Lackawanna River Watershed Conservation Plan
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Lackawanna River Watershed Conservation Plan prepared by The Lackawanna River Corridor Association November 2001 This project is funded with support from the Chesapeake Bay Program Small Watershed Grants Program administered by the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation, the Scranton Area Foundation, the Rivers Conservation Program of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, Department of Conservation and Natural Resources and The membership and community support funding received through contributions to the Lackawanna River Corridor Association. This document has been prepared by: Bernard McGurl, Executive Director For the: Arthur Popp, Project Manager Deilsie Heath Kulesa, Administrative Assistant Gail Puente, Education and Outreach Coordinator Table of Contents 1. Introduction 1.1. Executive Summary: Issues, Process 1.2. Executive Plan Recommendations 1.3. Priority Recommendations 1.4. Considerations for Implementation 2. Purpose and Vision 2.1 Vision 2.2 Scope of Work 3. The River and Its Watershed 3.1 Soils and Geology 3.2 Flora and Fauna 3.3 Socio-economics and Cultural History 4. Issues: A discussion and review of public policy issues and topics affecting the Lackawanna River Watershed Environment 4.1 A discussion and review of public policy issues and topics affecting the Lackawanna River Watershed environment 5. Water Quality and Quantity 5.1 Sewage Treatment, Treatment Plants, CSO’s, Act 537 Planning 5.2 Storm Water Management 5.3 Acid Mine Drainage/Abandoned Mine Reclamation 5.4 Erosion and Sedimentation 5.5 Water Supply 5.6 Aquatic Habitats and Fisheries 6. Land Stewardship 6.1 Flood Plain Management 6.2 Stream Encroachment 6.3 Riparian and Upland Forest and Forestry Management 6.4 Wetlands 6.5 Natural Areas and Open Space Management 6.6 Land Use Regulations and Watershed Best Management Practices 6.7 Reclamation and Economic Development 6.8 Litter, Illegal Dumping and Contaminated Sites 7. Recreation, Public Access, Public Use 7.1 Water Flow Management, Stillwater Dam Issues 7.2 Fisheries 7.3 Canoeing, Kayaking and Other Navigation 7.4 Trails 7.5 Hunting 7.6 Motor Vehicle Issues 8. Natural Areas and Special Places Inventory 8.1 Historic Places 8.2 Waterfalls and Morphologic Sites 8.3 Natural Areas 8.4 Ponds, Reservoirs and Water Works 8.5 Wetlands, Swamps and Bog Complexes 9. Environmental Education and Public Involvement 10. Watershed Management and Program Administration 10.1 Management Program Assessment 10.2 Unmet Needs and Growth Issues 11. River Conservation Plan Recommendations 11.1 Lackawanna River Partnership and Watershed 2000 11.2 Water and Environmental Quality Protection and Enhancements 11.3 Municipal Advisory Committee 11.4 Abandoned Mine Land Reclamation Plan 11.5 Economic Development 11.6 Recreation and Trails 11.7 Open Space Management, Watershed Resource Protection 11.8 Environmental Education and Public Involvement 11.9 Land Use Recommendations for Watershed Conservation 11.10 Historical and Cultural Conservation 12. River Conservation Project Recommendations 12.1 Down Valley Communities 12.2 Scranton and Dunmore 12.3 North Pocono Communities 12.4 Abington Communities 12.5 Mid Valley Communities 12.6 Up Valley Communities 13. The River Conservation Registry Model Resolution 14. Bibliography 15. Public Comment and LRCA Contact Information Appendix A Trail Routing Alternatives Report Appendix B Mine Reclamation Plan Executive Summary B.1 Geological and Historical Background B.2 A Review of Abandoned Mine Land Impacts in the Lackawanna Valley B.3 An Assessment of Previous Reclamation Programs and Studies B.4 Lackawanna River Watershed Reclamation Programs Bureau of Abandoned Mine Reclamation Lackawanna County and Watershed 2000 U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Growing Greener projects Private Development Municipal Reclamation Projects Public Infrastructure Improvements B.5 Remaining Priorities and Summary Recommendations B.6 Bibliography B. Pictures Appendix C River and Tributary Stream Survey Reports and Recommendations C.1 River Reach and Tributary Stream Survey Reports Synopsis C.2 Lackawanna Watershed Ascension Chart C.3 Lackawanna Watershed River Mileage Key C.4 River Reach Survey Reports and Recommendations Reach 1: Confluence with Susquehanna River, Duryea to Main St., Old Forge Reach 2: Main St., Old Forge to Davis St., Taylor Reach 3: Davis Street, Taylor to Lackawanna Ave, Scranton Reach 4: Lackawanna Avenue, Scranton to I-81, Scranton/Throop Reach 5: I-81, Scranton/Throop to Mellow Park, Blakely Reach 6: Mellow Park, Blakely to Gilmartin St., Archbald Reach 7: Gilmartin St., Archbald to Meredith St., Carbondale Twp Reach 8: Meredith St., Carbondale Twp. to PA Rte. 171, Fell Twp Reach 9: PA Rte. 171 Fell Twp. to PA