The Northcentral Pennsylvania Conservancy (NPC) members support the health of our streams and rivers through a variety of forward-thinking projects. Which is why we are thrilled to announce that NPC was recently awarded a ‘Consumptive Use Mitigation’ grant from the Susquehanna River Basin Commission (SRBC) to support upcoming projects.
Consumptive use refers to water that is used but not returned to rivers and streams. This includes water that is evaporated, transpired by plants, incorporated into products, or otherwise lost.
“Each year we seek out innovative projects that will inspire and promote water supply enhancement activities into an uncertain future climate,” said Andrew Dehoff, SRBC Executive Director. “And each year the exceptional pool of applicants does not disappoint. We’re excited to again fund some truly beneficial projects that will strengthen the water resiliency of our basin, especially during periods of drought.”
On this particular project, NPC is teaming up with the Pennsylvania Fish and Boat Commission (PFBC) and Western Pennsylvania Conservancy (WPC) at three sites along Spring Creek in Centre County to:
- Improve habitats in and around the stream
- Improve wetlands and increase groundwater recharge
- Reduce sediment and nutrients in the water
- Improve the connection between the stream and its floodplain
SRBC identified the Spring Creek watershed as a potentially water-stressed system. This is partly due to more development, which reduces the land available to absorb rain and snowmelt. Spring Creek also has more erosion and sediment build-up, and the stream is losing its connection to the floodplain as its banks erode.
Structures will be added to the stream to reduce erosion and reconnect Spring Creek to its floodplain. This will help improve water quality, quantity, and improve habitats in the stream, especially during low-flow periods.
After the structures are installed, the team plans to add new plants to the stream banks. This riparian buffer will help stabilize the banks, improve habitats, and provide shade, which will help keep the water cooler and reduce evaporation.
According to PFBC biologist, Jason Detar, Spring Creek is the most popular wild trout fishing spot in Pennsylvania, attracting anglers from across the U.S. However, the wild brown trout populations at the project sites are lower than other parts of Spring Creek due to poor habitat, and fewer anglers visit these areas despite good public access. By improving the habitat, we expect the wild brown trout populations to increase, which will also make fishing better and attract more anglers. This will bring both environmental and social benefits.
The Pennsylvania Fish and Boat Commission staff looked at how changing weather patterns, like more intense rain and more frequent droughts, could be addressed in their designs. They found that more frequent high-flow events have increased bank erosion. By stabilizing the stream banks and improving connections to the floodplain and wetlands, this project aims to address these changing weather patterns.
NPC is looking forward to kicking off this project with our partners later this summer. Thank you to SRBC for their trust and funding, and to the NPC membership for their ongoing support!