiking Trail and other areas on the ridge. They tested the waters after employees noticed earlier this year staining on rocks and dead moss and, last year, a lack of invertebrates making their home in the stream, Harder said.

A filter, typically used by hikers to clean water, will not remove lead. The amount of lead found in the stream was shocking, Harder said.

“That’s where we really started to get more concerned,” he said.

The Environmental Protection Agency says there is no safe level of lead in drinking water.

Harder recommends that no one take water for consumption out of Blue Hole Creek. The association is regularly testing that stream, as well as others in the area, to determine whether the lead contamination has spread. The waters flow into a popular swimming hole. Signage is being developed for that area, Robinson said.

The stream joins Garys Run, Cole Run and Fall Creek, all of which flow into Laurel Hill Creek.

For details, visit mtwatershed.com/2025/04/30/paradise-lost-lead-contamination-found-in-blue-hole-creek.