Montour Run Watershed Association plans to curb stream bank erosion
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The Montour Run Watershed Association plans to tackle stream bank erosion this year in the lower section of the 36-square-mile watershed that spans Moon, Coraopolis, North Fayette, Robinson and Findlay.
Association president Mark Fedosick said the group, in conjunction with private property owners, applied for a $155,000 state Growing Greener grant. If awarded, the grant money will be used to implement natural methods to help control erosion along Montour Run's stream banks.
Montour Run also flows near the Montour Trail, and the association is concerned about possible threats posed by erosion to the popular walking and biking trail.
"The goal of the project is to stabilize the banks and restore a state of equilibrium to the stream," Mr. Fedosick said. "Private property owners are losing usable land by the stream washing away the banks."
One of the natural methods planned is placing rocks at key points in the stream to deflect water away from erosion-prone banks. Another method is to embed tree root bundles in the banks to keep soil from washing into the stream. Live cuttings from willow and dogwood trees when they take root also will help prevent erosion.
A second focus of the association this year will be to work on cleaning up pollution flowing into Milk Run.
"It's called Milk Run because the water is white from aluminum discharges coming from an abandoned coal mine," Mr. Fedosick said. "Cleaning up this one discharge will make a big difference in the rest of the watershed."
Milk Run is the fifth mine drainage treatment project sponsored by the watershed association. The others are Boggs Road, Clinton Road, North Fork Montour Run and McCaslin Road.
"Those projects have cleaned up 10 miles of stream, and the water in the lower section is now clean enough to support trout that are stocked by the Fish and Boat Commission and local sportsman associations. I see a lot of people fishing in the stream now," Mr. Fedosick said.
He added the watershed association is always looking for volunteers to help with its work.
"You don't need a scientific background to help," he said.
For more information about the Montour Run Watershed Association: www.mrwa.info .
First Published January 26, 2012 12:00 am
