Earth Conservancy leads charge to restore Nanticoke Creek
Feb. 9—The flow of Nanticoke Creek was heavily impacted by the Wyoming Valley's coal mining industry from the 1900s until the mid-20th century — so much so that it's now a shell of its former self. The team at Earth Conversancy is taking on the mammoth responsibility of bringing it back to life.
According to Terry Ostrowski, president of CEO at Earth Conservancy, and Elizabeth Hughes, director of communications, the Nanticoke Creek Watershed Restoration Project is the biggest undertaking in the organization's history.
They say deep and surface mining, not to mention shoddy environmental regulations, caused Nanticoke Creek to fade.
"One of the main problems that happened during that time was that when the coal companies came through and they did their stripping, they really didn't care too much about what was going on with the stream...," Ostrowski said.
Years of redirecting streams to suit the needs of the coal companies took their toll on the flow of Nanticoke Creek, which should naturally flow through the municipalities of Nanticoke City, Warrior Run Borough and Hanover Township.
In many parts of the old creek, water was funneled through concrete or wooden flumes, such as those still visible on Holly Street in Hanover Township. This caused additional changes to the creek's natural stream, which eventually flows into the Susquehanna River.
At one point, the creek ran below a railroad embankment. That location, now with no clear evidence of a stream in its vicinity, is the crux of Nanticoke Creek's current issues.
"Probably for about the past 50 or 60 years, waters were cut off at that point, so all the waters from the headwaters of the Nanticoke Creek watershed, which was about a square mile of land, basically stopped at this old railroad embankment," Ostrowski explained. "And it holed up there until it eventually seeped down int0 the mines."
In time, the mine waters rise again, though they bring orange ferrous iron along for the ascent. This hue indicates, among other things, a dead area of stream that is unsafe for aquatic life to live and grow. In Earth Conservancy's new plans, the restored stream will be lined with clay to prevent similarly destructive minerals from rising.
Earth Conservancy's plan to restore these damaged or forgotten areas of Nanticoke Creek is multi-pronged. In total, they plan to restore 15,000 linear feet of Nanticoke and Leuder creeks, the latter of which feeds into the former in Hanover Township.
The first part of the plan pertains to reworking critical stretches of Nanticoke Creek's main stem, with projects including:
—A new alignment will be established for Nanticoke Creek at Clarks Cross Road. This will be a reroute of the Nanticoke Creek's original flow, which traces through current-day residential properties. Those homes, according to Ostrowski, will not be at an added risk of flooding due to the creek's new path.
—A new water conveyance structure will be established on South Main Street.
The second part of the plan includes projects related to Leuder Creek, including:
—A new culvert at Hanover Street.
—The removal of Leuder Creek dam.
—The replacement of a reservoir (or silt pond) with a natural channel and shallow overflow ponds. Reparations in this area of Hanover Street will allow for Leuter Creek's connection to Nanticoke Creek to be restored.
—The replacement of a buried culvert and deteriorated bridge with a new culvert.
Nanticoke Creek's upper reach will be the focus of the plan's third component, including the following projects:
—Restoring a deteriorated masonry arch with slip lining.
—Eliminating an existing obstruction and replacement with an open channel.
—Removing a bridge and stone arch from the stream's path.
—Reestablishing a channel based on historic alignment to reconnect the upper and lower watersheds.
—Reopening a buried railroad tunnel and lining it with a smaller culvert.
These plans are being funded predominately by two grants, one each from the Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) and the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). The DEP grant, totaling around $17.5 million, is possibly the largest ever received by Earth Conservancy. These funds are, to say the least, essential to making the Nanticoke Creek Watershed Restoration Project a reality.
"It's a huge project. It's not an inexpensive project to do," Ostrowski said.
The DEP, EPA and Bureau of Abandoned Mine Reclamation partnered with Earth Conservancy to work out a design plan and manage the needed permits. Local engineer George Albert and Plains Township-based developer Stell Enterprises are also involved with the planning and execution of the Nanticoke Creek Watershed Restoration Project. The individual projects detailed above will be carried out on land already owned by Earth Conservancy.
"All of the work that's being done here is actually on Earth Conservancy property, which makes it a lot easier to do this, rather than trying to obtain rights to the properties," said Ostrowski. "That's what made this project possible."
The Nanticoke Creek Watershed Restoration Project also has broader environmental, recreational and commercial implications. As the stream becomes healthier with time, the hope is that aquatic life will return to the restored areas. Earth Conservancy is seeing these results in the similar — yet comparatively small — project to restore Espy Run, which was completed in December 2022.
In order to carry out the full set of plans, Earth Conservancy has had to cut down many trees in Nanticoke Creek's path. Doing so has caused some concern in the impacted communities, but Ostrowski has assured residents that a plan is in place to bring greenery back to the creek's banks.
