Indiana County Watershed Monitoring Initiative 2011
Why we think this project is important…
Part of Evergreen Conservancy’s mission it to preserve and protect our natural resources. We want to be able to have good base line data and then continuous data on the quality of our local streams. Pollution from nonpoint sources is the number one cause of water-quality impairment in Pennsylvania and can be caused by many different sources including agriculture and abandoned mine drainage, potential Marcellus Shale pollution, urban runoff, abandoned oil and gas wells, construction activities, sewage systems, leaching from illegal dumps, and hydro modification and silviculture (forestry). Evergreen Conservancy will be monitoring water in and around Indiana County beginning this year. We will be installing at minimum, 12 data loggers in creeks and streams all over the county. These data loggers will record data 24/7 to check for potential pollution issues.
What can you do to protect your environment?
Partnered with PA Trout Unlimited, Evergreen Conservancy has provided a Decision Diagram about waterway protection created by the Coldwater Conservation Corps.
By reading this diagram, you can increase your awareness of how to protect local freshwater streams. If unusual stream activity is noticed such as: contaminants, erosion, illegal dumping, or unnatural discharge into a stream, take action as a public volunteer. Notify the local organization listed mentioned in the diagram about the dangers that you may have seen. Through group public participation, we as a community can help provide safe, clean, and habitat friendly streams for all to enjoy in the future.
Listed below are some examples of visual observations that may be seen during a stream assessment.
Spills and Discharge– unusual odor, dead fish or other organisms, discolored water, increased bank erosion, foamy water in absence of high level of agitationWater Withdrawal– water hoses in or adjacent stream, low flow not related to droughtGas Migration or Leakage– bubbling water, odor due to mercaptan (sulfur) compounds
To learn more about how you and your family can be active in stream protection, visit the PA Council of Trout Unlimited website at: http://www.patrout.org/.