"Watershed Management deals not only with the protection of water resources but also with the capability and suitability of land and vegetative resources to be managed for the production of goods and services in a sustainable manner...Regardless of the management emphasis, watersheds serve as logical and practical units for analysis, planning, and management of multiple resources." (Brooks, Kenneth - Hydrology and the Management of Watersheds, 2003)
The Watershed Specialist position was created by the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection (PA DEP) in 1999. The position is funded by a grant from the Growing Greener grant program, and every Conservation District in Pennsylvania is eligible to receive these funds. The focus of the position is to;
- Act as a public resource- assisting the public, and directing residents so that they can find the answers to their environmental questions.
- Act as a local liaison between residents/municipal officials of Bucks County and the PA DEP.
- Support the establishment of local "grass roots" organizations focused on environmentally beneficial programs.
- Provide public outreach and education about a variety of environmental issues.
- Review and support local environmental project sites, and grant applications so that Bucks County completes as many high quality, environmentally beneficial projects as possible.
- Administrate and complete environmentally beneficial projects and grant application for those projects deemed a priority of the Bucks County Conservation District.
Please contact Meghan Rogalus, our watershed specialist for more information.
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Lake Galena and North Branch Neshaminy Watershed Implementation Plan
The small size of the Lake Galena and North Branch Neshaminy watershed affords a great return investment in terms of water quality improvements from fully implemented Best Management Practices. Funding is available for projects in this watershed from the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection and will be administered by BCCD.
If you are an agricultural producer in the watershed, you may be eligible for full or partial funding for the planning and/or implementation of BMPs on your property. Eligible practices include but are not limited to:
- diversion, waterways and terraces
- streambank restoration/stabilization/fencing
- riparian buffers
- vegetated filter strips
- stream crossings
- silage leachate management
- ag waste management and handling
Please contact BCCD by June 15 so that we can arrange to have a representative meet with you to discuss this program. Program applications must be submitted by August 15, 2008.
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Mill Creek (Otter Creek) Watershed Assessment
Mill Creek is located in Lower Bucks County, Pennsylvania, and is a tributary to the Delaware River. This report describes the findings of a comprehensive lake and watershed assessment that was prepared by Aqua-Link, Inc. for the Bucks County Conservation District. Funding for this project was provided by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (U.S. EPA) and the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection (PA DEP) through Section 319 (Nonpoint Source Program) of the Clean Water Act. As part of this assessment, a comprehensive lake and watershed management plan was developed to improve and further protect the water quality of streams and County-owned lakes within the Mill (Otter) Creek watershed.
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Bradford Lake & Little Neshaminy Creek Watershed Assessment
Bradford Lake, also known as Warrington Lake and Floodwater Retarding Dam PA-611, is a 22- acre impoundment located off of County Line Road in Warrington Township, Bucks County, Pennsylvania. The impoundment was created in 1975 by constructing an earthen dam across the Little Neshaminy Creek. Bradford Lake was primarily built to alleviate flooding along the Little Neshaminy and the Neshaminy Creeks. Secondary uses of this lake include fishing and aesthetics. In addition, visitors use the surrounding 280-acre parkland for walking, hiking and nature watching. The Bradford Lake watershed, which is the focus of this assessment, is the portion of the Little Neshaminy Creek that drains into the lake. From the lake, the Little Neshaminy Creek travels easterly and eventually discharges into the Neshaminy Creek near Rushland and Wrightstown. The majority of the Bradford Lake watershed lies within Warrington Township in Bucks County and Horsham and Montgomery Townships in Montgomery County.
This report describes the findings of a comprehensive assessment of the Bradford Lake
watershed, which includes Bradford Lake and its major tributaries. The lake receives streamflow via the Little Neshaminy Creek and two unnamed tributaries. Aqua Link, Inc. prepared this report for the Bucks County Conservation District.
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Core Creek Watershed Implementation Plan
The purpose of this study is to update the Restoration and Management Plan for Lake Luxembourg and Core Creek. The original Restoration and Management Plan, which was conducted as part of the Phase I Clean Lake Diagnostic/Feasibility Study, was developed in the early 1990's. Since that time substantial changes in land use occurred through the Core Creek watershed. In addition, two Implementation programs have been completed to improve the water quality conditions of both the lake and creek. Finally, a phosphorus TMDL was developed for Lake Luxembourg in the late 1990's by the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection. Give all the changes and projects that have occurred in the Core Creek Watershed over the last decade, and update of the original Restoration and Management Plan was required. This plan was funded by the PA 319 program, and completed for the Bucks County Conservation District by Princeton Hydro.
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Core Creek / Lake Luxembourg Implementation Projects
Following the completion of the final report for the Core Creek Watershed Implementation Plan the Bucks County Conservation District began the second phase of the project, which is to implement projects sited in the Plan.
The second phase is entitled, Lake Luxembourg Implementation Project, and it consists of $96,000 of federal 319 funds to be used for the implementation of Best Management Practices (BMP’s) outlined in the Core Creek Watershed Implementation Plan Project.
To find out what projects are included in the scope of work for the Core Creek Implementation Plan, please see the downloadable Scope of Work Document.
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Cooks Run Phase I Watershed Assessment
The Cooks Run watershed, which is approximately 3.3 square miles in size, is located in central Bucks County. Cooks Run flows in a southwesterly direction and discharges into the Neshaminy Creek, which in turn flows into the Delaware River. Currently, Cooks Run is classified as Warmwater Fishery (WWF), MF (Migratory Fishery) under PA DEP’s Chapter 93 Water Quality Standards. Both the Neshaminy Creek and Cooks Run are listed on the State’s 303(d) List of impaired Waters. This report describes the findings of the first phase, Phase I, of the Cooks Run watershed assessment. This report was prepared by Aqua-Link for the Bucks County Conservation District.
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BCCD now has a new Watershed Specialist. Meghan Rogalus can be reached at 215 345 7577 ext 107
Bucks County Conservation District received $45,000 for a watershed restoration plan for Lake Galena and the North Branch of the Neshaminy Creek |
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