WBSRC 2010 Newsletters
Due to a switch in the email service the WBSRC uses the original copies of these newsletters have been lost. All of the content from those newsletters can be found below. Click on the title of an article below to read that article.
2010 / 2011 AMD Classroom Education Programs & Field Trips
In 2009, in lieu of their annual West Branch Susquehanna Restoration Symposium, Trout Unlimited (TU) and the West Branch Susquehanna Restoration Coalition (WBSRC) hosted a series of West Branch Susquehanna Mini-Symposiums and Tours. Click here for details. These public information sessions, funded primarily by grants from the Richard King Mellon Foundation and the DEP, successfully attracted an audience of approximately 300 municipal officials, high school teachers, university students, and local residents. In addition to increasing public awareness and involvement in local AMD projects, the series of education events set the stage for a subsequent AMD educational program for middle and high school students planned for the 2010/2011 school year.
Over the course of this winter and coming spring, the WBSRC and TU, with funding from the Richard King Mellon Foundation, the DEP, and the DANSKO foundation, will work with five local schools to teach students the history of coal mining, AMD and its effects on the environment and economy, and the basics of AMD remediation. As part of these AMD education programs, TU staff will travel to each school where they will meet with middle and high school students and go over several lessons designed to increase students’ knowledge of the above topics. Students will then be instructed on how to perform chemical tests on water samples using Hach AMD test kits and how to collect and identify macroinvertebrates.
Building off of these experiences, the students will take a field trip, hosted by a WBSRC member organization, next spring to visit an AMD-impaired watershed, perform water testing and macroinvertebrate studies, and see AMD treatment systems first hand. Students will then create a project to wrap up what they have learned and share their experience with others. This may take the form of a poster, oral presentation, song, artwork, or other creative project.
The final component of the project is the integration of the Trout in the Classroom (TIC) program into each school. Each participating teacher will receive a TIC aquarium for his/her classroom along with all of the necessary equipment to raise trout from eggs next fall and release them into a local stream the following spring. The TIC setup will allow the teachers many opportunities to incorporate coldwater conservation concepts into their curriculum and inspire students to develop a sense of stewardship in their watershed.
The schools that have been chosen for this program are Bucktail in Clinton County, Clearfield and Harmony in Clearfield County, Northern Cambria in Cambria County, and Grier School in Blair County.
In addition to these exciting events, TU and the WBSRC are already making plans for the 6th West Branch Susquehanna Restoration Symposium slated for the spring of 2012 and for an AMD education program exclusively for teachers. If you or your organization is interested in helping with any of these events, please contact Rebecca Holler ([email protected]) or Rachel Kester ([email protected]).
In 2009, in lieu of their annual West Branch Susquehanna Restoration Symposium, Trout Unlimited (TU) and the West Branch Susquehanna Restoration Coalition (WBSRC) hosted a series of West Branch Susquehanna Mini-Symposiums and Tours. Click here for details. These public information sessions, funded primarily by grants from the Richard King Mellon Foundation and the DEP, successfully attracted an audience of approximately 300 municipal officials, high school teachers, university students, and local residents. In addition to increasing public awareness and involvement in local AMD projects, the series of education events set the stage for a subsequent AMD educational program for middle and high school students planned for the 2010/2011 school year.
Over the course of this winter and coming spring, the WBSRC and TU, with funding from the Richard King Mellon Foundation, the DEP, and the DANSKO foundation, will work with five local schools to teach students the history of coal mining, AMD and its effects on the environment and economy, and the basics of AMD remediation. As part of these AMD education programs, TU staff will travel to each school where they will meet with middle and high school students and go over several lessons designed to increase students’ knowledge of the above topics. Students will then be instructed on how to perform chemical tests on water samples using Hach AMD test kits and how to collect and identify macroinvertebrates.
Building off of these experiences, the students will take a field trip, hosted by a WBSRC member organization, next spring to visit an AMD-impaired watershed, perform water testing and macroinvertebrate studies, and see AMD treatment systems first hand. Students will then create a project to wrap up what they have learned and share their experience with others. This may take the form of a poster, oral presentation, song, artwork, or other creative project.
