Cameron County Conservation District Project Tour 2015

Cameron County Conservation District Project Tour 2015

Friday, October 23, 2015, the Cameron County Conservation District host their annual project tour. District staff were joined by all ages, even a four legged friend joined in the festivities. The tour was led by Watershed Specialist, Todd Deluccia, who spear headed most of this year tour stops. First up was the May Hollow 49 – Acid Mine Reclamation project, funded by the Sinnemahoning Watershed Grant Program through the Fish and Boat Commission and the Sinnemmahoning Stakeholders Committee. The total project cost was $270,000, which cost design, permitting and the installation of two vertical flow wetlands for treatment and a surface flow wetland as a polishing pond. This location was the largest source of acid mine drainage pollution entering into the May Hollow drainage based on flows, pH, and metal levels.

The second stop on the tour was at the Moateville Streambank Stabilization project, the site was in 2014 after a few different design tries. The final installation includes a 500 foot crib wall, encompassing over 140 logs, 63 loads of stone and nearly a half mile of rebar. This site has now been overtopped with water on serval occasions and has held up beautifully. This project was funded by the Sinnemahoning Stakeholders Committee, with a cost of approximately $40,000.

The third project, highlighted the Portage Creek Pool Habitat Initiative. The Fish and Boat Commission has identified that Sinnemahoning Portage Creek severely lacks pool habitat in its lower reaches. The District received a grant from Sinnemahoning Stakeholders Committee in the amount of $22,500 to construct six log cross vanes in Portage Creek. Two sites were completed in 2015, both of these are very large crossvanes probably the largest log crossvanes ever built. These structures provide protection from erosion on both sides of the creek and funnel water thru the center of the structure providing a large scour hole for habitat. Each of these structures cost roughly $3,500. A traditional stone crossvane of this size would cost between $10,000 and $20,000. Four more structures will be installed in 2016.

The final stop of the day was along the Gary Dubler Nature Trail. This site is a great demonstration of the how important partnership is to our local community. The District, Cameron County Outdoor Youth Activity (CCOYA), and Cameron County School District, partnered to create the Gary Dubler Nature Trail. At the trail head there are steps that have been built up and over the levee to the stream. A 20’ X 30’ pavilion was recently constructed by On The Level, so that the school may have an outdoor classroom. Students from the wood shop class have built wooden picnic tables for the pavilion as well. Funding has also been secured to install interpretive signage along the trail. These signs have been designed and are currently at the printers being made. Signs are both nature and history based. The total cost of this project is approximately $30,000. Other partners for this site include the Bucktail Watershed Association and Lumber Heritage.

The District would like to thank all the tour participants for joining them for a beautiful afternoon, touring the county to visit just a few of the District’s recent projects. District staff is already gearing up for projects in 2016, so keep a look out of staff in the field, in the stream and in the schools. For more information about the Conservation District visit their website at www.cameroncd.org or follow them on Facebook “Cameron County Conservation District”.

Cameron County Conservation District