Watershed Work
Parts of Slippery Rock Creek have been continuously contaminated over the years by discharge from abandoned mine sites in the area.
The Slippery Rock Watershed Coalition formed in the 1990s to combat pollution draining into the stream, but the creek needs regular attention and maintenance before it can house wildlife and be used for recreation.
Through grants from the Department of Environmental Protection and the Department of Interior, Office of Surface Mining, the coalition continues to monitor and improve the stream.
“It's environmental infrastructure, so it's just like a bridge,” said Tim Daheny, project manager with Stream Restoration Inc., one of the coalition partners. “You're done building a bridge, but you still have to do basic maintenance on the bridge.”
Slippery Rock Creek runs from Slippery Rock Township to Venango Township, and can be seen along portions of the North Country Trail and state game lands. Cliff Denholm, a project manager with Stream Restoration Inc., said the environmental benefits of stream restoration extend to those who may hunt, fish or hike in nearby grounds.
“You need good water quality for fishing and a clean stream for recreation,” Denholm said. “If you're interested in kayaking or canoeing, you need a nice stream.”
Grant money received by the watershed coalition totals about $1.2 million, and will fund the construction and materials necessary for the rehabilitation. Daheny said the organization got the grants last year.
Once preparation for the projects is complete, workers and volunteers can go into the stream to manually shovel out residue and install systems that will keep the water clean.
“Once we start, we'll be out there every day for at least a couple months on that system,” Daheny said. “It's about a three-year window by the time you get the grant and finish up and file a report.”
Having first worked on Slippery Rock Creek in the mid-1990s, Daheny said the progress has been incremental but noticeable. He recalled an incident from years ago when fishers took electric equipment to the stream, and compared it to a different kind of moment he witnessed last week.
“The stream was so heavily polluted it shorted out the electric fishing equipment that they had,” Daheny said. “Just last week, when we were driving around the creek, I saw a river otter in the creek. That just really blew my mind.”