"We've actually received a lot of calls over concerns about the trees that are being cleared, but the reassurance there is that we are going to be reestablishing tree cover...," he said, adding that 5,000 new trees will be planted to replace those that are lost.
With established funding and a consistent team of collaborators, Ostrowki estimated that the Nanticoke Creek Watershed Restoration Project will be completed in two to three years, a fraction of the time it took to complete the Espy Run project.
Information regarding the Nanticoke Creek Watershed Restoration Project can be found on Earth Conservancy's website.
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Bolesław Ostrowski, Polish paratrooper who took part in Operation Market Garden after Siberian prison
Bolesław Ostrowski,, who has died aged 105, was freed from a Soviet slave labour camp in Western Siberia; then, having trained with Polish forces as a paratrooper, he took part in Operation Market Garden, the hugely ambitious but ill-fated airborne assault which aimed to shorten the war by capturing bridges over the Lower Rhine and establishing an Allied invasion route into Northern Germany. In September 1944, Lance Corporal Ostrowski was serving with a signals company of the 1st Independent Polish Parachute Brigade commanded by Major General Stanisław Sosabowski. It was in support of the 1st British Airborne Division commanded by Major General 'Roy' Urquhart. On September 21, Ostrowski's company boarded Dakotas and took off from Saltby Airfield, Lincolnshire, in a thick fog. His aircraft came under fire as it crossed the Dutch border. There was no wind and he made a good jump, landing in a vegetable field. He and three others in his team, armed with Sten guns, hauled the trolley carrying the heavy radio set across muddy fields as mortar shells fell and burst around them. The ferry the Brigade planned to use to get across the river was in German hands, and the company had to set up a defensive 'hedgehog' position around the village of Driel, five miles from Arnhem, and dig in. Ostrowski was sitting on the edge of his trench when a shell landed right in front of him. An orange flash was followed by a deafening explosion. He had dived into his trench, and emerged, covered in earth, badly shaken but unhurt. They were short of food and ammunition and came under relentless shelling throughout the day. At night the river was raked by enemy machine-gun tracer fire and, after several failed attempts, some elements of the Brigade managed to cross to Oosterbeek. When the order to withdraw came, Ostrowski, on his Polish radio at Driel, co-ordinated the evacuation with Urquhart at divisional HQ at the Hartenstein Hotel in Oosterbeek. On September 26, members of the Brigade who were on the Allied side of the Rhine marched to Nijmegen and took over a defensive sector. They subsequently withdrew to Belgium and returned to England. More than a third of Ostrowski's signals company were dead, missing, in hospital or prisoners in German hands. The Ostrowskis were members of the Polish nobility who had lived for centuries near the village of Klevan on the Horyn River in Volhynia on Poland's eastern borders (now in north-west Ukraine). Prince Radziwill's estates were spread around Klevan, and Bolesław Ostrowski's grandfather was a forester on one of them. The end of the First World War in 1918 brought lawlessness to much of the newly reborn Polish Republic. Bands of thieves and deserters ravaged the villages, robbing and murdering the local people. One night, bandits burst into the house. They shot Ostrowski's grandfather and uncle and started looting and smashing what they could not steal. His mother and grandmother managed to escape through a window and hide in the forest. His father had been forcibly conscripted into the Tsarist Russian Army and sent into battle against the Austrians. He returned to the family farm after captivity as a prisoner of war in Austria. Bolesław was born on July 4 1919, his brother two years afterwards. Their mother would leave them for hours hidden in the loft of the coach house to keep them safe from marauders. There was a large Ukrainian minority in the region. Aged seven, Ostrowski went to a Ukrainian school and all the lessons were conducted in that language. He subsequently moved to a commercial school before starting work in a large store in Dubno, Poland, (annexed by the Soviet Union in 1945 and now part of Ukraine). 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A watery slop made of horse meat or fish heads and a brick-hard lump of bread had to last the men all day. A steam bath once a week failed to get rid of the lice infesting their bodies and clothes. Any falling-off in the work rate was punished by a cut in rations, and many workers died from exhaustion and malnutrition. Ostrowski's life was saved because of his knowledge of Russian, and he managed to find work as a clerk in the battalion office. In February 1942 he learnt that representatives from General Sikorski's Polish Army in England were believed to be visiting the camp to register recruits for a Polish Army in the USSR. 'I tore myself away from work and streaked across the camp to obtain confirmation that the rumour was true,' he wrote later. The camp authorities were reluctant to lose their slave labour and the NKVD, the secret police, put every obstacle in the way of those registering for service with the Polish Army. 