Conservation work throughout the Brokenstraw Creek Watershed is continuing in its third phase.

Planning work in the area stretches back more than a decade. In 2011, the Western Pennsylvania Conservancy finalized a conservation plan for the watershed following three years of research. The plan led to partnerships with area landowners. In collaboration with the Warren County Conservation District and Pennsylvania Fish and Boat Commission, the group began designing, fundraising and implementing bank stabilization and fish habitat improvement projects.

“(The) Warren County Conservation District has been integral in permitting and community relations. (The) PFBC helped design several of the sites and approve WPC designs at others; Northwest PA, Cornplanter, and Caldwell Creek Chapters of Trout Unlimited as well as the Brokenstraw Watershed Association and Penn State Master Watershed Stewards have all contributed volunteers, and/or are excited to volunteer in the spring for live staking and riparian planting,” WPC Watershed Projects Manager Luke Bobner said.

The projects secured significant grant funding in 2021, allowing work to move forward in recent months.

“This project was funded in part by a Growing Greener Grant provided by the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection, as well as through a Rivers Grant from the Keystone Recreation, Park and Conservation Fund administered by the Pennsylvania Department of Conservation and Natural Resources, Bureau of Recreation and Conservation,” according to Bobner. “Additional support is offered through the donation of services, materials, and/or volunteer labor to assist with completing the projects.”

As work has moved forward, the number of landowners coming forward to partner with WPC and be added to the project list has grown.

” The current project is implementing Phase 3, with plans to continue fundraising for landowners on our project list, as well as adding new landowners to the project queue as they express interest,” Bobnar said. “This project, built on a strong foundation of landowner and community engagement, will reduce the threat of sediment on water quality and aquatic ecosystem health, by stabilizing eroding stream banks with immediate stabilization from log and stone constructed devices. Additional supplements of soil bioengineering and riparian buffer restoration will provide long-term, self-sustaining vegetative structural support to the stream banks. Stabilizing severely eroding stream banks, naturalizing them with soil bioengineering plantings and restoring riparian buffers along approximately 1,400 feet of stream bank will serve to prevent the loss of 76 tons of sediment each year and preserve the ecological health of this watershed.”

According to Bobnar, work at most sites takes about a week.

He also noted they’re always looking for volunteers.

“We are happy to have folks come out and volunteer with us if anyone is interested,” he said. “Construction is wrapping up in the last week of August, but the live staking in the spring is a great opportunity to get out and get some good conservation work done!”