Winter is here and the weather is finally starting to turn colder. Hopefully everyone is ready for the holidays and is starting to think of new projects for the spring and summer. While this seems like the "slow" season many big events have been occurring. To see what other groups are doing this winter and other AMD updates across the West Branch Susquehanna watershed, please visit www.wbsrc.org.
As always the WBSRC is here for your organization to advertise events and to help your organization publicize its successes. Simply contact us at (570) 748-4901 or [email protected]with the details to advertise your event or with information on milestones such as new and/or recently completed projects and other restoration success stories.
We hope to see you at the December 13th Holiday meeting and party. Thank you again for all you do to advance the restoration of the West Branch Susquehanna watershed!
Bennett Branch Sinnemahoning Creek Update
by Pam Milavec, DEP BAMR
The PA DEP Bureau of Abandoned Mine Reclamation (BAMR) has continued with reclamation and watershed restoration activities in the Bennett Branch Sinnemahoning Creek
Hollywood treatment facility.
watershed. So far, BAMR has completed 12 reclamation projects and has 2 more in construction. Nearly all these projects included alkaline addition, thereby helping to reduce AMD while also reclaiminghazardous highwalls. Three more reclamation projects are in design. In addition, BAMR has provided funds for a limestone box cut for an industry surface reclamation project and lime dosers to treat two deep mine discharges in Dents Run, a tributary of Bennett Branch. Read More...
Celebrating 25 Years of Recovery in the West Branch Susquehanna Watershed
Trout Unlimited and its partners convened at Hyner View State Park on October 24, 2011 to celebrate improvements to the West Branch Susquehanna River and its many tributaries.
A 2009 TU study shows that the overall health of the watershed is greatly improving compared to 25 years ago. Fish and insect populations have increased and water quality and habitat have improved. Scientists collected data at 90 sites across the watershed to evaluate how abandoned mine restoration has affected the river and its tributaries.
by Von Holguin, OSM/VISTA Clearfield County Conservation District
Von Holguin has just begun his Office of Surface Mining/ Volunteer In Service To America (OSM/VISTA) term with the Clearfield County Conservation District and Susquehanna Greenway Partnership. Hailing from Los Angeles, California, he received a degree in Sustainable Systems at the University of Rochester in Rochester, New York. He discovered a fascination with nature and the environment at an early age, and got involved with the national parks as a Student Naturalist at Eaton Canyon Nature Center in the Angeles National Forest. During college Von was able to obtain some experience working with coal mining and its effects while working on a research paper.
The Bucktail Watershed Association (BWA) was formed in
BWA volunteers restore habitat with native plantings.
2002 to cover the First Fork and Driftwood Branch of the
Sinnemahoning Creek. We have undertaken a number of projects from outreach to water quality monitoring to stream bank stabilization during the past decade, focusing primarily on the Driftwood Branch. Read More...