110 Turn Out for Stream Field Days

Stream field days IMG_1364were a huge success!  Over 110 people attended one of the field day sessions held between August 5-8 on Turtle Creek, Union County.  The field days were sponsored by NPC, Union County Conservation District, DEP’s northcentral office, and Pennsylvania Fish and Boat Commission.

The field days focused on the in-stream habitat work and Agricultural Best Management Practices being implemented on three farms along Turtle Creek, Union County to decrease sedimentation and erosion.  The project length along this agricultural siltation impaired stream measures 1.1 miles.

DEP biologists had been to the three farms in May to gather pre-construction macroinvertebrate (bug) data.  This data will be used to monitor the stream improvements seen as a result of the construction. The tour provided everyone with the opportunity to “see” the difference in the bug community on an actively grazed farm, one with 5 years of streambank fencing protection, and one with 20+ years since livestock impact.

IMG_1328Susquehanna University’s Susquehanna River Initiative, Dr. Jon Niles and five of his students attended Wednesdays sessions and provided an electro-fishing demonstration.  The week before construction Mike Bilger, also with the susquehanna River Initiative, completed 100 meter electrofishing surveys and documentation on these three farms prior to construction.

Thank you to all the partners who helped make the field days happen!