Jessica introduced Lauren Sicher as MCWA’s new intern.  She will ]]> January

Jessica introduced Lauren Sicher as MCWA’s new intern.  She will assist in a Riparian Buffer Campaign.

April

A successful stream clean-up at Dreibelbis Station Rd. and Circle Rd. next to the Maiden Creek just downstream from Lenhartsville was reported to the Great American Cleanup of PA.

May

A Spring clean-up was conducted on May 16^th along the north section of the Sacony Creek.  The successful event was performed by 13 volunteers and was reported to the Schuylkill Scrub program.

Elaine met with Larry Lloyd and Norm Milnes to discuss the riparian buffer on the Kutztown Borough’s vacant lot along Constitution Blvd. which they agreed to discontinue mowing.

Elaine met with Larry Lloyd and John Buzzer from PA Fish and Boat to discuss the riparian buffer plans along the Willow Creek flood plain.  PA Fish and Boat is applying for a grant.

June

Sen. Michael O’Pake sent MCWA a congratulatory letter for receiving the Environmental Education Grant for the Rain Garden/Rain Barrel project.  Allison provided an overview of the site conditions at the Maidencreek Municipal Building.  Two gardens are in the preliminary stages, to include a rain garden to act as an infiltration basin in the empty lot next to the building and a small garden combined with the rain barrel in front of the building.

June

Debra DiCrocco was introduced to MCWA as a new intern through Kutztown University for Bacterial Sampling of the streams in the watershed.  She will also prepare a field log to help future volunteers to identify macroinvertebrates.

July

Elaine shared a native plant list she created to help citizens choose plants for their rain gardens, based on drought tolerance, shade, and plant placement.

The Environmental Education Grant Committee agreed to order the Berks County Conservation District’s Bio-retention brochure to promote the benefits of rain gardens.  Both the plant list and the brochure will be distributed at our workshops for rain gardens.

August

Shannon and Elaine set up a display on Rain Gardens and Rain Barrels at Kutztown Day in the park.

August

Volunteers manned a display at the Kutztown Fair which emphasized the Rain Gardens and Rain Barrels.

The engineer from Maidencreek Township will not allow the rain garden to be constructed in front of the building due to the large amount of runoff from the roof and the possibility of sink holes.

The rain barrel will be installed in front of the building for use to water plants.  A bio-retention rain garden will be below grade of the storm drain coming off of Route 73.  The garden will be 75’ by 20’.

Maidencreek Township employees will excavate and add leaf mulch for soil amendments as in-kind services.

September

The Rain Garden was completed with planting by students of Fleetwood Junior High School and Kutztown University, MCWA member volunteers, Maidencreek Township employees and Blandon Lion’s Club members.

The rain garden withstood the 7-inch rainstorm that occurred right after installation.

September

Russ reported that Joe Molesky had his equipment stuck in the Maiden Creek downstream from his property and drove out of the creek at Russ’s property causing damage to his streambank.  Mark reported this to Berks County Conservation District’s Soil and Erosion office.

October

MCWA held it’s first Rain Garden/Rain Barrel Workshop on Oct. 21^st with only one guest attending.

Boy Scout Troop 101 did a fantastic job removing the invasive species along the Sacony Creek at Constitution Blvd.

Elaine and Larry Lloyd planted a few trees in that area and the boy scouts will follow up with planting in Spring.

Sacony Creek Trail

Check The Borough of Kutztown’s website for lists of:

Birds

Animals

Plants

in the Sacony Creek Marsh and along the trail.

www.kutztownboro.org

WHO ARE WE?

The Maiden Creek Watershed Association is a non-profit Pennsylvania Corporation.  The group is made up of:  Individual citizens, farmers, non-profit conservation organizations, and local and state government representatives.  We have joined together and are committed to a common purpose.

“To promote awareness of the Maiden Creek Watershed as a valuable resource through community education and citizen water quality monitoring”

For more information about Maiden Creek Watershed Association, visit our website:

www.MaidenCreekWatershed.org.

Membership renewals are due by March 31, 2011.  Your membership will help MCWA accomplish it’s goals to protect the quality of our water and educate others on how they can participate.

MCWA’s GOALS FOR 2011

• Streamside cleanups
• Continue chemical monitoring and share data
• Continue macroinvertebrate monitoring
• Invite guest speakers to share area conservation efforts with members
• Encourage involvement with local school groups, scouts and other organizational groups
• Complete rain garden grant by conducting workshops in communities of the watershed
• Continue maintenance of invasives along Sacony Creek Trail.  Encourage adoption of sections of the trail by volunteers.
• Encourage research and maintenance of the wetland at the Brooklyn Bridge
• Setup displays at  Kutztown Day and the Kutztown Fair
• Encourage tree planting in Lyons Borough
• Encourage members to participate in workshops, and conferences on topics of concern for MCWA
• Encourage riparian buffer planting on Maiden Creek

As Maiden Creek Township will soon find out! A rain ]]>

As Maiden Creek Township will soon find out! A rain garden uses native plants in a shallow, constructed depression to soak up stormwater that flows from hard surfaces, such as roofs, sidewalks and driveways. Stormwater is not typically treated at a wastewater treatment plant and can carry debris and pollutants directly to a stream or river. The goal of a rain garden is to prevent stormwater from entering a storm drain, stream, or river by allowing the stormwater to naturally seep into the ground.
Earlier this year we received an Environmental Education Grant from the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection (PaDEP). Through this grant we will install a rain garden and rain barrel at the Maiden Creek Township municipal building this September. The Township will learn about the many benefits rain gardens provide through first hand experience. We chose Maiden Creek Township because it is one of the fastest growing communities in our watershed. When we approached Maiden Creek with the project they were more than eager to help. Year after year, the Township’s parking lot is flooded with stormwater that carries pollutants to our streams and waterways. Not only is the stormwater an environmental issue, it becomes a safety issue in the winter when the water ices over. The rain garden will be strategically placed to allow the water to infiltrate into the ground before it has a chance to reach the parking lot. The Township’s engineers and employees are helping us every step of the way, from design to construction. Fleetwood High School and Kutztown University biology students, as well as members of the Lion’s Club of Blandon will help us with the native planting.

The rain garden will serve as an educational model for the entire community as citizens visit the building frequently. We will use this opportunity to promote the benefits of rain barrels and rain gardens to the surrounding communities. You never know, we may see rain gardens and rain barrels at every house in the watershed by the end of next year!