WATERSHED CONSERVATION

Do you enjoy fishing, paddling or swimming in a clean river, or just drinking a clean glass of water? Remember it hasn’t always been this way! It takes a community working together to ensure great water quality and wildlife habitat. In 2022, the Conservancy continued to partner with landowners, farmers, conservation and community groups and government agencies to protect and restore local rivers and streams from the detrimental effects of abandoned mine drainage, land development, agricultural runoff and other impacts.

The U.S. Clean Water Act, which turned 50 in 2022, established the structure for regulating pollutant discharge into rivers and streams and quality standards for surface waters. WPC has worked with partners to protect and restore more than 3,000 miles of rivers and streams since 2001.

French Creek was named River of the Year in 2022, thanks to the efforts of multiple organizations and agencies. As one of Pennsylvania’s most biologically diverse areas that hosts more than 80 species of fish, 27 species of freshwater mussels, numerous bird species, and our state amphibian, the Eastern hellbender, the 1,250-square-mile French Creek watershed has been a WPC conservation priority for half a century. You can enjoy nature on 15 WPC-owned preserves within the watershed, including West Branch French Creek Conservation Area, Helen B. Katz Natural Area, Lake Pleasant Conservation Area and Franklin Line Canal Natural Area.

Helping PA Grow Greener

Conservancy members took action by asking lawmakers to boost Pennsylvania’s Growing Greener Program by more than $500 million, and it proved fruitful. A large chunk of federal American Rescue Plan funding went to environmental, conservation and outdoor recreation investments, including:

• $100 million to an Outdoor Recreation Program for state parks and forest infrastructure and local conservation and recreation projects

• $220 million to a new Clean Streams Fund

• $320 million to Commonwealth Financing Authority for water, sewer, flood and high hazard dam projects.

Watershed Conservation staff participated in 159 educational, outreach and technical assistance events, including to STREAM Girls Program in coordination with Girl Scouts of America and PA DCNR at Chapman State Park in Warren County. WPC led the stream walk and assisted with watershed education at the event.

This federal funding source supports the Conservancy’s nature-based solutions such as riparian buffers, passive abandoned mine drainage treatment and wetland restoration that prevents flooding and stream degradation.

Restoring Streams to Improve Water Quality

A 30-mile tributary to Lake Erie, Elk Creek is a popular destination for paddling and steelhead fishing. Its scenic forested buffer along the creek provides miles of important wildlife habitat for bald eagles, warblers, herons and many other birds and animals. The lower reaches of Elk Creek also host various types of wetlands and several beaver and river otter populations.

The Conservancy is completing a streambank stabilization on Elk Creek and enhancing habitat on our Lower Elk Creek Nature Reserve near Girard Township, Erie County. After 10 years of fundraising, we fixed a more than 20-feet-high eroding bank with a 600-feet-long stacked stone wall that took three months to complete. This project will help prevent erosion, sediment and pollutants from entering the stream, ultimately helping to keep the creek healthy and improve water quality.

We completed stream restoration at the former Indian Caverns property on Spruce Creek in Huntingdon County, and removed two dams on Greenlick Run in Fayette County, opening four miles of habitat for fish and other aquatic species.

Studying Water Quality through Mussel Survival

Preliminary results from a mussel silo study, a partnership with the U.S. Forest Service and PA Fish and Boat Commission to implant juvenile mussels in concrete silos in 13 streams, show the Kiskiminetas River’s water quality supports juvenile freshwater mussels. An 87 percent survival rate of the mussels shows that “The Kiski is on the road to recovery and the proof is in the silos,” says Eric Chapman, WPC’s director of aquatic sciences. Mussels stabilize stream bottoms, add to diversity and are important for water quality: one mussel can filter up to 20 gallons a day.

Before: Elk Creek’s streambank was eroding, causing sedimentation and pollutants to enter the stream and a safety hazard to visitors of the preserve.

After: The Elk Creek restoration project is improving water quality. Strategic placement of a 600-feet-long stone stabilization wall and eight in-stream weirs control erosion. In spring 2023, volunteers planted trees that will further prevent erosion and filter pollutants.

Helping People Get on the Water

Paddlers have six more places to get on the water in the region, thanks to Canoe Access Development Fund grants the Conservancy provided in 2022.

The Kiski Watershed Association has built two CADF-funded sites on the Kiski River, including one in Leechburg in 2022. Genay Hess, KWA’s president and treasurer, says, “Working with the Conservancy has gone seamlessly and having canoe access on the Kiski is tremendous. Paddling is a great, affordable activity for families, and a lot of people use the sites to fish, too.” Currently, 88 CADF-supported projects are completed and open to the public along 37 waterways in 21 counties.

Watch “Helping Elk Creek Thrive: Our Decades-long Commitment to a Local Treasure,” a recorded webinar about our work to restore Elk Creek and keep its ecosystem thriving.

With partners and volunteers, we planted 6,21o riparian trees and shrubs in 2022. We have planted 72,828 riparian trees and shrubs planted since 2001.

We removed 11 aquatic organism passage barriers such as inadequate culverts and dilapidated dams so that fish can now freely move and establish habitat throughout the rivers or streams.

We awarded 2o mini grants totaling $41,ooo to 2o local environmental organizations in 13 counties, as part of the 2022 Watershed Mini Grant Program, with funding from BHE GT&S, a Berkshire Hathaway Energy Company.

Fallingwater’s leadership staff began 2022 with a significant and specific financial objective: Raise $2.4 million in additional funding needed for preservation of Fallingwater’s major building systems that need urgent attention.

Thanks to a yearlong effort supported by the generosity of many private donors, foundations and the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania’s Redevelopment Assistance Capital Program, and with the help of a matching grant, fundraising efforts were successful for the “World Heritage Preserved: Forging a Future for Fallingwater” campaign. These generous supporters gave $3 million dollars from 2019 through