Embedded Files
💰CCWA thanks Mount Joy Borough for the generous support in 2025! 🙏🏽
A little tree re-planting
A little tree re-planting
At the Meadows HOA between Meadowfield Drive and Rt 772 in Mount Joy.
Thanks so much to the 8 intrepid tree planters that came out in the drizzle on Saturday morning. It was great timing. Within a couple hours of wrapping up there was a heavy downpour, watering our 50 newly planted trees! And we all stepped carefully around the colorful blooms that grace part of the area in early spring!
And thanks to Penn State AEC and their partners for providing the trees, tubes stakes, ties and nets.
26Apr2025
💰CCWA thanks Rapho Township for the generous support in 2025! 🙏🏽
BMPs & Restoration: informational presentation
BMPs & Restoration: informational presentation
In a CCWA informational session, Reid Garner presented an excellent review of best management practices relevant to watersheds and stormwater management, and also compared them with restoration practices. BMPs are specific structures that address specific challenges. Restoration strives to return a degraded ecosystem to its natural condition and can be considered another tool in the BMP toolbox. His slideset is available to view here.
Some questions after the presentation addressed the likelihood of changes in the regulatory and/or funding landscapes as a result of ongoing restructuring of the federal government. The general consensus among those present was that state-driven regs, such as the PA Clean Streams Law, and state funding are more likely to persist even if there are changes at federal level (with the caveat that absolute funding levels indirectly tied to federal sources may be affected).
09Apr2025
A Walk in the Park to learn about stream renovations at Little Chiques Park
A Walk in the Park to learn about stream renovations at Little Chiques Park
Great turnout on a cloudy day for a chance to learn some background behind the stream renovations in the Little Chiques Park in Mount Joy, led by Mark Metzler, Sr. Environmental Scientist at RETTEW.
Numerous structures will help stabilize banks, orient flows in the channel to reduce or manage the water's erosive energy, provide better fish habitat, provide better creek access for the public, and contribute to flood control by providing overflow access to the central area of park (and also allowing this are to drain back to the creek). The construction work on the central area of the park will complete this spring, with revegetation taking place throughout the coming year. Construction on the next phase of the project, from Rt772 down to the central area of the park, begins this summer.
Participants also shared their knowledge about the park's history and their experiences here.
Our thanks to Mark and all participants for this chance to better appreciate both the art and the science of stream restorations.
05Apr2025
Some riparian tree maintenance at Manheim Memorial Park
Some riparian tree maintenance at Manheim Memorial Park
Made it through ~3/4 of the riparian tree planting at Manheim Memorial Park on Sunday afternoon (30Mar). Mostly pulling tubes and stakes at dead or sufficiently grown trees, uprighting/restaking numerous live ones, some pruning and a little de-vining. Will tackle the last 1/4 another day. And the cookies were really good!
30Mar2025
A Community Water Day in Mount Gretna
A Community Water Day in Mount Gretna
CCWA contributed a table display at the Lebanon County Community Water Day on Mar 29. A small portion of the CCW is in Lebanon County. This event was well organized (thanks to Margaret!) and well attended.
Favorite anecdote - a young boy was examining the containers with creek bottom substrates in our display. He felt the big rock, then the gravel, then the sand, then fully immersed his hand into the mucky silt container, and just had a great time with it. My heart sank thinking how I was going to clean him up, but the Mom seemed to take it in stride.
29Mar2025
A rain garden at Hope Episcopal Church on Shearers Creek
A rain garden at Hope Episcopal Church on Shearers Creek
CCWA helped celebrate the dedication of a rain garden / stormwater basin at Hope Episcopal Church on 26Mar2025.
Key partners included Interfaith Partners for the Chesapeake, Center for Watershed Protection, Lancaster Clean Water Partners, Penn Township, and the Lancaster County Conservation District, as well as the Church. The project was funded by a grant from NFWF.
CCWA volunteered to help rustle up some help for a future work day to help maintain the rain garden.
As part of the CCWA display at the event, we ran a few demo tests on a water sample from the adjacent Shearers Creek, and results are incorporated into the running summary here.
Lovely church, lovely people. And a fine rain garden - can't wait to see it later in the season.
