C.1  River Reach and Tributary Stream Survey Reports Synopsis

The Lackawanna River Corridor Association conducted an extensive series of stream walk surveys along the entire length of the Lackawanna River (Hydrologic Unit Code:  02050107) from the confluence with the Susquehanna River at Coxton, mile 0.0 to the PA 171 Bridge at Simpson, mile 30.7.  The LRCA staff and volunteers also participated in stream walk surveys for the Upper Lackawanna watershed plan developed by the Trails Conservation Corporation (TCC).  Please see the TCC’s Upper Lackawanna River Conservation Plan for a discussion of those surveys.

In addition to river reach surveys, LRCA staff and volunteers also conducted tributary stream survey walks on forty tributary streams and drainages between Coxton and Simpson.  One-hundred-thirty-six miles of tributary streams were surveyed in addition to the 30.7 miles of river.  Physical attributes, adjacent land use, water quality, habitat quality and related parameters were assessed in the surveys.  Data was recorded for each quarter-mile.  Six-hundred-sixty-seven data reports were generated on the river and forty principal tributaries.

An ascension chart has been developed to locate each tributary stream in order, proceeding upriver from the confluence.  The chart provides some basic spatial data on each tributary and includes a listing of tributary sub-watersheds in their ascension order.  Square mileage of tributaries and sub-watersheds has been developed from the PASDA database and from the Scar Lift program reports for the Lackawanna River (Peters Associates, Scranton; PA DER, 1971 & 1978).

Surveys were also conducted on eleven tributaries of tributaries in the lower and mid valley portions of the watershed with a particular focus on assessment of impacts from coal mining.  The database created from the survey provides a comprehensive assessment tool for physical conditions in the Lackawanna watershed at the start of the Twenty-first Century.  It is the intention of the LRCA to utilize this database as a benchmark to measure future environmental changes along the river and tributary streams and their adjacent watershed lands.

The survey data is presented for each river and tributary reach in a table, which indicates the number of quarter-mile reaches or total stream-miles exhibiting five physical habitat indicators.These indicators are: 

  1.  Mining impacts:  

·       culm dumps, coal waste, over burden piles in and along the water course or in adjacent flood plain or upland areas 

·       coal mine structures  

·       acid mine drainage outfalls

·       encroachment of mine waste into the water course  

  2.   Urban impacts:  

·       Roads, buildings and impervious surfaces  

·       urban debris, coal waste deposited along water course or on the flood plain  

·       culvertization of the water course  

·       urban point and non-point pollutant source

3.   Natural habitat:  

·       predominance of natural habitat

·       woodlands  

·       wetlands

·       geological feature, ledges, waterfalls

4.   Natural flow:  

·       presence or absence of natural hydrologic stream flow  

·       flow loss due to mining impacts  

·       flow loss from water supply intakes  

·       flow influence from storm discharges  

5.   Channelization:

·       manmade channel impacts  

·       concrete flood walls, levees, dikes  

·       rip-rap channels  

·       culvertization and concrete AU@ channels  

·       stone retaining walls

·       railroad or mine related channel modifications

Water quality is not used as an indicator as part of this survey for several reasons:  

·       water quality in the Lackawanna is examined in multiple reports developed by LRCA and others during the past ten years  

·       PA DEP staff are presently (2001) conducting an unassessed waters study as part of the EFP2 process for the Lackawanna Watershed  

·       these water quality reports are incorporated by reference as part of the information base available on the Lackawanna watershed  

·       LRCA and others are involved in ongoing targeted water quality assessment work  

·       the focus on the presence or absence of water flow in the tributary streams is the primary water quality indicator in these desiccated sub-watersheds and suggests that reestablishment of base flow from the headwaters of these streams to their confluence with the river needs to be attained before the quality of the water or aquatic habitat can possibly be measured.

Water quality is, however, the most crucial measure of the overall health of a watershed.  By reference to previous reports such as Scar Lift, (PA DER, 1971 & 1978), Lackawanna River Water Quality Investigations (PA DER, 1981, 1992), Lackawanna River Fisheries Habitat Study (PA F&BC, 1992-1997), Lackawanna River Watch Report (LRCA, 1999), LRCA believes that sufficient data is available to support the water quality recommendations in this conservation plan. In addition the PA DEP Bureau of Water Supply and Wastewater Management, Division of Water Quality Assessments and Standards (DWQAS) in compliance with Section 303(d) of the Federal Clean Water Act is conducting a survey to identify and assess all impaired waters in the Commonwealth.  The Northeast Regional Office is surveying and assessing the Lackawanna Watershed during 2001 to identify and assess impaired reaches of the river and its tributaries.  LRCA and DEP staff have and continue to share information on water quality and impairments.

The 303(d) work will be useful in conducting reviews for future permitting and understanding the effects of Total Maximum Daily Load (TMDL’s).  A significant shortcoming for the Lackawanna and other Anthracite watersheds is that 303(d) and other Clean Water Act parameters and requirements cannot accommodate the many impaired and degraded streams which loose flow to underground mine voids.

In addition to the physical conditions database, several stream walk surveys are further detailed through sub-watershed maps with corresponding numerical indicators of various physical conditions keyed to map locations.  A narrative report summarizes all of the physical conditions, highlights the natural and cultural resources of each reach or stream and itemizes a list of recommendations cross referenced to municipality and agency.

The recommendations contained in these reports will serve as the catalogue of projects for implementation of the Lackawanna River Conservation Plan.  The categories of recommendations are as follows: 

1.   Environmental restoration and mine reclamation  

·       removal of culm banks  

·       regrading of strip pits and overburden piles  

·       restoration of channel morphology and reestablishment of flow 

·       reestablishment of wetlands  

·       reestablishment of riparian and upland vegetation and habitat  

·       use of storm water system development or retrofit to restore natural stream flow and habitat function  

·       acid mine drainage treatment

2.   Greenway corridors  

·       acquisition of stream/rail corridor property  

·       development of trails, trailheads, stream access points including fishing access, canoe and kayak sites  

·       integration of trails and greenways with environmental restoration, flood and storm management, utility corridors  

·       integration of greenways with municipal recreation facilities  

·       interface greenways and access with commercial sites  

·       integrate greenways with subdivisions and land developments 

·       development of river conservation interpretive, educational, and management facilities  

3.   Special place and natural resource areas  

·       acquisition and protection of special places, natural and cultural  

·       integration of special places into a regional open space natural resource management program 

·       development of public access, interpretive and educational facilities and programs for special places and natural areas  

·       develop programs and easements to work with private property owners to protect special places   

4.   Water quality, water resource protection  

·       develop source water protection programs with property owners, municipalities and utilities  

·       audit and enhance municipal ordinances to improve water resource protection  

·       create water resource protection coalitions to work in headwater areas  

·       promote water quality attainment within the stormwater management system  

·       promote upgrades to municipal sewer facilities and treatment plants in particular interceptor lines and CSO’s  

·       promote water pollution prevention programs with authorities, municipalities, businesses and property owners   

5.   Small implementation projects  

·       small site bank stabilization   

·       river and greenway access   

·       small site ecological restoration   

·       interpretive and directional signage for small sites