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The planning process
has involved public input, environmental investigation, data gathering,
and agency coordination. By outlining goals for watershed improvement, we
can focus on the projects that most effectively contribute to
their attainment.
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The
following are the five project goals that were established by the
project's
steering committee:
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Improve water quality and manage stormwater
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Protect
the natural resources, historic landscape and scenic beauty within the
watershed
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Enhance
the recreational opportunities of the watershed
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Promote
land development that is compatible with a sustainable environment
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Provide
an environmental education program for adults and enhance existing
school-based environmental education
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Encourage compatible and sustainable economic
development
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goals |
land use | water
resources | biological resources |
cultural resources | plan
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The
watershed is located in the Appalachian Plateau physiographic province.
Sandstone, shale, claystone, limestone, dolomite, and coal are the exposed
geologic formations. The plateau is noted for its narrow and dissected,
steep-sided valleys. Twenty coal seams are exposed in Allegheny County,
however, only the Pittsburgh coal seam is of significant economic
importance. Some of the limitations of the soils and the parent rock in
the Chartiers Creek watershed are that the soils are derived from very
landslide prone rock. When the soils and parent rock material are found on
steep slopes, landslides can be and often are a by-product of
developmental activities.
Another limitation is that some of the soils
located in valley bottoms have previously been altered by man and are
located adjacent to floodplains. This has increased the limitation of
these and associated soils by reducing their ability to allow water to
effectively drain an area with little or no flood related impacts. An
additional limitation to some soils is that in general, septic systems do
not work effectively here, which lead to some of the water quality
pollution issues in the watershed
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The project area shows very
visible land use activities and trends. These land use activities are
spurring urban sprawl in areas of the project area that have historically
not observed these types of pressures. The project area east of the I-79 transportation corridor is
dominated by residential and commercial/industrial land use. In the
western and more southern areas of the project area, agricultural/open
space and forested land uses are dominant. |
Urban
Sprawl
Transportation
Conservation |
Residential
land use varies within the project area. High residential land use is
found along the eastern portion communities and lower residential land use
is observed in the western portion of the project area.
Industrial/commercial land use and brownfield (real estate no longer being
used or abandoned industrial sites) properties are located primarily along
and/or near major transportation corridors such as U.S. Interstates 79 and
279 and State Routes 19, 22, 50, 60, and 980.
Agricultural land in the
project area is located in the western portion of Allegheny County (west
of I-79) and in Washington County.
Park properties in the project area are
as diverse as they are common. A total of sixty-four (64) parks, parklets,
playgrounds, and other recreational facilities exist throughout the
project area. |
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Landfills: No sanitary landfills exist within the
project area, however the William H. Harris, Inc. sanitary (Arden)
landfill is located in the Washington, PA portion of the Chartiers Creek
watershed. There is one demolition landfill that is located within the
project area, the Deep Valley Coal and Disposal landfill located in North
Fayette Township (PADEP, 2000).
Hazard Areas, Waste Sites: The National Priorities (Superfund)
List (NPL) is EPA's database of uncontrolled or abandoned
hazardous waste sites identified for priority remediation under the
Superfund program (Environmental Institute, 1991). There are no NPL
sites within the boundaries of the Chartiers Creek watershed.
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UMTRCA
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Uranium
Mill Tailings Radiation Control Act (UMTRCA) regulates one site in the
project area. The UMTRCA controls any activity that has to do with the
mining and milling of radioactive materials. The site operated and milled
radioactive materials during the post World War II/Cold War period. At the
time, materials were cleaned up and disposed of to the standards of the
day (PADEP, October 2000). |
Brownfields
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The
industrial/commercial sites in the project area can be locations for
historic or abandoned waste site locations. |
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The
following are the waste handling facilities located in the project area
that are listed in PADEP's document, Waste Management Program Permitted
Sites for the Southwestern Region (PADEP, 2000) |
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No
Sanitary Landfills |
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Two
Residual Waste Processing Facilities (Petromax Residual Waste Oil
Processing Facility in Collier Township and Tri-State Petroleum Recovery
Residual Waste Transfer Station - Kennedy Township) |
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One
Demolition Landfill (Deep Valley Coal and Disposal - North Fayette
Township) |
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No Fly Ash/Industrial
Waste Sites |
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No Municipal Waste
Processing Facilities |
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No Commercial
Hazardous Waste Facilities |
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One
Captive Hazardous Waste Facility (General Electric Company, Bridgeville
Glass - Collier Township) |
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No Processing
Facilities |
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One
Transfer Station [Infectious Waste] (Weavertown Transfer Facility -
Cecil Township) |
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goals |
land use | water
resources | biological resources |
cultural resources | plan
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There are 79 miles
of streams in the Lower Chartiers Watershed that are not in attainment with the state's
Clean Streams Act, representing 93% of the assessed streams in the project
area. The quality of the
water in streams is directly related to the quality of the land from which
it came. This is important because it directly impacts chemical, physical,
and biological processes that take place in streams.
