Piney Creek Watershed Assessment and Conservation Plan
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Piney Creek Watershed Assessment and Conservation Plan Blair County Pennsylvania July, 2005 Developed by the BLAIR COUNTY COMMISSIONERS BLAIR COUNTY CONSERVATION DISTRICT In cooperation with JUNIATA VALLEY AUDUBON SOCIETY UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE - NATURAL RESOURCES CONSERVATION SERVICE With assistance from the BLAIR COUNTY CHAPTER OF TROUT UNLIMITED PENNSYLVANIA TROUT Funding for this Project was provided through COLDWATER CONSERVATION GRANT from the COLD WATER HERITAGE PARTNERSHIP CONSERVATION DISTRICT CHESAPEAKE BAY MINI-GRANT form the PENNSYLVANIA ASSOCIATION OF CONSERVATION DISTRICT AND WATERSHED RESTORATION FUND from the BLAIR COUNTY CONSERVATION DISTIRCT Piney Creek Watershed Assessment and Conservation Plan Table of Contents: I. Introduction and Background II. Watershed Description II.A Watershed Maps II.B Watershed Description II.C General Demographic Characteristics for Blair County and Pennsylvania II.D Blair County History II.E Archeological and Historical Features II.F Geological III. Analysis of the Watershed III.A Biology III.A.1 Habitat Assessment III.A.2 Pennsylvania Natural Diversity Index III.A.3 Natural Heritage Inventory III.A.4 Piney Creek Avian Assessment Project III.A.5 Macroinvertebrate Study III.B Wetlands III.C Impaired Water Quality III.C.1 Water Sampling III.C.2 Water Sample Analysis III.C.3 Water Sampling Quality and Control III.C.4 Main Stem Stream Sampling Points III.C.5 Tributary Sampling Points IV. Previous Studies IV.A Juniata Watershed Management Plan: September, 2003 IV.B United States Department of Agriculture, Natural Resources Conservation Service - Piney Creek Watershed Protection Project: November 13, 1986 IV.C Pennsylvania Fish and Boat Commission Piney Creek Management Report: 2000 & 2002 V. Areas of Concern and Potential Conflict VI. Restoration Alternatives VII. Recommendations VIII. Plan Implementation VIII.A Schedule VIII.B Permits and Compliance VIII.C Land Rights and Relocation VIII.D Solid and Hazardous Waste VIII.E Cultural Resources Piney Creek Watershed Assessment and Conservation Plan 2 VIII.F Funding VIV. Watershed Stakeholders/ Education and Outreach VIV.A Education and Outreach X. References Charts and Maps Charts Chart Number I-1, Seasonal Temperatures Observed in the Piney Creek Watershed Chart Number I-2, Concentrations of Alkalinity with pH in the Piney Creek Watershed Chart Number I-3, Temperature with Concentrations of Dissolved Oxygen in the Piney Creek Watershed Chart Number I-4, Concentrations of Nitrates, Nitrites, TKN and Phosphorus in the Piney Creek Watershed Chart Number I-5, Concentrations of Phosphorus with Total Suspended Solids in the Piney Creek Watershed Chart Number I-6, Seasonal Levels of Fecal Coliform Found in the Piney Creek Watershed Maps Pennsylvania/ Juniata River Watershed Piney Creek Watershed-Topographic Map Aerial Photography (Sampling Points)/ Landuse Piney Creek Watershed-Soils Appendix Appendix A, Pennsylvania Fish & Boat Commission’s letter dated July 11, 2001 Appendix B, Piney Creek (7111A) Management Report Section 02– Pennsylvania Fish and Boat Commission (F&BC) Appendix B.1, Piney Creek (7111A) Management Report Section 02– PA (F&BC), DRAFT-2002 Appendix B.2, Piney Creek (7111A) Management Report Section 02– PA (F&BC), 2000 Appendix B.3, Piney Creek (7111A) Management Report Section 02– PA (F&BC), 1980 Appendix C, Profile of General Demographic Characteristics: 2000, U.S. Census Bureau Appendix C.1, Blair County Appendix C.2, Huston Township Appendix C.3, North Woodbury Township Appendix C.4, Woodbury Township Appendix D, A Brief History of Blair County, Pennsylvania; by Sylva Emersion Piney Creek Watershed Assessment and Conservation Plan 3 Appendix E, U.S.D.A., NRCS - Stream Visual Assessment Protocol Manual Appendix F, Draft Blair County Natural Heritage Inventory Appendix F.1, Draft Blair County Natural Heritage Inventory – Executive Summary Appendix F.2, Draft Blair County Natural Heritage Inventory – Frankstown Township Appendix F.3, Draft Blair County Natural Heritage Inventory - Huston Township Appendix F.4, Draft Blair County Natural Heritage Inventory - North Woodbury Township Appendix F.5, Draft Blair County Natural Heritage Inventory - Woodbury Township Appendix G, Characteristics of Stream Sampling Points Appendix H, Juniata Watershed Management Plan Appendix H.1, Juniata Watershed Management Plan-Land Resources- Table and Strategy Appendix H.2, Juniata Watershed Management Plan- Water Resources- Table and Strategy Appendix H.3, Juniata Watershed Management Plan-Biological Resources-Table and Strategy Appendix I, U.S.D.A., NRCS - Piney Creek Watershed Protection Project November 13, 1986 Appendix J, Agricultural Best Management Practices