The Coldwater Heritage Partnership Tuesday announced the award of over $74,000 in grants have been awarded to local organizations to protect and conserve Pennsylvania’s coldwater streams. 

The Coldwater Heritage Partnership is a collaborative effort between the Department of Conservation and Natural Resources, Foundation for Pennsylvania Watersheds, Fish and Boat Commission and PA Council of Trout Unlimited. 

The purpose of the CHP is to provide leadership, coordination, technical assistance, and funding support for the conservation and protection of Pennsylvania’s coldwater streams. The program awards planning and implementation grants to conservation organizations in an effort to protect and conserve Pennsylvania’s coldwater resources.

The planning grant is awarded to organizations to create a coldwater conservation plan that evaluates the biological, physical, and chemical features of the stream or watershed to identify potential threats, impacts, and opportunities and compile recommendations for future protection.

The implementation grant is awarded to organizations to complete projects listed as recommendations in Coldwater Conservation Plans or similar documents. Potential projects must conserve, protect, or enhance the resources.

Grants have been awarded to the following organizations:

-- Planning Grants

-- Berks County Conservation District will complete an assessment and coldwater Conservation Plan for the Cacoosing Creek.

-- The Eastern PA Coalition for Abandoned Mine Reclamation will conduct as assessment of natural trout populations, aquatic connectivity, and AMD/AML impacts to Toby Creek in Luzerne County.

-- Elk County Conservation District will create a coldwater conservation plan for the Elk Creek Drainage by completing a comprehensive evaluation of Elk Creek habitat, biota, and water quality.

-- Penn Soil RC&D Council will complete as assessment of Pithole Creek in Forest and Venango counties to document water quality issues and develop remediation and restoration options.

-- The Seneca Chapter of Trout Unlimited will coordinate efforts to assess Skinner Creek Watershed’s current condition and write a comprehensive plan for the creek in McKean county.

-- The Western PA Conservancy will complete an assessment of the current conditions of the Middle Fork East Branch Clarion River Watershed to identify opportunities to improve this vital coldwater resource in Elk county.

-- Implementation Grants

-- The Central PA Conservancy will complete a 34-acre acquisition, including the LeTort’s spring-fed wetland headwaters, for addition to the Spring Run and Rail Trail Greenway. The project will include opportunities for restoration, coldwater education, appreciation, and conservation training in Cumberland County.

-- The Cumberland Valley Trout Unlimited Chapter will complete instream habitat work to improve natural reproduction and survivability of coldwater aquatic species in Yellow Breeches Creek.

-- Mifflin County Conservation District will complete a comprehensive stream improvement project including fish habitat structures, bank stabilization, fishing access improvements, and riparian buffer plantings.

-- Patriots Cove will complete an instream habitat improvement effort on Beaver Run in Wyoming county.

-- The Western PA Conservancy will remove a dam on John’s Run, an HQ tributary to Callen Run, to restore fish and aquatic organism passage to over 4 miles of wild trout habitat in this headwaters stream in Jefferson county.

-- The Western PA Conservancy will provide outreach to landowners about riparian buffers and other conservation practices, establish riparian buffers, and complete water quality monitoring on Plum Creek in Blair county.

Additional information about the grant opportunity as well as plans, reports, and photographs from previous grant awardees can be found at the Coldwater Heritage Partnership website.  Questions should be directed to: info@coldwaterheritage.org or 814-359-5233.

(Photo: Bushkill Creek riparian buffer, Northampton County.)

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[Posted: Feb. 27, 2018]

3/5/2018