Latest news with #SusquehannaRiverBasinCommission
Yahoo
4 days ago
- General
- Yahoo
Why aren't there any ships on the Susquehanna River?
DAUPHIN COUNTY, Pa. (WHTM) — Each year, thousands of ships sail through 25,000 miles of navigable waterways in the United States. None of that traffic comes from the Susquehanna River. While it is the largest river lying entirely in the country that drains into the Atlantic Ocean, and the largest tributary of the Chesapeake Bay, its waters are useless for navigation, according to the Susquehanna River Basin Commission. Close Thanks for signing up! Watch for us in your inbox. Subscribe Now The river — the name of which likely comes from the Algonquin language — was first charted in 1608 by Captain John Smith. The Pennsylvania Department of Conservation and Natural Resources said early explorers found the river 'was too rocky and shallow to provide water access to central Pennsylvania, as they had hoped.' The region could not set up the scale of industry often found along rivers, such as the Ohio River's that accounts for 35% of the nation's waterborne commerce, according to the U.S. Corps of Engineers. Central Pennsylvania did attempt to get in on the booming shipping industry. Crews broke ground on the Pennsylvania Canal on July 4, 1826. The National Park Service recorded the route's length as 394 miles long. Pennsylvania State Police rescue injured otter in Franklin County However, due to poor design and costly maintenance, Pennsylvania sold off its stake in the canal system by the 1850s. Today, remnants of the Pennsylvania Canal can be found throughout Dauphin County in places such as Wildwood park Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
12-05-2025
- General
- Yahoo
Southern Tier Land Conservancy acquires 117 acres of land in the Town of Lisle
TOWN OF LISLE, N.Y. (WIVT/WBGH) – An organization formed during the pandemic to preserve local natural areas has made its most significant acquisition to date. The Southern Tier Land Conservancy is celebrating the purchase of 117 acres in the Town of Lisle that includes a man-made flood control pond. The Upper Susquehanna Coalition recommended the acquisition and secured $334,000 from the Susquehanna River Basin Commission to buy the land and do some restoration of the wetlands and plant some forest buffers. The 22-acre pond has been plagued by beavers, which have impacted the system's functionality. The beavers will be relocated, two additional acres of wetland and 17 new acres of woodland will be added. Jeremy Waddell is a wetlands biologist with the Upper Susquehanna Coalition, which is made up of soil and water conservation districts in 22 counties in New York and Pennsylvania. 'The 22-acre wetland that's down there, that's the constructed wetland that has the ability to store over 25 million gallons of water when maintained properly. So, through this acquisition and with our partnering with Southern Tier Land Conservancy, we're going to be ensuring that the flood resiliency infrastructure that is currently existing on this property is going to be well-maintained, is going to have that functionality going forward for many years to come,' said Waddell. The Southern Tier Land Conservancy will be responsible for managing and maintaining the property. It plans to add a small parking lot and some trails to provide hiking and fishing opportunities along the East Branch of Nanticoke Creek. Jason Shaw is President of the Land Conservancy. 'It would be lovely to be able to put in a trail, a small parking lot with maybe four or five parking spots, and a trail down to the pond, which is at the bottom of the valley here. It's so beautiful when you walk into it that people will love walking down there, maybe walking around the pond and then coming back up,' said Shaw. Shaw says this project is the ideal size and scale for the fairly new land conservancy. In addition to flood mitigation, it will also impede the flow of agricultural run-off into the Susquehanna River. It's the organization's second acquisition following a much smaller parcel in Owego. For more information or to make a donation, go to Southern Tier Land Conservancy acquires 117 acres of land in the Town of Lisle Deposit boy gets bedroom makeover thanks to A Room to Heal Free healthcare program available for Broome County residents Town of Union man arrested after drug and weapons bust Binghamton woman arrested after multi-state reckless driving incident Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
22-04-2025
- General
- Yahoo
York County water testing reports significantly lower pollutant levels than DEP report
YORK COUNTY, Pa. (WHTM)– In honor of Earth Day, York County announced that its water pollutant levels are significantly lower than what was reported by the state. According to York County, data from the county's 10-year Water Quality Monitoring Initiative show that pollutant levels are significantly lower than those reported by the Department of Environmental Protection. Close Thanks for signing up! Watch for us in your inbox. Subscribe Now The DEP initially reported that York County was the second-highest contributor to key pollutants, including nitrogen, phosphorus, and sediment, entering the Susquehanna River and the Chesapeake Bay, but York County says its data tells a different story. 'We are the first county in Pennsylvania and the entire nation to undertake this kind of innovative water quality monitoring program,' said York County President Commissioner Julie Wheeler. 'Here in York County, we pride ourselves on the responsible stewardship of our precious land and waterways.' York County says its program started in 2020, one year after the DEP's report. They say the DEP generated its water quality data through a computer modeling program, which led the county to develop a real-time water quality monitoring program. Help from the U.S. Geological Survey has enabled York County to collect data year-round from six water quality monitoring stations, providing a more accurate understanding of water quality. Data was captured from stations in Fishing Creek at Goldsboro and Craley, Codorus Creek, Kreutz Creek, and Muddy Creek. The differences in data between the DEP and the county have been vast, according to York County. The DEP's computer-generated data showed that York County waterways had 957 million pounds of sediment, but York County's real-time data shows a four-year average of 105.7 million pounds. DEP data showed that York County waterways had 12 million pounds of nitrogen, but the County showed a four-year average of 7.2 million. The county said phosphorus levels were also 17% below what the DEP's 2019 data showed. 'As we work to implement strategies to further protect our waterways, we all benefit when our efforts are directed by sound, robust data,' said Andrew D. Dehoff, executive director of the Susquehanna River Basin Commission. 'We applaud York County and the USGS for developing this innovative, data-first program, which can help inform our pollutant-reduction efforts moving forward. Our hope is that this will be a model for other counties to ensure their efforts are based on the best data available.' York County says it has engaged community members, such as farmers and the York County Conservation District, to help develop further solutions to reduce pollutant levels. 'York County's agricultural community understands that we share a common goal to reduce pollutants in our waterways,' said Barron Shaw, president of the York County Farm Bureau. 'We have made great strides to help keep our waterways clean, and now with this real-time data at our disposal we can continue that progress by using reliable information to better measure our success.' Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
