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Environmental Stewardship Fund Supports Acid Mine Drainage Treatment Project, Trout Nursery in Toby Creek Watershed

Water quality improvement within the Toby Creek Watershed is getting a boost, thanks to two grants awarded to Headwaters Charitable Trust through the Environmental Stewardship Fund (Growing Greener).

An award in the amount of $231,134 will be used in the Johnstown Inclined Plane Acid Mine Drainage (AMD) Treatment ID and Design project. This project will evaluate the chemistry and flow of the Bethlehem Mine #72, as well as evaluate commingling the discharge with an existing treatment plant and evaluate the potential to use the treated water for geothermal energy for heating and cooling within the treatment plant facility.

The additional award in the amount of $251,400 will aid in funding the operations of the Cooperative Nursery in Brockway. Run by the Toby Creek Watershed Association, the Cooperative Nursery uses water treated on site from acid mine discharge to raise trout. This treatment has been instrumental in reducing the impacts of abandoned mine drainage within the Toby Creek Watershed and in improving stream water quality, while also providing economic value.

 

Stabilization of Raccoon Creek Improves Water Quality in Hanover Township and Beyond

Nearly 46 miles long, Raccoon Creek winds through wood lots, agricultural land, and previously mine-stripped land. The impacts of this land use along Raccoon Creek has led to more than 2.5 miles of the Creek being degraded by runoff and vegetation removal.

In early 2021, Beaver County Conservation District received a $25,285 Environmental Stewardship Fund grant (Growing Greener) to continue the Raccoon Creek stabilization project (Phase I was completed by Allegheny County Conservation District). Phase II of this project seeks to implement natural stream design structures in the section of Raccoon Creek located in Hanover Township that will ultimately mitigate erosion, provide wildlife habitat, and improve water quality.

Located between Pittsburgh and West Virginia, the Raccoon Creek Watershed covers 184 square miles and is home to 35,000 people. Classified as a priority watershed by the PA Department of Environmental Protection, the area abounds with biodiversity and natural heritage, as well as outdoor recreational opportunities. Three major streams within the watershed – King’s Creek, Traverse Creek, and Service Creek – contain classifications as High Quality Warm Water Fisheries, while the mouth of the Raccoon Creek empties into the Ohio River, home to threatened and endangered aquatic wildlife.

It’s estimated that this project will prevent 400 – 800 of sediment from entering Raccoon Creek, protecting and enhancing the water quality of the region and beyond.

Funding Improves Water Quality, Wildlife Habitat in Popular Community Park

Photo by Caitlin Mercier, Watershed Specialist, LCCD

Located in South Whitehall Township in Lehigh County, Cedar Creek Park West is a 156 acre community park that is a hub for recreational activity. The park hosts the largest sports field facility in the Lehigh County Parks system, and features wooded wetlands, providing wildlife habitat and a space for birdwatching.

The Lehigh County Conservation District (LCCD) identified an eroded tributary of Cedar Creek within the park that needed stabilization and an enhanced riparian buffer. With Lehigh County Department of Parks and Recreation already in the process of planning park improvements (which includes removing a tennis court from the floodplain area) LCCD is partnering with the Parks Department to stabilize the tributary and return the floodplain to wetland habitat.

To help bring this project to a reality, LCCD received a Environmental Stewardship Fund Grant (Growing Greener) for $63,000 to assist with stabilizing the streambank, planting a riparian buffer, and restoring wetland habitat. The project will ultimately reduce pollutant loading into the stream, particularly nitrogen and sediment, and the riparian buffer and wetland enhancement will provide additional filtration and infiltration for stormwater as well as increase habitat.

The project is moving towards the permitting phase and is expected to be complete by the end of 2022.

Helping Farmers to Create a Cleaner Conestoga Watershed

A $640,947.00 grant from the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) through the Environmental Stewardship Fund (Growing Greener Watershed Protection Program) has allowed Lancaster Farmland Trust (LFT) to expand their previous work in helping farmers to create cleaner water in the Lower Conestoga watershed in East Lampeter Township.

This work had begun in 2015 when LFT was awarded a Technical Capacity Grant from the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation (NFWF) to conduct assessments on all 148 farms within East Lampeter Township. Until this technical capacity project, agricultural conservation practices and operations data were never collected on East Lampeter Township farms. With agricultural data collected and cataloged, LFT and partners completed a “MapShed” modeling program that highlighted agricultural conservation practices as the most advantageous and cost-effective ways to reduce nutrient and sediment pollution.