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Water
quality of the Chartiers Creek watershed was good prior to man's intensive
land use activities of the 19th and 20th centuries. But
only three sub-basins in the project
area are now in attainment. These areas are shown in light blue on the water
quality map, above. The main pollution problems affecting water
quality in the watershed, as shown on the map, are summarized below. Follow the links for further discussion of these pollution
issues and the management options that can be taken. |
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Abandoned
Mine Drainage
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issue
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AMD is made up of
numerous water quality parameters and can differ from discharge to
discharge. AMD typically can be either acidic or alkaline and has metals
(Aluminum, Iron, and/or Manganese) associated with it. This is one of the
major water quality problems in the Chartiers Creek.
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Sewage
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issue
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Sewage
is composed of wastewater, feces and particulate matter. In a
conventional sewage treatment plant, sewage is transported to treatment
facilities via an underground network of sewage pipelines from
residences and businesses. Stormwater in most municipalities in the
project area has been combined with the sanitary sewers. This situation
causes the combined sewers to overflow during wet weather events.
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Urban
Impacted
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issue
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This
designation is given to streams that are impacted due to one or more water
quality parameters. These parameters alone or together impact the habitat,
stream structure, and the environment for benthic organisms and fish.
Streams that exhibit urban impacted (or habitat modification) problems are
affected by high stream flows, turbidity, erosion and sedimentation,
residual chemicals (e.g., road salts, oils, solvents, etc.) and thermal
pollution.
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goals |
land use | water
resources | biological resources |
cultural resources | plan
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Great
Blue Heron Rookeries
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issue
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Two Great Blue Heron (Ardea
herodias) rookeries exist in the riparian forest buffer and wetland
habitats in the project area.
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Riparian
Buffers, Wetlands & Forest
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issue
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Riparian forest
buffers and wetland habitats are very important in all watersheds. These habitats are transitional areas
(ecotones)
between the terrestrial and the aquatic portions (the receiving stream) of
a watershed. As such, they have direct interaction between terrestrial and
aquatic ecosystems.
Riparian zones act as transportation corridors,
integral and diverse habitats for wildlife and fishes (bio-diversity),
high production areas for timber and food, and are important recreational
areas. Wetlands trap sediments, nutrients and pesticides. They regulate
flood and storm events.
These areas are important
to watershed
and fisheries management. Streamside vegetation
controls erosion and sedimentation, which stabilizes streambanks and
determines channel morphology. They also create habitat and microhabitat for insects, wildlife, and
fishes by adding large, woody debris to streams.
Riparian zones and wetlands
moderate environmental
conditions for wildlife, fishes, and humans. These areas help regulate
stream temperatures. Sediments, nutrients
(phosphorus and nitrogen), and pesticides are deposited here. This is where energy
from floodwaters dissipate (American Fisheries Society, 1997; Orth and
White, 1999; and Wesche and Isaak, 1999).
Forest systems in the
lower Chartiers Watershed are very important habitats as well. Forest is still the dominant
landcover type in the project area. Forest habitat maintains a
healthy environment by adding barriers to pollutants that runoff the land
into adjacent streams. By improving and connecting these riparian and upland
forest systems, the aesthetics of the watershed
improve and so will the environmental health of the watershed's land,
stream, and biological resources.
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goals |
land use | water
resources | biological resources |
cultural resources | plan
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Rails-to-Trails
& Bikeways
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issue
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Abandoned
railroad beds provide a unique opportunity for communities and
environmental groups to develop recreational trails. There are existing
and proposed trails (Montour Trail, Chartiers Creek Trail, Panhandle
Trail, and McLaughlin Run Trail) located within the Lower Watershed and
there are several sections of trail currently under construction. When
completed, these trails will provide an exciting opportunity for a unique
recreation choice for residents of the watershed. (Allegheny
Land Trust, 1999).
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Ecotourism
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issue
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Ecotourism
is an activity that is not being promoted in the project area and is
therefore an opportunity. The active marketing of the project area's
ecological treasures and cultural highlights, and development of a
watershed activity that can link or connect the Allegheny and Washington
County portions of the watershed is needed.
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Community
Education/Public Relations Activities
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issue
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Promotion
of the watershed's organization and community events is vital, along with
implementing this plan's proposed activities. We can also use the media as
an important resource to educate the general public about our watershed.
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goals |
land use | water
resources | biological resources |
cultural resources | plan
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