used in the Chesapeake Bay Program Appendix K, Cost Estimates for Recommended Best Management Practices Appendix L, Public Meeting: Piney Creek Stream Study (November 16, 2004) Appendix L.1, Agenda Appendix L.2, Flyer Appendix M, Public Meeting: Piney Creek Stream Study (May 25, 2005) Appendix M.1, Agenda Appendix M.2, Flyer Appendix N, Piney Creek Watershed Brochure Piney Creek Watershed Assessment and Conservation Plan 4 I. Introduction and Background: The Blair County Conservation District, in partnership with the Juniata Valley Audubon Society, received a Coldwater Heritage Partnership Grant, in 2004, for an initial watershed assessment and conservation plan of the Piney Creek Watershed, Blair County. Coldwater Conservation Plans are meant to identify potential problems and opportunities for stream conservation while building local awareness and support for the long term stewardship of Piney Creek. Piney Creek is an established trout fishery and has been identified by the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection as a High Quality- Cold Water Fishery. Furthermore, the Pennsylvania Fish and Boat Commission has identified sections of the stream as Class A- Naturally Reproducing Wild Trout. Both of these designations identify Piney Creek and its’ associated watershed as environmentally significant and overall in excellent condition as a valuable resource for habitat and clean water. Unfortunately, it appears that this natural resource may be becoming degraded by increased erosion, sedimentation and other non-point sources of pollution. It is the goal of the Conservation District, along with support from other watershed stakeholders, to identify areas of opportunity within Piney Creek, preserve the existing natural resources, to recommend potential projects for restoration, and work with the community in developing a plan for the preservation of this great resource. II. Watershed Description: II.A Watershed Maps See the following maps listed in the appendix: Pennsylvania/ Juniata River Watershed Piney Creek Watershed-Topographic Map Aerial Photography (Sampling Points)/ Landuse Piney Creek Watershed-Soils II.B Watershed Description The headwaters of the Piney Creek watershed start at Lock Mountain Road just north of the borough of Martinsburg. This rural watershed encompasses approximately 25.4 square miles (over 16,000 acres). Piney Creek meanders along Lock Mountain flowing North past the villages of Clappertown, Royer, and Wertz for approximately 13 miles before emptying into the Frankstown Branch of the Juniata River, just below the Ganister Blue Hole outside of Williamsburg. Piney Creek Watershed Assessment and Conservation Plan 5 Substantial portions of Piney Creek’s flow is developed by large springs based in limestone aquifers. This scenic creek is designated by the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection (PA DEP) as a High Quality – Cold Water Fisheries (HQ- CWF) under Chapter 93 of the Water Quality Standards. In 1987, the Pennsylvania Fish and Boat Commission (PA F&BC) designated the 6.2 mi. stretch of Piney Creek running from Poverty Hollow Run, down stream to the mouth at the Frankstown Branch of the Juniata River (Section 02) as a Class A – Wild Brown Trout Stream. Since 1987, Section 02 has been managed for wild brown trout under conventional statewide regulations. The watershed is divided by two main municipalities, with a small portion of headwaters located in a third. Approximately 33% of Woodbury Township, 50 % of Huston Township, and a small portion of North Woodbury Township make up the watershed. Portions of State Game Lands 147 are also contained in the watershed. The watershed contains approximately 16,242 acres. The three major land uses by acreage in the watershed are Forest 7,947 ac (49.8 %), Agriculture 7,509 ac (46.2 %), and Urban 656 ac. (4 %). The watershed contains app 4.8% of the total land in Blair County; 3.6% of the Forestland; 11.1% of the agriculture land; and 1.6% of Urban land. The trend in land use over the past decade is moving toward an increase in urbanization. One of the driving forces behind this is that farmers are selling off building lots to help subsidize farm income. In addition, the surrounding communities are growing out into this primarily rural watershed. With the increase in the price of building lots, the value of the farmland is increasing to where it is harder and harder for a person to purchase land for agricultural production. However, despite its rural nature there are identified impairments in the watershed. The 2004 Pennsylvania Integrated Water Quality Monitoring and Assessment Report, List 5: Pollutant Impaired Streams Requiring a TMDL lists a portion of Poverty Hollow Run (UNT 16222) as impaired to aquatic life with siltation the cause of the impairment. The PA F&BC has done