Deloitte and Project Healing Waters Volunteers Improve the Letort Spring Run

The Letort Spring Run volunteer work day brought volunteers from Deloitte to one of the Cumberland Valley’s most treasured coldwater fisheries as part of the company’s annual Impact Day. Joining the Deloitte team were ten members of Project Healing Waters, an organization dedicated to helping veterans through fly fishing, mentoring, and camaraderie. Together, approximately 29 volunteers spent the day improving habitat at several locations along the Letort Spring Run before gathering for lunch at Vince’s Meadow.

The Letort Spring Run has long been recognized as one of the world’s premier limestone trout streams. It’s clear, spring-fed waters support a healthy wild brown trout fishery and have drawn anglers from around the globe for generations. Protecting a stream with that kind of history takes ongoing care, and workdays like this ensure the Letort remains healthy for years to come.

At Bonnybrook, volunteers re-stacked stone dividers that were originally installed by legendary Letort angler Charlie Fox. These structures divide spawning gravel into individual lanes, helping reduce competition between trout as they build redds during the fall spawning season. By making better use of the available spawning habitat, the project supports successful natural reproduction of wild trout.

Near Otto’s Meadow, another group tackled invasive reed canarygrass along the streambanks. This aggressive plant can restrict water movement and crowd out native vegetation. Removing it helps improve water flow, reduce sediment buildup, and create better conditions for aquatic insects and beneficial aquatic plants like watercress and elodea, both of which play an important role in the stream’s ecosystem.

At Vince’s Meadow, volunteers planted two dozen seven-gallon oak trees, including white oak, chinkapin oak, red oak, and swamp white oak. The new trees replace invasive shrubs that volunteers have been removing over the past several years and will help restore a healthier, more diverse streamside landscape as they mature.

This Letort Spring Run volunteer work day demonstrates how partnerships between businesses, nonprofit organizations, veterans, and local volunteers can create lasting improvements for one of Pennsylvania’s most historic limestone streams. Every project completed that day, whether moving stone, removing invasive plants, or planting trees, contributes to the long-term health of the watershed.

Conservation succeeds because people are willing to roll up their sleeves and invest their time where it matters most. Cumberland Valley Trout Unlimited is grateful to Deloitte for choosing to spend its Impact Day on the Letort, to Project Healing Waters for joining the effort, and to every volunteer who donated their time and energy. Their work reflects a shared commitment to protecting one of the Cumberland Valley’s most important natural resources.

The success of this Letort Spring Run volunteer work day is another reminder that healthy trout streams depend on volunteers who are willing to invest their time in conservation. If you’d like to be part of protecting and improving the streams we all enjoy, we invite you to get involved with Cumberland Valley Trout Unlimited. Whether it’s participating in a conservation workday, attending a chapter meeting, joining one of our fishing trips, or simply lending a hand when help is needed, there’s a place for everyone. Every volunteer makes a difference, and together we can ensure that special places like the Letort Spring Run continue to thrive for generations to come.