Connoquenessing Creek Watershed Conservation Plan - Western ...

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Connoquenessing Creek Watershed Conservation PlanChapter 1. Project Area CharacteristicsChapter 1. Project Area CharacteristicsProject AreaLocated in Allegheny, Beaver, Butler, and Lawrencecounties, the Connoquenessing Creek watershed flows 54.1miles from its headwaters in Concord Township, ButlerCounty to its confluence with the Beaver River, approximatelyone mile west of Ellwood City, Lawrence County. Convergingwith the Beaver River, the waters become part of the Ohio andMississippi Rivers until ultimately emptying into the Gulf ofMexico.The Connoquenessing Creek watershed encompasses 830square miles and has seven major tributaries (Figure 1-1). Thelargest of those tributaries is Slippery Rock Creek. Although aAn overview of the ConnoquenessingCreek watershedmajor tributary to the Connoquenessing, with approximately 400 square miles, Slippery Rock Creek wasnot included in this study because both watersheds are better served through the development of separateplans specific to each’s unique character.Connoquenessing Creek and its six named tributaries will be the focus of this report. The projectcovers an area of 430 square miles and includes four counties and 33 municipalities. Figure 1-2 indicatesthe study area for this report, while Table 1-1 identifies the municipalities with jurisdictions within theproject area.A diversity of landscapes from rural to urban exists, with each possessing its own impacts andattributes. Connoquenessing Creek begins in its headwaters as a calm, slow-flowing stream, mostlysurrounded by rural landscapes. Tributaries join, and the stream grows and increases speed ever soslightly. It enters into more urbanized areas where impacts and attributes change. The Connoquenessingremains a generally docile stream until it nears Ellwood City, where Slippery Rock Creek enters. Therethe channel narrows, the substrate becomes rocky, and the flow increases drastically, transforming thestream into class III white water rapids, more typical of the Slippery Rock Creek subwatershed. This rapidflow is maintained until its confluence with the Beaver River.Major TributariesSix major tributaries flow into Connoquenessing Creek. Bonnie Brook flows through Donegal,Oakland, and Summit townships, and East Butler Borough before it enters Connoquenessing Creek justupstream of the City of Butler (Butler County). Thorn Creek begins in the southeastern potion of SummitTownship, and flows through Jefferson and Penn townships (Butler County). Glade Run flows throughRichland Township (Allegheny County), Clinton, Middlesex, Adams, and Forward townships (ButlerCounty). Breakneck Creek begins in Richland Township (Allegheny County), and flows throughValencia Borough, Adams Township, the Borough of Mars, Callery Borough, Forward Township, EvansCity Borough, and Jackson Township in Butler County. Little Connoquenessing Creek, the only majortributary other than Slippery Rock Creek to enter on the north side of the creek, flows through Center,Butler, Connoquenessing, Lancaster, and Jackson townships (Butler County). Brush Creek begins in PineTownship (Allegheny County), and flows through Marshall Township (Allegheny County), CranberryTownship (Butler County), and New Sewickley, Marion, and North Sewickley townships (BeaverCounty) before it enters Connoquenessing Creek.1-1
Connoquenessing Creek Watershed Conservation PlanChapter 1. Project Area CharacteristicsClimateThe climate follows that of a typical temperate climate with hot, dry summers and cold winters. Theaverage high temperature ranges from 34 to 85 degrees Fahrenheit, while the average low temperatureranges from 16 to 60 degrees Fahrenheit (McNab & Avers, 1994). Historically the coldest day on recordwas negative 29 degrees Fahrenheit in January 1930. The warmest day on record, 103 degrees Fahrenheit,occurred in July 1988 in Zelienople (The Weather Channel, 2006).Accumulation of rain or snow averages 35 to 45 inches per year. For the most part, the summers aredry and have a low humidity, giving the region a growing season between 120 to 180 days (McNab &Avers, 1994).Table 1-1. MunicipalitiesMunicipalitySquareMilesPercent ofWatershedMunicipalitySquareMilesPercent ofWatershedAllegheny CountyButler CountyBradford Woods Borough 0.342 0.10 Clinton Township 4.855 1.36Marshall Township 6.093 1.71 Concord Township 10.899 3.05Pine Township 4.55 1.27 Connoquenessing Borough 1.351 0.38Richland Township 3.04 0.85 Connoquenessing Township 23.132 6.48West Deer Township 0.08 0.02 Cranberry Township 22.797 6.38Beaver County Donegal Township 1.427 0.40Daugherty Township 1.633 0.46 East Butler Borough 1.034 0.29Franklin Township 16.199 4.54 Evans City Borough 0.727 0.20Marion Township 10.368 2.90 Forward Township 23.489 6.58New Sewickley Township 18.359 5.14 Franklin Township 7.526 2.11North Sewickley Township 11.1 3.11 Harmony Borough 0.408 0.11Lawrence County Jackson Township 21.333 5.97Ellport Borough 0.502 0.14 Jefferson Township 18.422 5.16Ellwood City Borough 2.487 0.70 Lancaster Township 23.219 6.50Perry Township 7.23 2.02 Mars Borough 0.453 0.13Shenango Township 1.31 0.37 Middlesex Township 20.643 5.78Slippery Rock Township 0.546 0.15 Muddy Creek Township 10.947 3.07Wayne Township 6.424 1.80 Oakland Township 22.68 6.35Butler County Penn Township 24.132 6.76Adams Township 22.323 6.25 Portersville Borough 0.446 0.12Butler City 2.578 0.72 Prospect Borough 3.062 0.86Butler Township 21.678 6.07 Saxonburg Borough 0.615 0.17Callery Borough 0.451 0.13 Seven Fields Borough 0.856 0.24Center Township 22.732 6.36 Summit Township 20.028 5.61Clay Township 1.737 0.49 Valencia Borough 0.374 0.10Clearfield Township 1.093 0.31 Zelienople Borough 2.02 0.571-2
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