Watershed Program

2007 NORTHWEST REGIONAL WATERSHED CONFERENCE

On Saturday June 23rd 2007, the Watershed Specialists of the Northwest Region of Pennsylvania held their 2007 Northwest Regional Watershed Conference. There were 48 attendees from watershed organizations, municipalities, and local and state agencies. The conference ran very smoothly and on schedule meeting our goal of providing information to watershed organizations and municipalities on how they can work together to accomplish resolving common problems. Joint session presentations were given on Act 167 and storm water management as well as Low Impact Development (LID’s). The second joint session included information on what municipalities and watershed organizations could due together to accomplish common goals. An address was given to the attendees from Dave Hess the keynote speaker on the importance of working together and how much work has been done so far. The afternoon breakout sessions included information on education/public relations/outreach, stream bank stabilization, watershed assessment, abandoned mine drainage, water monitoring, and finance.

We are very happy about the success of this conference and thank our organizers, cooperators and sponsors.

Financial and other support for this project is provided by the Pennsylvania Association of Conservation Districts through a grant from the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection under Section 319 of the Clean Water Act, administered by the US Environmental Protection Agency. Additional funding was provided by the Penn Soil conservancy Charitable Trust and the Western PA Watershed Program through Headwaters RC&D and Passing Go funding also provided by the Western PA Watershed Program through the Western Pa Coalition of Abandoned Mine Reclamation.

See photos of the conference in our photo gallery.

COOPERSTOWN STREAM BANK STABILIZATION PROJECT

The Venango Conservation District was the sponsor of a Growing Greener grant for the Cooperstown Borough Council. The project stabilized 450 feet of stream bank on Lake Creek in the Borough. The bank was stabilized and a vegetative buffer zone was installed.

This project was truly a community effort with cooperation from the Borough of Cooperstown, the Natural Resources Conservation Service, the Oil Creek Chapter of Trout Unlimited, Venango PaSEC, Valley Grove School District , Retired Senior volunteer Program and Boy Scout Troup 17.

STORM DRAIN STENCILING PROJECT

In 2005 the District was able to secure funding through the Water Resource Education Network. This grant supplied funding to organize stenciling of storm drains in the City of Oil City that run directly to a stream or river. Storm drains were identified and stenciled to indicate that these drains run directly to a stream or river. Educational door hangars were distributed in neighborhoods of these drains and a pre project survey was collected. Stenciling will continue in 2006 and a post project survey will be collected when the project is finished.

South Sandy Creek Watershed Association (SSCWA)
The Venango Conservation District has played an active roll in the recent formation of this organization whose goal is to address environmental problems in the South Sandy Creek Watershed. Coal mining of the past has created acid mine drainage that causes water pollution in the watershed. The District most recently supported the Association's application for a Growing Greener grant to fund a passive treatment system within the watershed. This system involves the installation of lime blocks to neutralize the effects of the acid mine drainage.

Environmental Alliance for Senior Involvement (EASI)
This small but growing group of retired volunteers does water monitoring on several area streams, including East and South Sandy Creeks, Upper and Lower Two Mile Run, and Cherry Run. They do monthly chemical testing on these streams and semi-annual macroinvertebrate surveys in the spring and fall. In addition to working closely with the District and sharing their data, EASI members participate in other District watersheds projects such as, Watershed Snapshot, Riparian Corridor Assessments, and watershed education efforts.

Oil Creek Chapter of Trout Unlimited (OCTU)
The District and the OCTU have a long history of collaborating on watershed conservation projects. Most notable of these has been the AMD treatment site at Woods Corners in Irwin Township. This project, which began in the late 1980’s has been reassessed in 2001 through a Technical Assistance Grant and is the focus of a new Growing Greener Grant application for reconstruction and maintenance. The District and OCTU have also collaborated on educational projects in 2001 and look forward to continued partnership in the future.

ScrubgrassCreek Watershed Association (SCWA)
The SCWA is a new watershed organization that began in 2001. The members of the SCWA share a common concern for the quality of the land and water in the watershed and plan to use a recently completed Rivers Conservation Plan as a guide for abating environmental problems in the watershed. The District, SCWA, and Natural Resources Conservation Service have teamed up to address the AMD and abandoned gas well problems in the watershed by applying for various grants to remediate problems and educate residents about local watershed issues.

Northern Allegheny Project (NAP)
The Northern Allegheny Project, an initiative of the PA Environmental Council, directed by Gina Ellis, was created in June of 2000 to foster sound stewardship through educational programs within the northern Allegheny region including the watersheds of the Oil, Tionesta, Brokenstraw and Conewango Creeks. Since its inception, NAP has communicated its goals with the District and plans to collaborate where appropriate to meet our mutual objectives of conservation, education and the general improvement of water quality in the County. Under contract with the District for project assistance, research has been conducted to identify landholders along the Oil Creek riparian corridor. The Project is also slated to partner with the Crawford and Warren Conservation Districts by performing water quality monitoring “pre” and “post-construction” of Best Management Practices on select farms within those counties.