JULY 2023 STREAMLINES:
News and Events from BWA
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!! REGISTRATION NOW OPEN !!
BWA'S ANNUAL RAMBLE EVENT
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For over 20 years, BWA has invited the community to join us as we explore some of the most beautiful natural areas that the Poconos have to offer. This year is no different! We are hosting our Annual Ramble on the scenic grounds of the Spruce Lake Retreat Center.
Ramble-goers have a variety of activities to choose from:
- Hikes for every skill level - with 7 trails to choose from!
- Recreational activities that include boating, swimming, basketball, tennis, horseshoes, volleyball, tennis, indoor table games, & more!
- Educational programming for all ages
- Ending the day's adventures with a light buffet-style meal
Before we know it, autumn will be here. Why not spend one of the remaining dog days of summer out and about in nature while learning a little something along the way? This event is a great opportunity for families, friends, and nature lovers alike to enjoy a fun-filled afternoon outdoors. We hope to see you there!!!
WHO'S READY TO RAMBLE WITH US??!!
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Thank you for being a sponsor! |
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SAVE THE DATE:
Annual Members & Friends Celebration
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BWA will host its Annual Members & Friends Celebration on Thursday, October 19, 2023 in Skytop, PA - gathering near the headwaters of the Brodhead Watershed.
This elegant evening event will be held in celebration of BWA’s continued efforts
to promote and protect the clean and abundant water and forested landscape of the Brodhead and Cherry Creek watersheds. We hope to see you there!
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Our annual celebration includes one of BWA's biggest fundraisers of the year:
- OUR ONLINE AUCTION -
Which in years past, featured some pretty awesome outdoor experiences and adventures, artwork, gift certificates, special products, services, and more!
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DO YOU KNOW SOMEONE WHO MIGHT LIKE TO DONATE AN AUCTION ITEM AND ASSIST BWA WITH RAISING FUNDS FOR OUR CLEAN WATER MISSION?
Send them our way!
Contact BWA's Admin and Communications Specialist, Stephanie at admin@brodheadwatershed.org or by phone at 570-839-1120. She can answer any questions and provide more information on how to proceed.
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Swiftwater Solar Project to Protect Exception Value Stream in Monroe County from Stormwater Pollution |
Since we missed our June edition of Streamlines, BWA wished to include the news of a recent settlement secured on May 30, 2023 by PennFuture and BWA which was filed in August 2022 against the DEP and Developer of Swiftwater Solar.
This settlement will protect the water quality of Swiftwater Creek and its Exceptional Value - while allowing for the responsible construction and operation of clean, renewable grid-scale solar energy in Pocono Township, Monroe County.
On June 13th, PennFuture hosted a community meeting at the Brodhead Creek Heritage Center to discuss the litigation proposed for Pocono Township and what the settlement means going forward.
Want to know what protections and restoration plans were put in place and what improvements were made to Swiftwater Solar's construction and development practices?
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MAYFLY LOGGER INSTALLATION - 3 NEW SITES!! |
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This month, in partnership with Trout Unlimited and Pocono Heritage Land Trust, BWA programmed and installed *THREE* new Mayfly Stream Gauges. The first was installed on the upper Pocono Creek in Tannersville and the another is on the main stem of the McMichael's Creek in Stroud Township.
View the real-time data by clicking below:
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THANK YOU TO OUR STREAMWATCHERS |
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BWA hosted a potluck on July 15th for BWA members and staff to express our gratitude and appreciation for the efforts of our Streamwatch team. The dedication of our volunteers is appreciated beyond measure as they work to monitor threats to water quality throughout the Brodhead watershed and our community. |
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COMMUNITY SPOTLIGHT - UPCOMING EVENTS |
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"Flight and Forage" - Pocono Arts Council Opening Reception
Thursday, August 3, 5:00-7:00 P
Stop by the Brodhead Creek Heritage Center for the opening reception of Flight and Forage: An Artistic Celebration of Pollinators, featuring artwork in a variety of mediums from members of the Pocono Arts Council. From bees and birds to butterflies and bats (yes, bats!), use their work to tell the story of these small heroes.
Light refreshments will be served. Artwork will be on display and for sale during the month of August. Free to attend, no RSVP required.
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Hawthorne Mount Pocono Resort Final Conditional Use Hearing
August 14, 2023 at 5:00 p.m.
Paradise Township Municipal Building
Paradise Township Supervisors will hold the final hearing and will be accepting comments by the general public.
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PHLT Trail Crew Volunteer Day at Kurmes Nature Preserve
Wednesday, August 16
9am – 12pm
Join the Pocono Heritage Land Trust all-volunteer Trail Crew and spruce up the Kurmes Preserve - North Parking Area at 335 Devils Hole Rd, Cresco, PA 18326
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JULY IS WILD ABOUT WILDLIFE MONTH |
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Stephanie, BWA Communications Specialist writes:
At BWA, we’re all about the protection and preservation of our water resources. But those rivers, streams, and creeks that comprise our watershed are supported by the habitats and forested landscapes that help sustain them.
An abundance of wildlife - from the largest of predators to the tiniest of insects – ensures the health, balance, and biodiversity of these natural spaces.
If you’re WILD ABOUT WILDLIFE, click HERE to read about some ways that you can help the wildlife of our region - which includes your own backyard!
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PROTECTING CLEAN WATER TOGETHER |
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TROUBLE
WITH DAMS
Photo: DL&W tracks hanging in the air after wash-out at Devil’s Hole. Taken during fly-over by U.S. Army Signal Corps - August 1955. Notice remains of culvert at the base. (Kim Williams collection)
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August is the month old-timers in Monroe County, PA, remember the Flood of 1955. Some were youngsters then, and remember family members being cut off, stuck in cars or taking shelter where they could, unable to get to or from Stroudsburg. Others were old enough to take part in the vast clean-up, bulldozing mountains of debris, helping people who were stranded, searching for victims.
Between August 11 and 20 that year, back-to-back hurricanes pummeled our area. Nearly 20 inches of rain fell. The Brodhead watershed was awash.
Dams had failed along every creek. Old mill dams, swimming hole dams, fishing dams, “official” dams, structures of earth, wood, rocks and boulders gave way, carrying tons of wreckage downstream.
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NATURE AT RISK: FOR EVERY LIVING THING, A MOSAIC OF HABITATS |
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Every living creature needs food, water, shelter, and space — often in surprisingly specific ways.
In summer, Monarch butterflies need milkweed for their larvae to feed on, and only milkweed will do. Then they migrate to a totally different habitat, overwintering in southern Mexico. In spring, golden-winged warblers need low, scrubby, tangled thickets to breed and raise young — but also need tall, healthy woodlands nearby to feed. Salamanders need pools of water to lay their eggs. But the water can’t be permanent. And it can’t be too deep, or too sunny, or too far from the woodsy, loamy leaf litter of shady trees, where salamanders live in the damp earth.
Humans lived in the woods and along the creeks of the Brodhead watershed for thousands of years. From the rich mosaic of woodland, meadows, creeks and wetlands, rocky caves, bogs, and marshes came shelter, game, fish and shellfish, fruit and nuts, and the raw materials for making arrowheads and watercraft.
Our human connection to the mosaic of habitats that sustains life may seem more tenuous these days. But that connection remains very real.
Find out how local companies, gardeners, businesses, and property owners in the watershed are supporting native mosaics HERE.
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BWA's Get Outdoors Pocono's Series is supported by a grant from the William Penn Foundation.
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