Connoquenessing Creek Watershed Conservation Plan - Western ...

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Connoquenessing Creek Watershed Conservation PlanChapter 6. Issues and Concernspollution, and congestions. Commuters to Pittsburgh, elderly residents, and other area residents couldbenefit from a public transportation system. Minimal public transportation services are available throughButler Transit Authority and New Castle Area Transit Authority. There are several other transportationoptions available for medical needs and senior assistance. Interested citizens may contact the local AreaAgency on Aging for more information. A transit system is proposed between the City of Butler,Cranberry, and Pittsburgh.FloodingHistorically, flooding has been the most common naturaldisaster in the U.S. causing severe property damage andeconomic hardship (King, 2005). Flooding events, such as thosefollowing Hurricane Ivan and Hurricane Katrina, impact bothrural and urban communities. Although the devastation of largeevents attracts the national spotlight, many smaller, morefrequently flood-prone areas get little to no attention.In 1968, National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP) wasdeveloped to identify flood hazards, conduct floodplainFloodwaters in Harmony after heavyrains resulting from Hurricane Ivandrenched the area in September 2005.(Photo courtesy of Historic Harmony)management, and offer insurance protection. The first step included the completion of floodplain maps toidentify areas at risk for flooding. Participants believe that, within the watershed, these maps are out-datedand need to be redeveloped. Creating specialized maps for the local area is needed in addition to floodinsurance maps produced by NFIP. In some areas, any period of prolonged precipitation cause the streamsto overfill their banks. Although much of the area is prone to flooding, the areas in the lower section ofConnoquenessing Creek, below Harmony, seem to endure greater impacts. Residents identified a need fora localized flood warning system.Floodplains–the flat, low-lying area of land adjacent to rivers, streams, and lakes–are intended toallow the excess flow to spill over during storm events. Trees and other vegetation in these floodplainareas help to reduce the velocity of the water’s flow, thereby decreasing the intensity of the floodwatersand degree of streambank erosion further downstream. Encroachment and development in floodplains notonly increases the likeliness of flooding, but it increases damages. The establishment of structures andimpervious surfaces, such as houses, buildings, and parking lots, in these areas remove natural vegetationand impede the water’s movement into the floodplains, redirecting floodwaters, increasing erosion,impounding water, and increasing damages to life and property during storm events.Many defend dredging as a viable solution to lessen frequent, low-level flooding under the conceptof creating a deeper, wider stream channel capable of holding a larger volume of water. Dredging is theremoval, displacement, and disposal of unconsolidated earth materials, such as sand, silt, gravel, or othersubmerged materials, from the bottom of waterbodies, ditches, or other natural wetlands (Mason County,2006). Dredging of small streams has little to no effect during high-flow flooding events. Dredging can beexpensive, and it is only a temporary solution to the problem. Its effectiveness is limited, and the processof dredging can reek havoc on in-stream and riparian ecology. United States Army Corps of Engineers(USACE) provides 50 percent of the cost for dredging operations, requiring local municipalities toprovide the other 50 percent. Once the dredging is complete, the local municipalities are then responsiblefor the frequent maintenance and upkeep required to retain the dredged area. The deepened channel canlead to bank instability, which increases erosion and sedimentation. In time, the stream bottom will fill inwith sediment again due to natural events, negating the process’s temporary benefits.An alternative to dredging is natural stream channel design. Natural stream channel design utilizestechniques to reshape and support streambanks through the installation of in-stream structures andvegetated streamside or riparian corridors, which better control floodwater and sediment. Reshaping the6-4
Connoquenessing Creek Watershed Conservation PlanChapter 6. Issues and Concernsstreambanks sometimes creates a wider floodplain that is capable of handling higher storm flows. Instreamstructures, such as rock vanes, redirect the stream flow away from the banks toward the center ofthe channel, minimizing erosion and stabilizing the streambank, allowing sediment to move downstreamor collect at in-stream structures in ways that it improves rather than inhibits flow. Vegetation in theriparian areas holds soils in place during flood events and filters pollutants from runoff before entering thestream.FEMA, through NFIP, has instituted the Repetitive Loss Program. The purpose of the RepetitiveLoss Program is to buy frequently flooded properties that are straining the NFIP Fund, and assist residentsin relocating to safer properties outside of the floodplain. The Hazard Mitigation and RelocationAssistance Act of 1993 clarified conditions for purchasing damaged structures, and stated that purchasedproperties must be dedicated for open space uses.A repetitive loss property is any insurable building that, since 1978, has received two claims of$1,000 or more within a 10-year period. Repetitive loss properties are considered severe if four claimsover $5,000 have been filed, in which two of these claims occurred within any 10-year period, and thecumulative claim amounts exceed $20,000. Properties can also be considered severe if two separateclaims have been made for the building portion that exceeds the value of the property (King, 2005).Several properties within the Connoquenessing watershed have already been purchased under thisprogram.Water QualityA primary goal identified by stakeholders was to maintain clean and healthy waterways. Accordingto results from the municipal officials and public surveys, water quality improvements were identified asthe most important watershed attribute. Some contributors believed Connoquenessing Creek hasimproved. Others noted that fishing had improved and that mussels can be found in some reaches,indicating fairly high water quality. Participants wereparticularly concerned with industrial pollution, stormwatermanagement, septic and sewage control, erosion andsedimentation, E-coli breakouts, impaired waterways, anddrinking water.Industrialized areas, such as Butler and Ellwood City,raised concerns among stakeholders about industrial pollutionand its affects on Connoquenessing Creek. A majority of theseconcerns were raised from historical issues, such as the picklingliquors discharged from AK Steel between 1995 and 2000 thatcaused a rise in the level of nitrates in the creek and impactedPorter’s Cove Dam, one of several dams the drinking water for Zelienople residents (EPA EnvironmentalWild Waterways Conservancy has News, 2000). Breakneck Creek Regional Authority wastewaterproposed for removal reestablishingtreatment plant has caused some concern for area residents.Connoquenessing Creeks natural flowResults from water sampling conducted before and duringconstruction indicated negative impacts to the water quality and aquatic life (Kemp, personalcommunication, 2007).Stormwater management was a reoccurring theme by a large number of participants. It involvesplanning for surface runoff into stream and river systems during rain or snowmelt events. Many noted thatproblems occur when there is a large amount of impervious surfaces—areas where water cannot infiltrateinto the ground, such as buildings and paved surfaces—yielding more runoff. Specific concerns related toimpervious surfaces and runoff were that water travels too quickly, increasing erosion and sedimentation.Stakeholders also felt that the hastened passage of pollutants to waterways lessened their absorption by6-5
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