The final component of the project is the integration of the Trout in the Classroom (TIC) program into each school. Each participating teacher will receive a TIC aquarium for his/her classroom along with all of the necessary equipment to raise trout from eggs next fall and release them into a local stream the following spring. The TIC setup will allow the teachers many opportunities to incorporate coldwater conservation concepts into their curriculum and inspire students to develop a sense of stewardship in their watershed.
The schools that have been chosen for this program are Bucktail in Clinton County, Clearfield and Harmony in Clearfield County, Northern Cambria in Cambria County, and Grier School in Blair County.
In addition to these exciting events, TU and the WBSRC are already making plans for the 6th West Branch Susquehanna Restoration Symposium slated for the spring of 2012 and for an AMD education program exclusively for teachers. If you or your organization is interested in helping with any of these events, please contact Rebecca Holler ([email protected]) or Rachel Kester ([email protected]).
Member Spotlight: The Chest Creek Watershed Alliance
The Chest Creek Watershed Alliance (CCWA) was formed in 2003 to improve and protect Chest Creek, from its source near Bradley Junction in Cambria County, to its juncture with the West Branch of the Susquehanna River in Mahaffey, Clearfield County. The Clearfield & Cambria County Conservation Districts, along with their expert watershed specialists, guided this undertaking and the Chest Creek Watershed Alliance was born.
Chest Creek Watershed drains 129 square miles of Cambria and Clearfield counties, and is classified as a high quality cold water fishery (HQ-CWF) from the Cambria county headwaters near Winterset/Bradley Junction, to the Patton water treatment plant; from there on it is classified as cold water fishery (CWF). Rogues Harbor Run and Pine Run, two of Chest Creek’s tributaries, are classified as Exceptional Value Water (EV).
In 2006, the Chest Creek Watershed Assessment got underway. After more than three years of determined effort by Cambria County Conservation District watershed specialist Bryan Rabish, the assessment was completed in 2010. This assessment has helped the CCWA to identify and prioritize problem areas in the watershed and formulate a plan for addressing them.
With this assessment as a baseline reference, CCWA hopes to obtain grant funding to implement stream improvement projects in the watershed. There is already an established mine water treatment system at the Rock Run Recreation Area overseen by the Cambria County Conservation and Recreation Authority. This location was formerly a large surface mine but has now has been transformed into one of the premier ATV parks in the Northeast. CCWA is also especially aware of an application & proposal for an active residual waste landfill in the watershed. More recently the Marcellus shale gas industry has emerged as a presence in our watershed. Several tributaries could be impacted by this gas drilling industry boom.
CCWA started an annual children’s fishing derby at Curly Hurd Park in 2006. Trout for the event have been provided by the 3Cs (Carrolltown Rod & Gun Club, Rembrandt Club, Bakerton Rod & Gun Club) and the Susquehanna Township Rod & Gun Club trout nurseries. The derby continued as an annual event for 6 years, but was reluctantly discontinued after the 2011 event, due to declining membership and increased manpower needed for the event.
For the past two years, CCWA has supported the Cambria Heights Middle School Trout in the Classroom project with their Chest Creek trout release/outdoor education field day held at Patton Park. The CCWA provides lunch for all students, teachers, and presenters. CCWA has also donated to the cost of sending the Cambria Heights High School Envirothon team to the competition at Disaster’s Edge Johnstown Flood National Memorial site. In 2013, financial donations were expanded to include the Harmony Area Schools and their Trout in the Classroom project. CCWA also donates to local Cooperative Trout Nurseries that raise, feed, stock, and support community fishing events.
Currently Trout Unlimited is partnering with CCWA to implement a WREN (Water Resources Education Network) grant project, involving the communities that populate the Chest Creek Watershed. When completed, four educational signs will be placed along Chest Creek, in the communities of Mahaffey, LaJose, Westover, and Patton. The signs will target anglers and others who live and/or recreate within the Chest Creek Watershed and will provide information about the history, condition and protection needs for Chest Creek. Money from the grant will also be used to update the CCWA brochure, and print copies of it for distribution in brochure boxes to be placed on the signs.