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In January 1943, after rigorous training in Fife and at RAF Ringway in Cheshire, he graduated as a paratrooper and was posted to a signals company. He was puzzled by the shortage of experienced officers to take command of the units in the Brigade, but in April he heard the shocking news on German radio that the bodies of several thousand Polish officers had been found in a mass grave near the village of Katyn in Russia. Their hands were tied and they had been killed by a single bullet to the back of the head. After returning to England following Operation Market Garden, in May 1945 he went into hospital for operations on his leg. When he was fit for duty once more, he rejoined the 1st Independent Parachute Brigade, which was in Germany as part of the Army of Occupation. In April 1947 he returned to England and was demobilised after six years of Army service. Poland was being ruled from Moscow and he decided to rebuild his life in the West. He worked for a textile company in Rochdale before moving to Coventry, where he began a three-year engineering course at the technical college there while working night shifts for an engineering company. He was subsequently employed as a draughtsman by Massey-Ferguson, the manufacturers of agricultural machinery. He married a Polish girl, and in 1958 he and his family emigrated to Canada. They lived in Toronto and he kept his job with Massey-Ferguson. After retiring in 1984 he settled at Mississauga, near Toronto. He joined the Polish Airborne Forces Association, and between 1989 and 2014 he made 12 visits to Arnhem for reunions with old comrades and with the Dutch people who had helped them during the battle at great risk to themselves. In 2006, in The Hague, Queen Beatrix of the Netherlands pinned the medal and sash of the Order of William, the highest Dutch military decoration, on the colours of Poland's 6th General Sosabowski's Air Assault Brigade. In 2013 he published an autobiography, General Sosabowski's Tourist: A Polish Paratrooper's Memoir. Bolesław Ostrowski married Maria Wypijewski in 1951. She predeceased him, and he is survived by their daughter and two sons. Bolesław Ostrowski, born July 4 1919, died March 13 2025 Broaden your horizons with award-winning British journalism. Try The Telegraph free for 1 month with unlimited access to our award-winning website, exclusive app, money-saving offers and more.
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Nanticoke Creek watershed restoration underway
NANTICOKE, LUZERNE COUNTY — A multi-million dollar project is underway to restore a major waterway that runs through a large stretch of Luzerne County. The creek is currently plagued with blockages, and orange water from acid mine runoff in spots, making it unlivable for aquatic life, and an eyesore for nearby neighbors. The Nanticoke Creek Watershed Restoration project is being spearheaded by the Earth Conservancy, a nonprofit that focuses on the reclamation, restoration, and redevelopment of old mining lands. First responders discuss dangers of icy water It's being funded by nearly 20 million dollars worth of state and federal grants and when it is finished, the creek will be fully flowing once again. The sound of flowing water is missing along many parts of the Nanticoke Creek. The long waterway stretches through Nanticoke, Warrior Run, and Hanover Township. 'So this watershed was heavily impacted by the former mining companies in this area,' explained Terry Ostrowski, President/CEO, Earth Conservancy. Ostrowski says due to mining companies rerouting or restricting waterways, portions of the creek are blocked completely. This results in a cutoff of clean flowing water to the Susquehanna, and no aquatic life in the creek. Ostrowski says the blockages can also cause other problems. 'You know a lot of times when people see an empty ditch or something it attracts garbage. We've found cars in the stream, so it really just acts as a nuisance,' said Ostrowski. What's more: the blockages can also cause orange water from acid mine runoff. 'Where it's blocked off, all of that water makes its way into the underground mine pools. Well, that water eventually comes up as sort of that orange acid mine drainage that you'd see in some of the areas here,' explained Ostrowski. Part of the restoration includes adding a clay lining to prevent water from going underground. The first steps in the project are underway, with trees being cut down to clear the way. Ostrowski says toward the completion of the project, 5,000 trees will be planted to replace those lost. Rerouting will also take place, and Ostrowski says residents who live near the water will not be at an added risk of flooding. The end goal: 'A new healthy steam for the entire reach of Nanticoke Creek,' said Ostrowski. Earth Conservancy has had success with smaller, similar projects like the Eepsy Run stream restoration which was completed in 2022. The Nanticoke Watershed restoration project is aimed to be completed by the end of 2027. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
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Earth Conservancy leads charge to restore Nanticoke Creek
