Protecting and restoring the watersheds of the half-million acre Allegheny National Forest is a daunting challenge – and one that requires more resources than any single conservation organization can provide.

However, new threats to these watersheds make this massive undertaking important, and a broad partnership of like-minded organizations makes it possible.

In April 2007, the Western Pennsylvania Conservancy joined a coalition of nonprofits, private individuals, local watershed organizations and local, state and federal government agencies called The Allegheny Watershed Improvement Needs Coalition (Allegheny WINs).

The goal of Allegheny WINs is to protect and improve the Allegheny River and its primary tributaries, such as Tionesta Creek and the Clarion River, and to sustain the sport fishand rare and endangered species that share these waters.

Some of the threats that Allegheny WINs is addressing include:

-- More than 6,000 miles of dirt and gravel roads now penetrate the Allegheny National Forest. The roads affect fish and other aquatic organisms in two ways. First, eroding sediment kills small organisms that serve as major food sources for fish and chokes the developing eggs of fish such as brook trout. Second, the roads disconnect upstream and downstream habitats and cut off fish movements, which can affect reproductive cycles.

-- Increased numbers of camp sites, gravel-based boat launches and all-terrain vehicle trails have caused sedimentation and erosion problems.

Nate Welker serves on the Ecosystems Management Team for the Allegheny National Forest and is responsible for bringing the coalition together. gFor years, our organizations were all like ships passing in the night, occasionally getting together on a project, but never working in a concerted effort,h Welker said. gNow we meet regularly, work on active projects together and talk about potential projects. Anyone in the group can lead a project that draws on their expertise.h

Projects are currently underway throughout the forest in the Clarion River, Upper and Middle Allegheny River and Tionesta Creek watersheds. One of the key projects underwayby Allegheny WINs is Spring Creek. Located in Forest and Elk counties in the heart of the upper Clarion River watershed, Spring Creek came to the coalitionfs attention because it was, according to Welker, gin pretty bad shape.h

The Western Pennsylvania Conservancy agreed to take the lead in the Spring Creek project, which focuses on the area near StateGamelands No. 28. The goal is to reduce sedimentation, rehabilitate stream banks and remove barriers to fish passage caused by roads that now divide Spring Creek and its tributaries.

hA lot of the old roads were built out of necessity. Today, thatfs changing,h said WPCfs Upper Allegheny Watershed Manager, Chuck Williams, who is leading the Spring Creek project. One of the tools Williams uses to minimize fragmentation of aquatic habitats is fairly simple, a culvert: a pipe that is placed underneath a road crossing to reconnect a stream.

gA properly placed and sufficiently wide culvert can reintroduce the headwaters with the main stem of Spring Creek and enable movement of aquatic life, while also allowing movement of vehicles across the stream.h

Financial support for the Spring Creek project has been provided by the Western Pennsylvania Conservancy, Game Commission, Fish and Boat Commission, National Forest Foundation, and the U.S. Forest Service.

The coalition plans to conduct outreach and education campaigns targeting rural communities and young people as a means of improving water quality in the future.

For more information, see the Winter edition, Conserve Newsletter from the Western Pennsylvania Conservancy.

11/29/2008