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Riparian Conservation Program

 

 

 

 

ClearWater Conservancy’s Riparian Conservation Program aims to promote conservation and restoration of riparian resources in central Pennsylvania. Our Riparian Conservation Program brochure explains the importance of riparian buffers to our local streams and wetlands and outlines conservation options for riparian landowners.

 

The goal of ClearWater's Riparian Conservation Program is to improve stream quality in the Spring Creek watershed through the program’s four areas of focus: stream assessment, stewardship, restoration, and protection. 

 

 

Restoration

The Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection (PA DEP) Surface Waters Assessment Program, required under the Clean Water Act, recently determined that 20%, or 16 stream miles, of the Spring Creek Watershed is impaired.  PA DEP will be submitting these findings to the US Environmental Protection Agency for inclusion on the 303(d) List of Impaired Waters.  Three of these miles are impaired due to point source pollution, specifically fish hatchery discharges, while the remaining 13 miles are impaired due to nonpoint source pollution.  The sources of nonpoint source pollution were identified as urban, residential, and agricultural runoff and the removal of riparian vegetation.

Riparian buffers mitigate nonpoint source pollution by stabilizing streambanks, slowing the flow of stormwater, and filtering pollutants.  Enhancing and protecting riparian areas improves wildlife habitat for both terrestrial and aquatic species, increasing biological diversity in these areas.  In both impaired and unimpaired reaches of the Spring Creek Watershed, riparian buffer vegetation has been degraded, if not eliminated, by human activity.  Because current local zoning does not adequately protect the riparian area, rapid development in the Spring Creek Watershed will continue to threaten the quality of the watershed by increasing urban runoff and eliminating protective riparian buffers. 

ClearWater Conservancy can assist streamside landowners to restore or enhance their riparian areas by planting native trees and shrubs, establishing a native wildflower meadow, removing non-native species, and installing streambank fencing. Assistance is available for any type of land use (agriculture, residential, and commercial) and many landowners will qualify for financial assistance through existing governmental and non-governmental riparian programs. ClearWater staff can help landowners in the enrollment and coordination of these programs.

Riparian buffer restoration techniques used by ClearWater include vegetative buffer installation and enhancement of existing buffers through supplemental plantings and invasive plant removals.  Riparian buffers are a proven method of mitigating nonpoint source pollution by stabilizing streambanks, slowing the flow of stormwater, and filtering pollutants.  Wildlife habitat is also improved in the riparian area as native plant communities are restored.

Streamside Restoration Projects

Purple Loosestrife Removal

Purple loosestrife is a non-native noxious weed that can quickly overrun wetlands and streambanks because it is a prolific seed producer that also spreads aggressively by underground runners and broken stems. It is destructive in riparian areas because it displaces native vegetation that provides wildlife food, shelter and stream cover that are important for the health of these ecosystems.

Purple loosestrife appeared to be in the process of establishing itself on the banks of Cedar Run, an important tributary to Spring Creek, and along the main stem of Spring Creek in Houserville.

In 2005, ClearWater targeted our initial purple loosestrife removal to the largest population located on the banks of Cedar Run and several smaller populations along Spring Creek in Houserville. Purple loosestrife was removed using a safe herbicide specifically labeled for stream banks with the assistance of Dr. Larry Kuhns of the PSU Horticulture Department. Of the dense purple loosestrife stands sprayed in 2005, very little came back in 2006. In its place were many attractive and healthy native plants, such as blue vervain.

These areas were re-treated in 2006 along with some other small patches on Cedar Run. ClearWater will continue monitoring these areas annually until we are confident that purple loosestrife has been eliminated. Many thanks also to all the landowners who allowed us to look for purple loosestrife on their property and remove it when found.

We anticipate our efforts to control purple loosestrife along Cedar Run and Spring Creek to grow into a larger program for Central Pennsylvania. In 2007, we hope to expand our efforts to downstream sections of Spring Creek. If you live in this area, we hope you will help us out in this effort!

Growing Native Program 

ClearWater initiated a Growing Native Program in Centre County to collect and propagate locally native riparian species for use in our riparian restoration projects. Growing Native Programs are currently well established in the Potomac area and are growing across Pennsylvania. By collecting seeds and cuttings from local plant populations, we insure using plants with the most suitable genetics for local environmental conditions and we expand the occurrence of these plants in our local watersheds.

In Fall 2006, we began working with Tim Phelps and Eric Burkhart (PSU School of Forest Resources) to identify locations where we could collect native riparian plant material locally. We arranged for permits and permissions to collect this material and made plans with Paul Heasley (State College Area High School Ag Science Program) and Jim Savage (PSU Horticulture Department) to propagate and grow plants for our riparian restoration projects.

We started with a list of ten ecologically important riparian species that we had sites and permission to collect and added a few more species along the way. Much of the collecting was done by ClearWater volunteer Lucy Boyce with assistance from Susan Ashley. We are very pleased with the species diversity that we will have available for our restoration plantings, in addition to conserving locally native ecotypes.

This spring we welcomed the addition of a new group interested in assisting us in propagating and growing plants. Jessica Martin (Horticulturalist at CPI – Central PA Institute of Technology) contacted us with interest in joining our propagation efforts. With the assistance of CPI’s Horticulture students, she could greatly expand our propagation efforts.

We have also established a partnership with the Penn State Center for Sustainability, who has generously donated space for a growing facility for the program in an exciting synergy to advance efforts in improving water quality of the Spring Creek Watershed.  The mission of Center for Sustainability is to integrate education, research, and outreach on issues of sustainability through innovative, interdisciplinary projects, facilities, and hands-on learning opportunities.  Focus areas of the Center include green design architecture and engineering, natural wastewater treatment, hybrid energy systems, engineering education and food security.

We hope to have about 1,500 plants in the program this first year. Our current efforts are now directed at securing greenhouse supplies such as planting media, pots and irrigation. If you have any extra or left over supplies on hand, please keep us in mind!  We are also looking for greenhouse space.  We welcome any individuals or groups that are interested in joining our Growing Native Program to help collect plant material, grow plants, or donate greenhouse supplies for this very worthwhile program!

 

For more information about how you can enhance or protect your riparian property or to volunteer for the Riparian Restoration Crew, please contact Katie Ombalski at (814) 237-0400 or katie@clearwaterconservancy.org.

 

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