Feb. 9—The flow of Nanticoke Creek was heavily impacted by the Wyoming Valley's coal mining industry from the 1900s until the mid-20th century — so much so that it's now a shell of its former self. The team at Earth Conversancy is taking on the mammoth responsibility of bringing it back to life. According to Terry Ostrowski, president of CEO at Earth Conservancy, and Elizabeth Hughes, director of communications, the Nanticoke Creek Watershed Restoration Project is the biggest undertaking in the organization's history. They say deep and surface mining, not to mention shoddy environmental regulations, caused Nanticoke Creek to fade. "One of the main problems that happened during that time was that when the coal companies came through and they did their stripping, they really didn't care too much about what was going on with the stream...," Ostrowski said. Years of redirecting streams to suit the needs of the coal companies took their toll on the flow of Nanticoke Creek, which should naturally flow through the municipalities of Nanticoke City, Warrior Run Borough and Hanover Township. In many parts of the old creek, water was funneled through concrete or wooden flumes, such as those still visible on Holly Street in Hanover Township. This caused additional changes to the creek's natural stream, which eventually flows into the Susquehanna River. At one point, the creek ran below a railroad embankment. That location, now with no clear evidence of a stream in its vicinity, is the crux of Nanticoke Creek's current issues. "Probably for about the past 50 or 60 years, waters were cut off at that point, so all the waters from the headwaters of the Nanticoke Creek watershed, which was about a square mile of land, basically stopped at this old railroad embankment," Ostrowski explained. "And it holed up there until it eventually seeped down int0 the mines." In time, the mine waters rise again, though they bring orange ferrous iron along for the ascent. This hue indicates, among other things, a dead area of stream that is unsafe for aquatic life to live and grow. In Earth Conservancy's new plans, the restored stream will be lined with clay to prevent similarly destructive minerals from rising. Earth Conservancy's plan to restore these damaged or forgotten areas of Nanticoke Creek is multi-pronged. In total, they plan to restore 15,000 linear feet of Nanticoke and Leuder creeks, the latter of which feeds into the former in Hanover Township. The first part of the plan pertains to reworking critical stretches of Nanticoke Creek's main stem, with projects including: —A new alignment will be established for Nanticoke Creek at Clarks Cross Road. This will be a reroute of the Nanticoke Creek's original flow, which traces through current-day residential properties. Those homes, according to Ostrowski, will not be at an added risk of flooding due to the creek's new path. —A new water conveyance structure will be established on South Main Street. The second part of the plan includes projects related to Leuder Creek, including: —A new culvert at Hanover Street. —The removal of Leuder Creek dam. —The replacement of a reservoir (or silt pond) with a natural channel and shallow overflow ponds. Reparations in this area of Hanover Street will allow for Leuter Creek's connection to Nanticoke Creek to be restored. —The replacement of a buried culvert and deteriorated bridge with a new culvert. Nanticoke Creek's upper reach will be the focus of the plan's third component, including the following projects: —Restoring a deteriorated masonry arch with slip lining. —Eliminating an existing obstruction and replacement with an open channel. —Removing a bridge and stone arch from the stream's path. —Reestablishing a channel based on historic alignment to reconnect the upper and lower watersheds. —Reopening a buried railroad tunnel and lining it with a smaller culvert. These plans are being funded predominately by two grants, one each from the Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) and the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). The DEP grant, totaling around $17.5 million, is possibly the largest ever received by Earth Conservancy. These funds are, to say the least, essential to making the Nanticoke Creek Watershed Restoration Project a reality. "It's a huge project. It's not an inexpensive project to do," Ostrowski said. The DEP, EPA and Bureau of Abandoned Mine Reclamation partnered with Earth Conservancy to work out a design plan and manage the needed permits. Local engineer George Albert and Plains Township-based developer Stell Enterprises are also involved with the planning and execution of the Nanticoke Creek Watershed Restoration Project. The individual projects detailed above will be carried out on land already owned by Earth Conservancy. "All of the work that's being done here is actually on Earth Conservancy property, which makes it a lot easier to do this, rather than trying to obtain rights to the properties," said Ostrowski. "That's what made this project possible." The Nanticoke Creek Watershed Restoration Project also has broader environmental, recreational and commercial implications. As the stream becomes healthier with time, the hope is that aquatic life will return to the restored areas. Earth Conservancy is seeing these results in the similar — yet comparatively small — project to restore Espy Run, which was completed in December 2022. In order to carry out the full set of plans, Earth Conservancy has had to cut down many trees in Nanticoke Creek's path. Doing so has caused some concern in the impacted communities, but Ostrowski has assured residents that a plan is in place to bring greenery back to the creek's banks. "We've actually received a lot of calls over concerns about the trees that are being cleared, but the reassurance there is that we are going to be reestablishing tree cover...," he said, adding that 5,000 new trees will be planted to replace those that are lost. With established funding and a consistent team of collaborators, Ostrowki estimated that the Nanticoke Creek Watershed Restoration Project will be completed in two to three years, a fraction of the time it took to complete the Espy Run project. Information regarding the Nanticoke Creek Watershed Restoration Project can be found on Earth Conservancy's website.
