The Freshet
Conodoguinet Creek Watershed Association
President Susan Parry and Editor Lisa Beatty
www.conocreek.org eLetter to Members IN WHICH:
We summarize recent activities in watershed protection and developments.
Last Freshet was Fall 2016. Available at our website.
Winter 2017
2016 CCWA Creek Clean-Ups
Was 2016 the Worst or the Best Year?
The May cleanup was cancelled because of
the very cool air temperature, water
temperature, and shallower than normal
depth. “Shallower than normal” were
descriptors for the next 4 month’s cleanup
opportunities. We were assisted by 2 Boy
Scout Troops and a new group of students
from Dickinson College. By August, after
the Creek had been declared “impaired,”
the shallowness made pickup and transport
on the Creek a hearty aerobic workout.
Spotting items underwater and pulling them
out was slightly easier than normal. There was less trash than ever to pick up,
especially in Riparian Buffer Zones. Less than 2 tons were picked up and
responsibly recycled or disposed by our partnering townships. We found some
interesting items, like a large rusted oil drum, an old fashioned double sink and a
door to a porta potty! We also spotted 2 Bald Eagles! 2016 was the strangest
cleanup season of the past decade. BUT LESS TRASH THAN EVER. HOW CAN
THAT EVER BE BAD? Thank you! ~ Paul Garrett
Watch an aerial drone view of June 2016 Creek Clean-up!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d6SzqhE38H4
SAVE the DATES: 2017 Creek Clean-ups in East Pennsboro every
3rd Saturday from May – September: 5/20, 6/17, 7/15, 8/19, 9/16.
3rd Week of April - Ironstone Ridge Nature Center Tree Wrapping
Saturday April 22nd - CCWA at Mechanicsburg Earth Day Festival
Rain Barrel Workshop
CCWA is proud to partner with the Cumberland County Conservation
District to receive a $2000 grant from the Department of
Environmental Protection to conduct FREE ($50 value) Rain Barrel
workshops. CCWA will host 2 events, one in the upper reaches and
one in the lower reaches of the watershed. CCWA will hold a member
only pre-registration and then registration will be open to the public.
The dates and locations will be announced in the Spring Freshet!
CCWA at the East Pennsboro Pumpkin Festival
For the 2nd time on October 8th and 9th
CCWA hosted an educational booth at East
Pennsboro’s Pumpkin Festival. Saturday was
very rainy, but we educated many people
under our canopy with our “Watershed in a
Hand” interactive lesson. Sunday had great
weather and we added 15 new members.
In total, we gained 17 new members and
educated 114 youth and 71 adults about
watersheds, how pollution affects watershed, and that we live in the
Conodoguinet Creek Watershed. From our partner sponsor Jack and Jill’s
Kettle Corn we raised $240 for future CCWA educational & clean-up efforts!
STORM WATER BEST MANAGEMENT PRACTICES SERIES
During 2016, CCWA worked hand-in- hand with Green-CAUSE.org, Camp Hill Environmental
Club, Penn State Master Gardeners, C.C. Conservation District, and the Susquehanna Permaculture
Guild to put on 10 classes to educate approximately 150 residents. The classes were designed to
educate the public of MS4 Best Management Practices, enabling them to help protect their
watershed, and those downstream to the Chesapeake Bay. On February 2, we presented Watershed
101; March 1, Protect Your Property In Your Watershed; April 5, Store Stormwater in Rain Barrels,
Cisterns, Retention Ponds; April 9th, Rain Barrel Sale/Assembly/delivery; May 3, Rain Gardens
from A-Z; June 7, Lawn and Garden BMPs; July 5, BMP Hardware for Homeowners; August 2 ,
Roof Gardens and Greenroofs; Sept 6, “Review/Summary BMP’s for Stormwater” October 4 ,
“Saving Money Twice”- Wise Water Usage Practices; and finally November 8, Riparian Buffers,
Swales, Retention Ponds, & Vernal Pools by our own CCWA Board member Lisa Beatty.
Four field trips were taken to experience MS4 Best Management Practices: March 5, to Lemoyne’s
Market Street rain gardens, Lower Allen’s Township Building, and Mechanicsburg’s Trails and Trees
Environmental Site; and June 14, a tour of a Camp Hill Permaculture Home/Garden.
The teamwork demonstrated among these organizations distributed the work, making the
MS4 BMP watershed/public education thorough, manageable, and very successful.
CCWA Board at Work
Our dedicated board members helped with
numerous other projects by means of guidance,
promotion and direct action. We partnered with
Silver Spring Township to clean-up trash at
Hogestown Run and open space planning,
assisted in two Eagle Scout Environmental
Award Boy Scout Projects, helped 50 Dickinson
College students with their annual civic clean-up
project at the DiFilippo Nature Preserve and
guidance was given to DiFilippo Nature Preserve
for their Assets Assessment plan.
Please welcome John Clarke, professional geologist at PennDOT to the CCWA board.
John regularly attends board meetings and contributes his time expertise to CCWA
through various CCWA planning and events. CCWA’s next board meeting is on
Tuesday, March 21st at 7pm, the location is TBA. Please contact Gil if you are interested
in attending a CCWA board meeting at [email protected]
To view upcoming events and accomplishments please visit our Facebook page:
https://www.facebook.com/ConodoguinetCreekWatershedAssociation/
Funding from the Alliance for the Chesapeake Bay Helps Residents in
the Conodoguinet Creek Region Save Up to 80% on Native Gardens
The Alliance for the Chesapeake Bay https://allianceforthebay.org/ is offering financial assistance to property
owners living in the Yellow Breeches and Conodoguinet watersheds in Pennsylvania to install Conservation
Landscapes and Rain Gardens on their properties. Landowners can apply online now for funding to install their
projects in Spring 2017.
To apply, visit the online Yard Design Tool to create a personalized Conservation Landscape or Rain Garden
plan. Users answer a questionnaire about their property and choose one of five garden templates, such as a
native meadow or a butterfly garden. The tool then provides a list of materials, suggested plants, and DIY
instructions specific to that property. After submitting an application, applicants will be contacted by an
Alliance representative with the next steps. Cost-share recipients will visit a local partnering nursery to pick up
the plants and materials outlined in their personalized plans, with a maximum discount of 80%. Applicants can
also apply for cost share towards professional Rain Garden installation. Check out this great tool at
www.stormwater.allianceforthebay.org/yard-design.
Membership Form
Conodoguinet Creek Watershed Association
New and Renewal Membership for 2017
(Please circle New or Renewal)
Name: ________________________________________________________________
Address: ________________________________________________________________
Phone: _____________________
(We do not share with others.)
Email:___________________________________
Make checks payable to CCWA and send to:
Membership Dues
Student One Year
$10
Individual One Year $15
Family One Year
$25
Lifetime
$150
Conservation Org. $25
Corporate
$200
Total Enclosed
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$_______
Maryann Skubecz, Treasurer
1806 Signal Hill Dr.
Mechanicsburg, PA 17050-1656
Thank you for your membership
and support of the
Conodoguinet Creek Watershed
Association