Rte. 247, Forest City Reach 10: Pa Rte. 247 Forest City to Stillwater Dam, Uniondale Reach 11: East Branch of Lackawanna River Reach 12: West Branch of Lackawanna River C.5 Tributary Stream Reports and Recommendations Campbells Ledge Run Red Springs Run St. Johns Creek Mill Creek Spring Brook Greenwood Creek Keyser Creek Stafford Meadow Brook Roaring Brook Pine Brook Meadow Brook Carter Creek Leggetts Creek Greenbush Run I-81 Channel Grier Creek Sulphur Creek Storrs Creek Scotts Creek Eddy Creek Miles Creek Hull Creek Lackawanna Outfall Wildcat Creek Sterry Creek Grassy Island Creek Winton Run Laurel Run White Oak Run Powder Mill Run1 Aylesworth Creek Woodland Run Calendar Gap Creek Rush Brook Hosey Creek Powderly Creek Lees Creek Brookside Run Fall Brook Racket Brook Coal Brook Wilson Creek C.6 Information Available on the LRCA Webpage C. Pictures 1. Introduction This plan for the conservation of the Lackawanna River and its watershed has been developed by the Lackawanna River Corridor Association in partnership with Lackawanna County and twenty-six municipalities in the Lackawanna River watershed. A companion plan for the upper Lackawanna River has been developed in partnership with the Trails Conservation Corporation, Susquehanna County and municipalities in the upper watershed, with the collaboration of the Lackawanna River Corridor Association and other agencies. The plan describes a vision of the Lackawanna River that can be shared by all who are concerned with what a healthy river means for the residents of our watershed and for our friends and neighbors downstream. The plan builds on the original Lackawanna River Citizens Master Plan of 1990 and the plan for the Lackawanna Heritage Valley of 1991. Following implementation of these plans, this plan examines conditions in the watershed related to the ecological health of land and water resources. The plan also examines issues related to the management of open space resources, historical and contemporary land use practices, recreation, aesthetics, public and private infrastructure along the river and its tributary streams. This plan includes an inventory of conditions recorded on stream walks conducted by LRCA staff, volunteers and local elected officials during 1999 and 2000. Based on the inventory findings, input from public meetings and review by public officials, the plan offers recommendations for actions to be taken to develop site specific conservation and recreation projects, individual and watershed wide programs for education, resource management, and decision-making on management and infrastructure issues. The plan has been developed with assistance from the Pennsylvania Rivers Conservation Program administered by the Pennsylvania Department of Conservation and Natural Resources. An important outcome of this plan is the petition for inclusion of the Lackawanna and its watershed on the Pennsylvania Rivers Conservation Registry. With the endorsement of agencies and municipalities, the registry of the Lackawanna entitles projects and programs of the types recommended in this plan to eligibility for implementation funds from the Commonwealth through the River Conservation Program. The development of this plan has also been supported with funding from the United States Environmental Protection Agency Chesapeake Bay Small Watershed Grants program administered by the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation and the Scranton Area Foundation. 1.1 Executive Summary The Lackawanna River flows nearly sixty miles through a 350-square mile watershed in four counties of northeastern Pennsylvania to its confluence with the North Branch Susquehanna River. The Lackawanna rises in a series of glacial ponds and wetland bog complexes along the borders of Susquehanna and Wayne counties in the glaciated plateau province of the Appalachian Mountains. The east and west branches of the Lackawanna confluence at Stillwater Dam, a flood control structure built by the United States Army Corps of Engineers in 1960. After passing Stillwater Cliffs, the river enters the Lackawanna Valley flowing for forty miles in a northeast to southwest direction through Forest City, Carbondale, the Mid Valley, Scranton and the Down Valley to the confluence at Pittston. There are over sixty tributary streams to the Lackawanna rising on the Moosic and West mountains or on the Pocono Plateau where Spring Brook and Roaring Brook sub- watersheds flow through gaps in the Moosic Mountains to join the Lackawanna. The Lackawanna Valley contains part of the northern anthracite coal field which has been extensively mined. The upper Lackawanna watershed, the Moosic and West mountain ranges, and the North Pocono Plateau areas are mostly wooded with successional forest cover. The valley between Pittston, Scranton and Carbondale is a patchwork of urban and suburban centers interspersed