26Mar2025
"De-vining" some trees in the riparian buffer at Mummau Park
"De-vining" some trees in the riparian buffer at Mummau Park
Four of us took our rakes, clippers and pruners to the riparian buffer at Mummau Park on Feb 23 to remove accessible enshrouding vines from many of the smaller trees along the park side of the stream. We left the opposite side of the stream as an untreated control for this maintenance experiment. We'll follow this through the growing season to learn if this kind of vine control is effective at allowing the smaller trees to thrive.
The pictures below illustrate how the vines accumulated over multiple seasons can stunt the growth of the trees, and provide a scaffold for new vine growth in the next season. We also noticed that thick vine growth seems to reduce the cover of soil-holding grasses.
23Feb2025
MS4
At the CCWA informational meeting on Wednesday evening (Feb 5), Dwayne Steager reviewed MS4 background, and from his jurisdictional perspective at West Hempfield Township, he shared examples of efforts and associated projects addressing the mandated 6 categories of Minimum Control Measures in the Pennsylvania PAG-13 NPDES General Permit.
A Municipal Separate Storm Sewer System (MS4) is a network of conveyances, like storm drains, pipes, and ditches, designed to collect and transport stormwater runoff. Unlike sanitary sewers that carry wastewater to treatment plants, MS4s discharge this untreated runoff directly into local streams and rivers or to the ground through infiltration. The runoff often picks up pollutants like sediment, chemicals, and debris, making it a significant source of water pollution.
To address this, Pennsylvania, in accordance with federal regulations, requires municipalities and other entities in urbanized areas to obtain permits for their MS4s and implement stormwater management programs. These programs aim to reduce pollution through various control measures, including public education, illicit discharge detection, and construction site runoff control.
CCWA will follow up to access or build a list of key projects in the several MS4 permit areas within the Chiques Creek Watershed. Importantly, these projects help build resilience to heavier precipitation events.
06 Feb 2025
"Walk in the Park" at Mummau and Logan Parks in Manheim
We had a great 'Walk in the Park' with several hardy souls braving the chill on a sunny afternoon (most in the picture below, also a couple off camera). We reviewed past renovations at Mummau and Logan Parks, along Rife Run. Especially grateful to Dr. David Bowne (Etown College) and Reid Garner (our VP and also with Spring Hill Partners) for sharing a lot of technical insights as we toured. We were also very grateful that one of the original founders of CCWA joined the walk, and a new person from LandStudies! Thanks so much for contributing to an informative and pleasant afternoon!
And a thanks to the Manheim Central Merchandiser for providing some pre-coverage of this event, plus the upcoming MS4 talk, and CCWA in general.
01 Feb 2025
Renovation is underway at Little Chiques Park in Mount Joy!
We'll tour this site in April (A Walk in the Park)
Tree and brush removal along the berm in the horseshoe shaped center of the park
Beginning the dig to reinforce the eroding left bank (facing downstream)
And bringing in the reinforcing rock
28 Jan 2025
A little maintenance in the riparian buffer on Rife Run at Mummau Park in Manheim.
This was the site of CCWA's first restoration project after its founding, with reshaping of terrain and installation of some bank-protecting features in 2003. Tree plantings were then done over many years. We noticed that there were quite a few old tubes that could be removed, and winter affords a better time to get in there to take them out.
Now ready for A Walk in the Park tour on Jan 25! See our Upcoming page for details.
15 Dec 2024
Some trees outgrew their tubes!
Some trees outgrew their tubes!
A lot of others had been knocked down or maybe floated in on a flood. We collected quite a pile of them.
A lot of others had been knocked down or maybe floated in on a flood. We collected quite a pile of them.
Quite a few trees are enshrouded with weedy vines. We may do another outing sometime to free at least some of these smaller trees.
Quite a few trees are enshrouded with weedy vines. We may do another outing sometime to free at least some of these smaller trees.
The diligent WQVC stream testing crew has issued its 2024 annual summary of the testing and assessments at its sites in the Chiques Creek watershed. This is a fairly light read with lots of graphs and a few tables. As always, thanks to the property owners for allowing us to access the creeks at these sites, and to the Lancaster County Conservation District for running the Water Quality Volunteer Coalition testing program and hosting the data collected from other diligent testing crews throughout Lancaster County!
And yes, it was a little chilly at the December 2nd timepoint, with ice along the creek banks where we spied that heron in November!
Habitat assessment
Habitat assessment
Looks OK!
