Watershed coalition’s work must continue
There are few things as important to the environment as keeping our water sources healthy. Whether it be our own drinking water or water sources supporting wild flora and fauna, they form the backbone of a web that touches everyone and everything.
On Saturday, one group dedicated to rehabilitating and maintaining an important waterway in northern Butler County celebrated 30 years of unwavering effort and it’s something to its members should be proud of.
The Slippery Rock Watershed Coalition held an event in honor of three decades of work at Jennings Environmental Education Center where the organization’s mission started.
In its 30 years, the coalition has used donations and state funds to allow volunteers to set up nearly two dozen passive water treatment systems to alleviate acid mine drainage around the headwaters and tributaries of Slippery Rock Creek.
In all, the systems placed by the coalition treat a billion gallons of mine drainage per year utilizing treatment ponds containing limestone, compost and woodchips, but some of those systems are aging and will require work and funds to maintain or replace.
For the sake of the humans, plants and animals in the region, we hope funding and volunteers to make that happen continues for many more decades to come.
— JP
