Connoquenessing Creek Watershed Conservation Plan - Western ...

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