EPCAMR is to complete an assessment & implementation recommendation report for the Solomon Creek Watershed in Luzerne County, Pennsylvania
“This type of grassroots conservation work is vital for the future of the state’s streams and wild trout fisheries,” said PFBC Executive Director, John Arway. “Coldwater conservation plans help to build local awareness and support for the long-term stewardship of coldwater streams and their surrounding watersheds.”
For more than a decade, EPCAMR, a nonprofit organization, organized in 1996 to promote and facilitate the reclamation and remediation of the land and water adversely affected by past mining practices in Eastern Pennsylvania, has been a partner with the Pennsylvania Council of Trout Unlimited, the Pennsylvania Fish & Boat Commission, the Pennsylvania Department of Conservation and Natural Resources, and the Foundation for Pennsylvania Watersheds. One of EPCAMR’s strengths is its ability to work with community groups to assess their watersheds, conduct biological monitoring, perform habitat assessments, water quality monitoring, and coordinate environmental action and improvement projects on a local level in watersheds impacted by abandoned mine drainage (AMD).
EPCAMR was awarded 1 of 10 grants this round, just as the 2011 trout season was about to open to conduct a preliminary assessment of the 18.1 square mile watershed of Solomon Creek, with a focus on its tributaries in the Wyoming Valley of Luzerne County, Pennsylvania. It is an AMD impacted stream on the Federal 303(d) List of Impaired Waters at several segments along its length, before entering the Susquehanna River. However, there are also tributaries that are holding isolated native trout species between AMD discharges to Solomon Creek and in some of its upper tributaries as well. In fact, there is a 2.6 mile stretch that is a Class A Brook Trout Fishery within the watershed, upstream of several of the AMD discharges. EPCAMR would like to assess the tributaries and come up with some recommendations for future implementation plans. The Solomon Creek Watershed contains many high quality and coldwater stream trout assets, despite the presence of AMD.
The general water quality between the downstream end of the Solomon Creek AMD Boreholes and the Buttonwood AMD Tunnel is alkaline, has high pH and high dissolved Oxygen, is very cold, and is high in Iron loading. In most of the headwater sections of the watershed, water quality and stream habitat are generally in excellent condition, until flow is lost to the underground mines. These areas sometimes go unnoticed due to the chronic impacts, publicity, and overall perception of the downstream AMD impacts.
The Solomon Creek Watershed is in an area where EPCAMR has strong local partnerships with several municipalities and other civic groups. There are multiple users of the watershed, both for recreational use, redevelopment of abandoned mine lands, and some mine drainage remediation efforts. Initially developed around the extraction of Anthracite coal, this watershed has an abundance of other natural resources, contributing to its picturesque landscapes and great recreational use.
The EPCAMR staff is very capable of doing a preliminary watershed assessment & has the expertise and background necessary to provide a professional, high quality assessment and recommendation report to the Coldwater Heritage Partnership (CHP).
EPCAMR’s Proposed Plan of Work, shown below, details what will be going on over the next 18 months in the watershed.
EPCAMR Proposed Plan of Work:
1. Gather & research existing historical data, references, & reports about Solomon Creek
2. Notify all municipalities in Solomon Creek Watershed about grant award, if selected, including explanation of project & Proposed Plan of Work
3. Identify potential impacts, threats, problems, & opportunities to Solomon Creek
4. Focus on development of implementation strategy for tributaries of Solomon Creek, keeping losing reaches of tributaries on surface, & remediation of AMD in lower portions of watershed
5. Formulate plan of action for proposed conservation & protection strategies that will protect & enhance natural areas in Solomon Creek Watershed, providing opportunities for enjoyment of these areas
6. Conduct stream habitat & biological assessment & water quality sampling of each tributary at 12 in-stream monitoring stations below two significant AMD discharges, Solomon AMD Boreholes & Buttonwood AMD Tunnel
7. Build community awareness & appreciation of environmental issues affecting Solomon Creek Watershed through outreach, alongside our partners: Earth Conservancy, Huber Breaker Preservation Society, Pennsylvania Environmental Council Northeast Office, Delaware & Lehigh National Heritage Corridor, Appalachian Coal Country Team Anthracite Heritage Alliance, & local municipalities
8. Schedule two public informational meetings in Solomon Creek Watershed to explain process of project & solicit comments used to prepare Preliminary Watershed Assessment & Implementation Recommendation Report for Solomon Creek
9. Complete Final Preliminary Watershed Assessment & Implementation Recommendation Report for Solomon Creek & submit to Coldwater Heritage Partnership
EPCAMR is committed to building community awareness and an appreciation of environmental issues affecting the Solomon Creek Watershed through outreach. Through our active role, we will provide suggestions, data, resources, and information on the history and current state of the watershed to the local people who live, work, and recreate in it. We hope our recommendations, based on the comprehensive assessment, lead to future implementation projects that will improve the watershed, its recreational value, and its trout fishery potential.
“The Pennsylvania Council of Trout Unlimited is excited to award grants to worthy organizations for the conservation and protection of their local streams,” stated Ken Undercoffer, President of the Pennsylvania Council of Trout Unlimited. This year, the CHP awarded planning and implementation grants. Organizations funded by a planning grant will be responsible for creating a Coldwater Conservation Plan that gathers existing data about the coldwater ecosystem; identifies potential impacts, threats, problems, and opportunities to our coldwater streams; formulates a plan of action for proposed conservation and protection strategies; and builds community awareness and support for the conservation of our coldwater streams.”
Besides offering grants, the CHP works to provide technical and educational assistance to organizations interested in protecting coldwater ecosystems. For additional information, please contact Samantha Kutskel at (814) 359-5233, send an email to c-kutskel@state.pa.us, or visit the Coldwater Heritage Partnership website.
