Watershed Conservation Plan - Destination Erie

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Table of Contents Page Introduction 1-3 Methodology 4-5 Executive Summary 6-11 Summary of Key Groups A. Age 12 B. Gender and Income 13 C. Urban v. Rural and Education 14 Detailed Findings A. Watershed Awareness and Interest in Water Issues 15-19 B. Relative Importance of Protecting Water Resources 20-21 C. Government Performance and Responsibility for Water Resources 22-23 D. Satisfaction with Opportunities for Recreation 24-25 E. Favorite Locations for Recreation in Erie County 26-40 F. Knowledge of Historic and Prehistoric Sites 41-43 G. Support for Stream Protection Measures 44 Introduction Watershed: “that area of land, a bounded hydrologic system, within which all living things are inextricably linked by their common water course and where, as humans settled, simple logic demanded that they become part of a community.” John Wesley Powell, Scientist and Explorer Watersheds have become the geographic unit of choice for groups engaged in environmental protection efforts. The reason for this is simple: Water resources, whether ground or surface, are excellent indicators of an area’s overall environmental health. Historically, efforts to address environmental problems have started and stopped at political boarders. Watersheds, in contrast, offer citizens and governments the opportunity to transcend traditional political divisions and engage in comprehensive environmental management. A watershed approach not only provides a foundation for collaboration between different social, economic and political entities, but reflects an ecological perspective that is more compatible with environmental protection. With this in mind, the Pennsylvania Department of Conservation and Natural Resources (DCNR) established the Rivers Conservation Program, and has since administered 27 grants to community groups and local governments. Thirteen of these grants were given to community groups for planning river conservation efforts, and “identifying significant natural, recreational, and cultural resources” where “issues, concerns and threats to river resources and values are determined locally as part of planning.” The ultimate goal of community groups involved in this program is to recommend “methods to conserve, enhance and restore Pennsylvania’s many streams and rivers.” Rivers Conservation Planning Grant--Public Opinion Page 1 2
Introduction (cont’d) In March of 2002, the Lake Erie Region Conservancy (LERC) acquired a grant under this innovative program. Under this grant, LERC was charged with beginning the planning process for watersheds in Erie County, Pennsylvania. Watersheds in Erie County are part of the Chautauqua- Conneaut Watershed–a large watershed that extends from New York to Ohio. Approximately 511 of Erie County’s 802 square miles (67%) are located within the boundaries of the watershed, which contains over 1117 miles of streams. These streams and the land that surrounds them create several sub-basins. In Pennsylvania, nine sub-basins and nine sub-sub-basins have been identified by the Department of Environmental Protection as comprising the Pennsylvania portion of this large watershed (Pennsylvania Code, Title 25). The most recognized of these sub-basins include the Lake Erie, Elk Creek, and Conneaut Creek Watersheds, which cover most of Erie County and a small portion of Crawford County. The Erie County portion of the Chautauqua-Conneaut Watershed (henceforth, Pennsylvania Lake Erie Watershed) is characterized by great diversity. Communities in the watershed range from the small towns of North East, McKean, Platea, Albion, Girard, and North Springfield, to the City of Erie and its sprawling suburban communities. Between these urban areas agricultural lands separated by significant tracks of undeveloped woodlands are common. This diversity in landscapes is rivaled only by the economic and social heterogeneity of the watershed. Within its boundaries can be found heavy and light industry, a plethora of service industries and agricultural lands and facilities. Its urban and rural segments are characterized by poverty and wealth as well as ethnic, racial, and political diversity. Rivers Conservation Planning Grant--Public Opinion Page 2 Introduction (cont’d) Cognizant of this diversity, LERC commissioned a public opinion study of the Pennsylvania Lake Erie Watershed in September 2002. The goal of this study was to collect baseline data to facilitate the planning process, which included public hearings, discussions and a variety of other proceedings. In addition, the study was to collect data that identified patterns of knowledge, support, opposition, interest, concern, and use of water-related resources among the watershed’s diverse population. Specifically, the study sought to answer the following questions: 1. Do residents of the watershed possess knowledge of behaviors that contribute to the health of water resources 2. How do residents of the watershed use creeks, lakes and the land that surrounds them for recreation 3. How would residents like to use creeks, lakes and the land that surround them for recreation 4. Are residents concerned about water quality 5. Are residents of the watershed interested in water-related issues 6. How important are environmental issues–water related or otherwise–relative to other public issues 7. Are residents aware of significant historic and pre-historic sites in the watershed 8. Are there demographic, social, economic, and/or political correlates of each of the above Rivers Conservation Planning Grant--Public Opinion Survey Page 3 3
Page 1:
Pennsylvania Rivers Conservation Pr
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land to development. Strong communi
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Human resources available to facili
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other communities, organizations, a
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TABLE OF CONTENTS List of Figures .
