1909.] FRESH-WATER FAUNA IN PENNSYLVANIA. 101 



below Vanport, is in very good condition for most of its length, 

 only way up at its sources, in Washington County, it is slightly 

 polluted by mine water. This creek used to be rich in all forms of 

 life, and is yet so here and there, but, as has been said, its fish fauna 

 has greatly suffered in consequence of illegal fishing. 



At the point where the Ohio leaves the state a very beautiful 

 tributary flows into it from the north — Little Beaver Creek. This 

 was, and partly is, a model stream with regard to all forms of fresh- 

 water life. Yet in 1908 there were, in its upper parts, near New 

 Galilee, in Beaver County, signs of pollution, in this case in conse- 

 quence of new oil wells being drilled in the vicinity. Salt water 

 and oil was discharged into the creek, and the fauna (chiefly the 

 mussels) indicated distinctly the deteriorating effect by their dis- 

 eased condition and by the frequency of shells which had died 

 recently. This may be only a temporary effect, and if there is no 

 additional pollution, conditions may remain favorable. 



Immediately below Pittsburgh, Chartiers Creek, coming from 

 the south, empties into the Ohio. It is hopelessly polluted by the 

 coal mines and oil refineries in Allegheny and Washington Counties. 

 There is no life whatever in this creek : the last traces are known to 

 have existed in it as late as 1900, when a few Unionidse were col- 

 lected in it for the Carnegie Museum. The condition of Chartiers 

 Creek is now beyond repair. 



3. The Beaver River Drainage. 



Beaver River flows into the Ohio from the north at Beaver, 

 Beaver County. It is utterly polluted in its whole length, up to 

 the point where it is formed by the confluence of Mahoning and 

 Shenango rivers. The source of the pollution is situated on the 

 Shenango River, along its last two miles, in and below Newcas- 

 tle, Lawrence County. The steel mills and various other establish- 

 ments furnish a tremendous amount of injurious refuse draining 

 into the river, and rendering it entirely unfit for life. This state 

 of affairs has been brought about during the last ten years, for in 

 1898 the fauna of the river was very rich at Wampum, Lawrence 

 County, as is shown by collections preserved in the Carnegie 

 Museum. 