In 2017, LFT was awarded another NFWF grant to implement those conservation practices on several strategic farms within the township. Work on several of those farms is now complete – critical conservation practices like buffers, fencing, animal crossings, stabilized walkways, increased manure storage, and barnyard improvements are in the ground and improving Lancaster County’s water quality.

The generous grant from DEP in 2021 will allow several more properties in the township that lacked funding to complete these projects on their own to join the growing numbers of farms in Lancaster County committed to the fight for clean and clear water.

This story was provided by Lancaster Farmland Trust

Improving Water Quality in the Mill Creek Watershed

 

Provided by Lancaster Farmland Trust

A $274,405.00 grant from the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection through the Growing Greener Watershed Protection Program will build on Lancaster Farmland Trust’s (LFT) previous work in the Mill Creek Watershed.

In 2014, Upper Leacock Township engaged LFT to explore a strategic, cost-effective method for water quality improvement in an unnamed tributary of the Mill Creek. LFT conducted assessments on all farms in the designated area and, using the information gathered, developed a set of recommendations for additional practices that should be implemented. If implemented on strategic farms, these recommendations would result in maximum load reductions and significant progress toward meeting the township’s pollution reduction goals.

A grant from the National Fish and Wildlife Federation in 2015 led to the implementation of 18 new terrain-specific conservation practices on two farms with impressive nutrient and sediment reductions for the Mill Creek Watershed. The third farm in this project did not receive enough funding for completion. This new grant from DEP will complete the work started for this patient farming family and put an additional 13 conservation practices into the ground. This critical funding will also support the assessments of all 182 farms in Upper Leacock Township, 30 new agricultural erosion and sediment plans (Ag E&S plans) and/or manure management plans, and conservation practices on additional farms in the Mill Creek Watershed.

Funded Streambank Restoration Projects in Blair County Protect Juniata River, Chesapeake Bay Watershed

Blair County Conservation District

Streambank erosion is known to contribute to a significant increase in sediment and nutrient overloads, harming waterways and watersheds for communities and wildlife alike. According to Pennsylvania’s Department of Environmental Protection, more than 11,400 miles of streams are impacted by stormwater runoff and its nutrient pollutants of nitrogen, phosphorus, and sediment. As Pennsylvania works to curtail its pollution into the Chesapeake Bay, restoring and maintaining local water quality to stop runoff is paramount in improving the health Pennsylvania’s watersheds and that of the Chesapeake Bay.

Blair County Conservation District (BCCD) identified three separate streambank restoration projects (Poplar Run, Spring Run and Spencer Run) within Blair County that were contributing to significant sediment and nutrient loads daily and exasperated in storm events, affecting the health of the Juniata River Watershed, and eventually the Chesapeake Bay.

BCCD’s primary goal for each project was to first stabilize the streambank and reduce erosion, while secondary goals for each project were to add a vegetative component to allow for stream buffering and promote cooling aspects to the waterway; and to promote aquatic health and increased aquatic habitat. The total project included the planting of 1,620 live tree stakes, 20 bareroot tree stock, and 12 container grown shrubs, and the result was the stabilization and restoration of 455 feet of streambanks in the Juniata River Watershed. Water Quality improvements based on the “FieldDocs” Program for In- Stream Load Reduction estimates that a combined 49.14 tons of suspended solids were reduced from entering the waterways.

The project cost for the three sites totaled $108,433.82, with $81,806 from Environmental Stewardship Funds (Growing Greener) and $31,627.82 in matching funds (both In-Kind Services and Construction dollars).

Partners: Blair County Conservation District; Pennsylvania Association of Conservation Districts, Technical Assistance Grant Program; BluAcres, LLC; and EcoIslands, LLC. Property owners – Michael Johnston, Sharon Ritchey and the Carson Valley Cemetery Association. Contractors – Vineyard Excavating, Nelson Landscaping, Kerr Landscaping and Claycomb Excavating. Contact Information: Donna J. Fisher, District Manager, Blair County Conservation

Created Wetland and Floodplain Protects Pine Grove from Flooding, Improves Water Quality

Schuylkill County Conservation District

The Swatara Creek in Pine Grove has been historically prone to flooding, with devastating floods affecting over a hundred homes and businesses within the community since 2004. When Tropical Storm Lee dumped over 15 inches of rainfall across the borough in 2011, the resulting floods impacted 90% of local businesses, resulted in $40 million dollars in total damages, contributed to substantial water pollution, and resulted in the loss of 250 jobs due to permanent business closures.