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8.3 Sustainable Development and Gov
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Figure 5.14. Average summer phospho
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Figure 10.3. Management Areas propo
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ACKNOWLEDGMENTS AND PLAN AUTHORSHIP
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working with interested teacher and
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Figure 1.3. Perceived importance of
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1.3 Watershed Plan Focus The primar
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Figure 2.2. Detail of the south-cen
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Figure 2.4. Physiographic provinces
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westward. Although the paucity of f
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via the Erigan River, a major river
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Warren and Whittlesey can be found
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evised paleoenvironmental picture,
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characteristic ground stone tools,
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phase represent the most common Lat
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including flexed and extended inhum
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with the appearance of European tra
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The Commonwealth of Pennsylvania wa
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of $800 for the purchase of The Tri
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In addition to these townships, the
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Pittsburgh Railroad had reached New
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Figure 3.3. Density of registered a
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the Whittlesey and Warren III stran
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Table 3.3. Properties in the Study
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Table 3.3—continued Name Address
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Table 3.3—continued Name Address
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"Little Ice Age"), and the validity
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"massasaugies" (Eastern Massasauga
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eport (Col. John Fleeharty) lamente
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flowing streams. The starting point
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elow the park." Apparently the pump
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A submerged arching sand feature is
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of the lake plain and upland areas
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characteristics, and are important
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Lake section (see Figure 2.4). Nota
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Figure 5.2. Flow time series for Tw
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Figure 5.4. Flow time series for Co
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Figure 5.8. Flow per square mile pe
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area that have thicker glacial depo
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Table 5.4. Protected Water Uses for
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Stream Zone County 3—East Branch
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5.10.2 Permitted Discharges The two
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Figure 5.14. Average summer phospho
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Figure 5.15. Graphical analyses of
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Figure 5.17. Average summer nitrate
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Figure 5.19. Mercury concentrations
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Figure 5.20. Map showing locations
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Figure 5.22. Number of stream miles
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91 Figure 5.24. Results of Campbell
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Table 5.6. Range in Number of E. co
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Figure 5.26. Maximum E. coli counts
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The recent investigation completed
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Figure 5.30. Sources of known nondo
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6 NATURAL RESOURCES 6.1 Animal Life
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Rank Status Taxon Common Name Globa
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Table 6.2. Pennsylvania Vertebrate
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Table 6.3. Noted Occurrence of Spaw
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Figure 6.4. Water quality designati
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Figure 6.6. Fishing hours spent on
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Figure 6.7. Comparative analysis of
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Figure 6.9. Percentage breakdown of
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A small number of the birds listed
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phytoplankton by Dreissena allows l
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populations increase. Corbicula flu
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Rank Status Taxon Common name Globa
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Rank Status Taxon Common name Globa
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Two other forest wetland plant comm
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6.2.4 Emergent Wetlands Over half o
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alleghaniensis), sugar maple, red m
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Table 6.6.Percentage Composition of
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Figure 6.18. Detail of the largest
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Figure 7.1. Responses made by study
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Figure 7.3. Spatial distribution of
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Presque Isle State Park is connecte
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Table 7.2. Number of Recreational O
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lakefront recreational properties,
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Map Id Subwatershed Comment 51 41.5
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Bayfront Center for Maritime Studie
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Other watershed associations or wat
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Page 175 and 176: comprehensive vision or plan, have
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Page 179 and 180: 5. In order to sustain maximum biod
Page 181 and 182: 10 PRIORITIES AND STRATEGIES FOR AC
Page 183 and 184: easements for riparian areas, and p
Page 185 and 186: Table 10.2 Management Areas Defined
Page 187 and 188: Figure 10.2. Example of how GIS can
Page 189 and 190: Figure 10.4. Example of how GIS can
Page 191 and 192: Watershed Portion MAs Main Subwater
Page 193 and 194: Restoration actions Management Area
Page 195 and 196: 11 REFERENCES CITED Abrams, M. D. 2
Page 197 and 198: Broyles, B. J. 1971 Second Prelimin
Page 199 and 200: Cooper, N. L., J. R. Bidwell, and D
Page 201 and 202: Dzurko, Robert 1972 Conneaut Creek
Page 203 and 204: Goodyear, A. C. 1999 The Early Holo
Page 205 and 206: Jasim, S. Y., A. Irabelli, L. Schwe
Page 207 and 208: Leighton, R. 2006 Pennsylvania Fish
Page 209 and 210: Michaels, A. 2005 Pennsylvania Has
Page 211 and 212: 2007d Waterways, Wetlands, and Eros
Page 213 and 214: Richardson, J. B., and J. B. Peters
Page 215 and 216: Soon, W. and S. Baliunas 2003 Proxy
Page 217 and 218: Tomikel and Shepps 1967 Trasande, L
Page 219: Whitley, D. S., and R. I. Dorn 1993
Page 223: Preparing For Watershed Conservatio
Page 227 and 228: Executive Summary Overall, responde
Page 229 and 230: Executive Summary (cont’d) Cont
Page 231 and 232: Summary Of Key Groups (cont’d) Ur
Page 233 and 234: Please Indicate Whether You Agree,
Page 235 and 236: In Your Opinion, Is The Need For Im
Page 237 and 238: If You Had To Choose Between Proper
Page 239 and 240: Favorite Locations For Recreation I
Page 241 and 242: Favorite Motor Boating Locations To
Page 243 and 244: Favorite Hiking Locations Location
Page 245 and 246: Favorite Swimming Locations Total R
Page 247 and 248: Knowledge Of Historic And Prehistor
Page 249: Support For Stream Protection Measu
Page 253 and 254: LERC Rivers Conservation Plan Publi
Page 255 and 256: • Mason: As far as education, get
Page 257: • Kloss: Educate people about Act
Page 261 and 262: Great Lakes Commission http://www.g
Page 263: Center for Economic and Environment
Page 267 and 268: The Erie County portion of the Penn
Page 269 and 270: Feature Parameters Parameter Variab
Page 271 and 272: Feature Parameters Parameter Variab
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