Don't miss an important meeting Thursday, Nov. 6, regarding the restoration plan for the Walnut Creek watershed. Check the news release below for details.
The Department of Environmental Protection will host a public meeting this week to discuss a restoration plan for the Walnut Creek watershed, which is impaired due to increased commercial and residential development.
The meeting will be held at 7 p.m. on Thursday, Nov. 6, at Asbury Woods Nature Center, 4105 Asbury Road, Erie, and will provide information about the tools and resources that are available to businesses, industry and the public to protect and restore the watershed. All are welcome to attend.
The Walnut Creek watershed includes parts of Millcreek, Fairview, Summit, McKean and Greene townships. "Walnut Creek runs through the heart of northern Erie County," said DEP Regional Director Kelly Burch. "We must work together to protect this vital watershed that supports a renowned steelhead fishery, contributes to the nation's biggest freshwater resource for drinking water, and provides habitat for threatened and endangered plant and animal species."
The department performed a comprehensive assessment in 2006 to determine the environmental conditions of Walnut Creek. Among other items, the study identified impairments to aquatic life, habitat alterations due to soil being washed into the creek, and stream flow variability caused by land development, urban storm water runoff and storm sewers. In response, the department developed a watershed protection and restoration plan that focuses on steps to reclaim the impaired creek.
A copy of the plan is available for review at the regional office, and online.