With all of this, we realize that CCWA has evolved during a time of great need. We must remember that safe and healthy water for all living creatures is paramount. We hope that others will join us in improving Chest Creek and its surrounding communities. More information about the CCWA and its activities can be obtained by calling 814-674-3718, or e-mailing [email protected].
The Chest Creek Watershed Alliance (CCWA) was formed in 2003 to improve and protect Chest Creek, from its source near Bradley Junction in Cambria County, to its juncture with the West Branch of the Susquehanna River in Mahaffey, Clearfield County. The Clearfield & Cambria County Conservation Districts, along with their expert watershed specialists, guided this undertaking and the Chest Creek Watershed Alliance was born.
Chest Creek Watershed drains 129 square miles of Cambria and Clearfield counties, and is classified as a high quality cold water fishery (HQ-CWF) from the Cambria county headwaters near Winterset/Bradley Junction, to the Patton water treatment plant; from there on it is classified as cold water fishery (CWF). Rogues Harbor Run and Pine Run, two of Chest Creek’s tributaries, are classified as Exceptional Value Water (EV).
In 2006, the Chest Creek Watershed Assessment got underway. After more than three years of determined effort by Cambria County Conservation District watershed specialist Bryan Rabish, the assessment was completed in 2010. This assessment has helped the CCWA to identify and prioritize problem areas in the watershed and formulate a plan for addressing them.
With this assessment as a baseline reference, CCWA hopes to obtain grant funding to implement stream improvement projects in the watershed. There is already an established mine water treatment system at the Rock Run Recreation Area overseen by the Cambria County Conservation and Recreation Authority. This location was formerly a large surface mine but has now has been transformed into one of the premier ATV parks in the Northeast. CCWA is also especially aware of an application & proposal for an active residual waste landfill in the watershed. More recently the Marcellus shale gas industry has emerged as a presence in our watershed. Several tributaries could be impacted by this gas drilling industry boom.
CCWA started an annual children’s fishing derby at Curly Hurd Park in 2006. Trout for the event have been provided by the 3Cs (Carrolltown Rod & Gun Club, Rembrandt Club, Bakerton Rod & Gun Club) and the Susquehanna Township Rod & Gun Club trout nurseries. The derby continued as an annual event for 6 years, but was reluctantly discontinued after the 2011 event, due to declining membership and increased manpower needed for the event.
For the past two years, CCWA has supported the Cambria Heights Middle School Trout in the Classroom project with their Chest Creek trout release/outdoor education field day held at Patton Park. The CCWA provides lunch for all students, teachers, and presenters. CCWA has also donated to the cost of sending the Cambria Heights High School Envirothon team to the competition at Disaster’s Edge Johnstown Flood National Memorial site. In 2013, financial donations were expanded to include the Harmony Area Schools and their Trout in the Classroom project. CCWA also donates to local Cooperative Trout Nurseries that raise, feed, stock, and support community fishing events.
Currently Trout Unlimited is partnering with CCWA to implement a WREN (Water Resources Education Network) grant project, involving the communities that populate the Chest Creek Watershed. When completed, four educational signs will be placed along Chest Creek, in the communities of Mahaffey, LaJose, Westover, and Patton. The signs will target anglers and others who live and/or recreate within the Chest Creek Watershed and will provide information about the history, condition and protection needs for Chest Creek. Money from the grant will also be used to update the CCWA brochure, and print copies of it for distribution in brochure boxes to be placed on the signs.
With all of this, we realize that CCWA has evolved during a time of great need. We must remember that safe and healthy water for all living creatures is paramount. We hope that others will join us in improving Chest Creek and its surrounding communities. More information about the CCWA and its activities can be obtained by calling 814-674-3718, or e-mailing [email protected].