In response to this flooding disaster, the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) developed the Flood Recovery Committee (FRC), a regional coalition that consisted of 8 municipalities, business leaders, and representatives of federal and state agencies who came together to create the “2012 Pine Grove Area/Upper Swatara Watershed Recovery Strategy.” This strategy identified floodplain restoration as on the primary BMPs recommended. This would not only reduce flooding, but also improve water quality and create wildlife habitat.

The eastern side of the Swatara Creek near Guilford Mills in Pine Grove, PA was identified as the site of construction and, in the fall of 2019, work began on the 10-acre wetland and floodplain. The project, helmed by the Schuylkill County Conservation District, cost around $2.5 million in grants, was completed in the summer of 2020.

Schuylkill County Conservation District

Aaron Clauser, of Clauser Environmental who was responsible for the environmental planning of the project, explained that the project design allowed for the use of water from a small unnamed tributary to provide hydrology for over 5.3 acres of newly constructed wetlands that provide wildlife habitat and water quality benefits.

The project has so far withstood tests from mother nature, and the Schuylkill County Conservation District will continue to monitor the success of the plantings, hydrology, and the wildlife structures that were installed. The District hopes that their natural solution to this flooding issue can be used as a model for other communities.

Schuylkill Conservation District is currently working to design and permit a number of other restoration projects throughout Schuylkill County, including two more large projects near Pine Grove. The district is always looking for both volunteers and financial support for its conservation and environmental education programs. Please contact the district at (570) 622-3742 x5 if you are interested in learning more.

State Investments for this Project

  • Environmental Stewardship Fund (Growing Greener) Grant: $2,991,000 (Schuylkill Conservation District)
  • Commonwealth of PA Dept. of Community and Economic Development Block Grant – Disaster Recovery Program: $2,000,000 (County of Schuylkill)

Dedicated State Investments Aid Northcentral Stream Partnership in Improving Water Quality

Ariel view of Sechler Run, Geisinger campus. Photo credit: Bob Stoudt

For over a decade, the Northcentral Pennsylvania Conservancy (NPC) has been partnering with the county conservation districts, state agencies, other non-profits, and willing landowners across northcentral PA to bring the region’s local waterways back to health.  The group, collectively known as the Northcentral Stream Partnership, focuses on decreasing erosion and sedimentation, improving water quality, and increasing aquatic habitat on agriculturally impaired streams.

The partners use proven in-stream stabilization structures, such as log vanes and mudsills, and Agricultural Best Management Practices (BMPs), such as walkways and fencing.  The in-stream work is done to remove velocity and pressure from the streams banks and re-direct the water to the center of the channel – resulting in less flooding during high water events.  The log structures also provide habitat for fish and other aquatic life.

Much of the funding for the materials and contractors needed to complete these stream projects, comes from the state’s Environmental Stewardship Fund (Growing Greener Grants)

Last summer, reliable Environmental Stewardship Funds, helped NPC and the rest of the Northcentral Stream Partnership complete a high-profile project on Sechler Run at Geisinger’s Woodbine Lane campus in Danville.  This was the team’s first time back together at a project site since COVID-19 mitigation efforts were put in place.  The job site did look a little different than seasons past – social distancing and facemasks – but, by the end of the project, the crew built log and rock structures stretching across 1,000 feet of stream from structure to structure, stabilizing the eroding streambank and providing vital fish habitat.

Al Neuner, Geisinger’s vice president of facilities operations, said the project was important to Geisinger because it affects the public’s health. “We kind of take a holistic approach,” Neuner said. “As we improve our environment, we improve everyone’s health.”

Geisinger further helped support the project by providing manpower and tools during construction and followed up by installing a graveled nature trail along the stream.

After construction, Native Creations Landscape Services planted over 400 native trees and shrubs, transforming the previously mowed streambanks into a multifunctional riparian buffer.  These new plantings will help cool the water for the stream’s aquatic life, and pollinators and people alike can enjoy the display of wildflowers come.

Stabilizing this section of Sechler Run, not only helps restore the health of the stream locally, but everything down stream as well.  For this reason, the Partnership’s sustained efforts are currently being used as a model to help improve the water quality throughout the entire Chesapeake Bay watershed.

Thanks to continual state investment into these types of projects through the Environmental Stewardship Fund, the Northcentral Stream Partnership has worked at over 120 sites and impacted over 25 miles of stream since its formation in 2009 – resulting in less flooding, cleaner drinking water, and improved aquatic habitat across the region.