Believing that Bushkill Creek is a vital part of life in the Lehigh
Valley, individuals and organizations, both public and private, have
formed the Bushkill Stream Conservancy, a partnership dedicated to
the conservation and enhancement of the Bushkill and its environs.
To achieve its goals, the Conservancy supports programs of education,
recreation, environmental research, and conservation.
In the past five years the Bushkill Stream Conservancy has secured
funding totaling nearly $250,000 to carry out a wide variety of programs
and projects directly related to the health of the Bushkill creek
watershed and the educational goals of the Conservancy. These activities
have included, among others:
- Installation of automated real-time monitors recording stream flow,
conductivity, and other data at six locations on the stream and its
tributaries
- Purchase of advanced analytical equipment for use in a water quality
monitoring program carried out by Easton Area High School students
- Creation and publication of a guide to notable historical sites
in the watershed
- Creation and initial distribution of a series of informational leaflets
on such subjects as Surface and Groundwater Resources within the Bushkill
creek Watershed, Riparian Corridors and Riparian Corridor Restoration,
Water Quality and Watershed Management, and Watershed Protection at
theMunicipal Level
- Creation of a geographical information system (GIS) database installed
on the Conservancy's computer located at the Jacobsburg Environmental
Education Center
- Assistance in the establishment of an Environmental Advisory Committee
in Bushkill Township and participation in the township's ordinance
revision process to incorporate provisions for watershed protection
- Advisory review of ordinances in seven other townships to strengthen
watershed protection
- Communications with local, county, state and federal agencies on
a wide variety of issues, including stormwater management, sinkhole
problems, development, open space, and other matters
- Extensive participation in the preparation of a greenways plan
commissioned by the Two Rivers Council of Governments
- Funding of stream improvement projects, including erosion control
and safety measures at the Bushkill Park duck-feeding area in Palmer
Township, in cooperation with Forks of the Delaware Chapter of Trout
Unlimited
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