The Western Pennsylvania Watershed Program announced grants to 11 different organizations to promote watershed cleanups. Here’s a quick rundown on the grant awardees--

· Fulton Co. Conservation District, McConnellsburg, PA: $10,000 for a FGM streambank restoration project along Cove Creek as it flows through the town of McConnellsburg. Appropriate signage and landscaping using native species is part of the design.

· Cowanshannock Creek Watershed Association, Rural Valley, PA: $14,000 for an extensive natural stream channel design, re-establishing native plants and enhancing habitat using FGM design principles. This project is coming right from their DCNR Rivers Conservation Plan.

· Greater Johnstown Watershed Association, Johnstown, PA: $20,000 for assessment of a mine discharge located at the base of the Inclined Plane that has a flow of 300-500GPM. The project is highly visible in the downtown and emanates from Bethlehem Mine 72.

· Shamokin Creek Restoration Alliance, Mt. Carmel, PA: $15,000 for assessment work on an AMD discharge that is called site 19 and discharges 8-12 MGD. This project is being guided in part by the Geology Department of Bucknell University.

· Southern Alleghenies Conservancy, Bedford, PA: $10,000 for their Resource Recovery program, specifically supporting the recovery of manganese from AMD-abandoned mine drainage.

· Southern Alleghenies Conservancy, Bedford, PA: $10,000 for a FGM stream design, restoring stream sinuosity and utilizing live stakes and rootwads along Bobs Creek, in close proximity to the Chestnut Ridge School District.

· Sewickley Creek Watershed Association, Youngwood, PA: $10,000 for partnering on the installation of a passive treatment system to abate an AMD (abandoned mine drainage) discharge that is sometimes a 1500 GPM discharge. It is a high iron loading that pollutes 2 miles of Sewickley Creek.

· Stroud Water Research Center, Avondale, PA: $15,000 to participate in research around the value of full-functioning headwaters streams and their ability to process nitrogen in particular. This quantification research, done in partnership with Bucknell University will evaluate potential nutrient uptake in the Chesapeake Bay drainage.

· Stream Restoration Inc., Cranberry Township, PA: $6,000 for enhancement of a passive treatment system at Fox Run that abates a 20 GPM discharge that is net alkaline in character.

· Turtle Creek Watershed Association, Wilmerding, PA: $20,000 for assessment of the Irwin Discharge to see if it can be treated along with the Delmont Discharge abating 9,000 GPM for one of the largest passive treatment systems ever built.

Previously the WPWP awarded two grants in the summer:

· The French Creek Project, Meadville, PA: $10,000 for a storm-water demonstration project on a previous Brownfield site, utilized in part by the French Creek Project for outdoor education.

· Bakerton Sportsmans Club and West Branch Susquehanna Rescue, Northern Cambria, PA: $10,000 for construction of an AMD treatment facility to address a 50 GPM discharge. The chosen design is an Open Limestone Bed.

The Western PA Watershed Program has also supported planning grants for eight Cold Water Heritage Fisheries as well as provided support for DCNR Rivers Conservation Plans in the Middle Allegheny, Buffalo Creek, and Pine Creek watersheds.

For more information, visit the Western Pennsylvania Watershed Program or contact John Dawes by sending email to: RJDawes@aol.com or call 814-669-4847.

12/16/2005