It was just last week that we handed out plaudits for the revival of Connoquenessing Creek in Butler County.

Now it seems that people from northern Butler County want in on the action as well, with the announcement of a $125,450 project to rehabilitate Slippery Rock Creek.

The money will go to Stream Restoration, a nonprofit organization in Mars that will use it to restore a part of the creek that runs along Slippery Rock Campground off West Park Road, and then beneath Interstate 79.

In that area the waterway is between 50 and 60 feet wide and often used by boaters. But the near-vertical banks of the creek in some places have been significantly eroded over the course of the last 10 to 15 years, according to the group. That threatens both the campground and boaters’ access to the creek.

Spending money now to repair the damage and preserve the waterway for future boaters and kayakers is clearly the right call. Otherwise the waterway will continue to degrade until more major work is called for.

As things stand now, it appears that efforts like planting trees and other vegetation and stabilizing the banks with boulders will be enough to help restore Slippery Rock Creek to stability and health.

State officials deserve credit for carving out money during yet another tight budget year for this kind of work. But often-forgotten are the groups of volunteers who make this kind of work possible in the first place.

We’re reminded of another group that helped, over the past 17 years, take Connoquenessing Creek from second-worst to almost-first. The waterway was polluted and in dire need of help at the turn of the century. Now it’s up for River-of-the-Year honors.

In the case of the Connoquenessing, that group of volunteers is the Allegheny Aquatic Alliance. Stream Restoration is doing their part to make sure Slippery Rock Creek never falls that far into neglect.

Seeing the state pony up the money to fund that project is encouraging. But the efforts of volunteer groups like the two mentioned above matter even more.

Without their willingness to spend time and energy helping preserve the natural resources of this area, Butler County would not less to offer our hunters, fishermen, and outdoors-minded residents.