From assessment on Chiques Creek in Manheim Memorial Park
12 Nov 2024.
We've wrapped up a water quality testing project on the Dellinger Run at SEAREC. The testing supports a separate project by Stephen Scanlon, Master Watershed Steward, who helps maintain a riparian tree planting there. Testing results are presented in the context of our results at other sites in the Chiques Creek Watershed, for which an annual report is coming in December.
In addition, we noticed that Dellinger Run is on a list of "impaired stream delisting catchments" in this map from Lancaster Clean Water Partners (map excerpt shown in this post). There are criteria such catchments must meet to be taken off lists of impaired streams. We'll share as we learn more about the progress toward the delisting goal!
06Nov2024
Post-post post: See explanation of the delisting strategy here at LCWP
09 Nov 2024
Thank you to CCWA member Erica and her sister Andrea for donating several little pawpaws! They started them from seed at their home nursery. Their new home is a riparian buffer area in Mount Joy.
We dedicate these new trees to Erica, Andrea, and our generous anonymous donor.
31Oct2024
The success rate of planted trees is much higher when there is follow-up maintenance. They need to be watered during droughts, guarded against hungry groundhogs, and the protective tubes sometimes need to be replaced. Several of us have "adopted" the new pawpaws to help care for them as they grow.
Pawpaws are native to North America. They bear fruit when they are about five years old. Pollinators enjoy their flowers in the spring, and in autumn the fruit makes tasty snacks for local critters. These understory trees add diversity, resilience, and beauty to our community.
CCWA is now a member of the Lancaster Clean Water Partners. We encourage CCWA members to check out the many ways to participate in and contribute to LCWP.
31Oct2024
The Chiques Creek Watershed Alliance was incorporated in 2000. Since then we’ve gone through a lot of changes, and 2024 is no exception. Thanks to the dedication and hard work by our previous leaders, we have been set up for success to meet our current goals.
This past October, we elected eight Directors to our new Board, and they selected three Officers to run day-to-day operations. Our goals are to inspire curiosity and increase engagement by communities in the Chiques Watershed. Our immediate focus is on:
Building new organization infrastructure - like website, social media, to help reach more people; and governance policies and accountability practices to earn respect and trust in our communities;
Outreach and education projects - by expanding on prior successes like Watershed Expo, Creek Stomps and table displays at other events, and adding new activities like A Walk in the Park;
Field work - targeting ways to get to know landowners and neighbors through stream cleanups, and riparian buffer assessments and new tree maintenance; also stream water quality testing;
Grant-craft - building the leadership, skills and network needed to engage and collaborate effectively in the funding of worthy restoration projects in the watershed.
CCWA both serves and relies on the communities within the watershed. To be more accessible and transparent, we are starting fresh with a new Facebook account, a coming soon .org website, and contact information. We have exciting plans in the works, and welcome volunteers of all kinds!
29Oct2024
💰CCWA has received a generous donation from a non-member, who wishes to remain anonymous, in recognition of the efforts to reset the organization's mission and governance. 🙏🏽
28Oct2024
The CCWA has a New Facebook Page!
The CCWA has a New Facebook Page!
We are excited to launch our new Facebook page! Going forward, this will be the only official Facebook page for the Alliance. We'll use Facebook to reach a wider audience, and to complement and amplify the content we provide from our website. Follow us at The New Chiques Creek Watershed Alliance.
10/23/2024
A Walk in the Park at Governor Dick Environmental Center
On Saturday, October 19th, a Park Ranger from Governor Dick Environmental Center took our group on a hike to one of the headwaters for the Chiques Creek watershed. We were also fortunate to have USGS Hydrologist Hilary Dozier with us to provide education about watershed science.
We took a moment to relax, snap some pictures, and enjoy the scenery. This was also an opportunity to collect stream health measurements from a unique site. We had a demonstration on a few of the tools that are used to take water quality measurements, such as a dissolved oxygen (D.O.) meter.
Along the way, Hilary talked with us us about how watershed testing sites are chosen, what stream health trends are happening in the surrounding watersheds, and the efforts to test for PFAS in the watershed.
Our first glance of the mighty headwaters was a small groundwater-fed mud pit. After weeks with no rain, such small water sources can have little water flow. With some disappointment and a few chuckles, our we continued through the woods and up the trail. We soon arrived at another headwater source, this time a small sparkling stream weaving underneath and between massive diabase boulders.
A few other highlights of the hike was when we heard a pileated woodpecker call, identified plants and mushrooms, learned about the history of the area and Governor Dick himself from our trusty park guide, and saw a slug and red-backed salamander hangin' out.
It was a joy to have USGS Hydrologist Hilary Dozier provide some of her knowledge and perspective of local watershed health on this Walk in the Park.
The CCWA is grateful to the Governor Dick Environmental Center for guiding our hike.
10/23/2024
Hellgrammites are impressive
Hellgrammites are impressive
A Dobsonfly larva, found during routine stream testing under a rock on the Chiques Creek at Manheim Memorial Park, Oct 4, 2024. Since they take in oxygen through gills (and other structures) they are fairly intolerant of pollution. So we're happy to find them in our creeks!
Finding this one was serendipitous. Forgot to bring a stake, so used a large rock to hold down a measuring string, and there it was hiding out underneath it.
10/6/2024
💰CCWA has 21 dues-paid members as of 02Oct2024! 🙏🏽
You know it is better where it is wetter back in da stream
You know it is better where it is wetter back in da stream
A pair that did not escape the macroinvertebrate sampling net on the Little Chiques Creek Sep 20, 2024, along with a lot of caddisfly larvae and some riffle beetles. Crayfish are regarded as somewhat sensitive to pollutants (including silt) in waterways, so it is nice to see them thriving. Anecdotally, we tend to see more crayfish during our "macro surveys" at the 2 sites on the Little Chiques Creek than at the 2 sites we test on the Chiques Creek. We also see more heron activity (known crayfish-munchers) at our testing sites on the Little Chiques than at our sites on the Chiques Creek.
Fun fact - the name Chiques Creek is said to be derived from a Native American term for a "place of crayfish" (Chiquesalunga, or Chickiesalunga; these are not originally English words so the spelling varies). Can you imagine the abundance of crayfish they must have seen in those days to name a place for them!?!
9/22/2024
A little testing tells us something
A little testing tells us something
about the rock beneath us!
about the rock beneath us!
Volunteers active in CCWA have tested alkalinity over the past 2 years, in a program run by the Lancaster County Conservation District (the "Water Quality Volunteer Coalition"). Alkalinity is a measure of the calcium carbonate equivalent concentration. Limestone is mostly calcium carbonate, and releases some of it as it dissolves.
In the CCW, testing has been done at 2 sites on the Little Chiques Creek (LCC) near Mount Joy; 2 sites on the Chiques Creek (CC); a 5th site on Dellinger Run (xDR) which drains into the Chiques; and a sixth site upstream of the mouth of the Chiques Creek near Marietta (CC_3_Rt23).
Our results at Manheim (CC_1_MP) have consistently been lower than our results at sites downstream and on the Little Chiques Creek. Not a lot different, but consistently different!
But why?
The water arriving in Manheim seems to have been exposed to less limestone, but the water downstream and on the Little Chiques near Mount Joy has been exposed to more limestone, including from groundwater sources like seeps and springs. See a couple maps below. The greatest limestone exposure on the Chiques Creek generally starts south of Manheim, while on the Little Chiques Creek, there is already limestone exposure for the water reaching our test sites near Mount Joy.
Et voilà! Vive la différence
https://elibrary.dcnr.pa.gov/GetDocument?docId=1752669&DocName=RxTypeMap_LancasterCo.pdf
https://pubs.usgs.gov/wri/1996/4073/report.pdf
9/21/2024
More good reasons to keep the creeks clean
More good reasons to keep the creeks clean
From a cleanup on the Little Chiques Creek, June 15, 2024
From macro survey on the Little Chiques Creek, Sep 20, 2024
2nd skin?
2nd skin?
Feels good to molt! May 24, 2024
Wonders of the shallow
Wonders of the shallow
Mayfly - deploy gills!
Critters with gills tend to be more sensitive to pollutants like silt. These organs need to capture oxygen from the water, and silt interferes with that.
From a macroinvertebrate survey on the Little Chiques Creek, Mount Joy, Oct 2022.
💰CCWA thanks Rapho Township and Manheim Area Water and Sewer Authority (MAWSA) for their generous support in 2024! 🙏🏽
It has to go somewhere
It has to go somewhere
Concentrated feeding operations generate a concentrated by-product.
Operators have to follow best practices in these applications to minimize rapid runoff to waterways, and to assure that most of the nutrients can be used by rapid vegetative growth in the top several inches of soil to mitigate leaching into groundwater.
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