1.  Introduction

This plan for the conservation of the Lackawanna River and its watershed has been developed by the Lackawanna River Corridor Association in partnership with Lackawanna County and twenty-six municipalities in the Lackawanna River watershed.  A companion plan for the upper Lackawanna River has been developed in partnership with the Trails Conservation Corporation, Susquehanna County and municipalities in the upper watershed, with the collaboration of the Lackawanna River Corridor Association and other agencies.

The plan describes a vision of the Lackawanna River that can be shared by all who are concerned with what a healthy river means for the residents of our watershed and for our friends and neighbors downstream.

The plan builds on the original Lackawanna River Citizens Master Plan of 1990 and the plan for the Lackawanna Heritage Valley of 1991.  Following implementation of these plans, this plan examines conditions in the watershed related to the ecological health of land and water resources.  The plan also examines issues related to the management of open space resources, historical and contemporary land use practices, recreation, aesthetics, public and private infrastructure along the river and its tributary streams.

This plan includes an inventory of conditions recorded on stream walks conducted by LRCA staff, volunteers and local elected officials during 1999 and 2000.  Based on the inventory findings, input from public meetings and review by public officials, the plan offers recommendations for actions to be taken to develop site specific conservation and recreation projects, individual and watershed wide programs for education, resource management, and decision-making on management and infrastructure issues.

The plan has been developed with assistance from the Pennsylvania Rivers Conservation Program administered by the Pennsylvania Department of Conservation and Natural Resources.  An important outcome of this plan is the petition for inclusion of the Lackawanna and its watershed on the Pennsylvania Rivers Conservation Registry.  With the endorsement of agencies and municipalities, the registry of the Lackawanna entitles projects and programs of the types recommended in this plan to eligibility for implementation funds from the Commonwealth through the River Conservation Program.

The development of this plan has also been supported with funding from the United States Environmental Protection Agency Chesapeake Bay Small Watershed Grants program administered by the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation and the Scranton Area Foundation.

1.1  Executive Summary

The Lackawanna River flows nearly sixty miles through a 350-square mile watershed in  four counties of northeastern Pennsylvania to its confluence with the North Branch Susquehanna River.  The Lackawanna rises in a series of glacial ponds and wetland bog complexes along the borders of Susquehanna and Wayne counties in the glaciated plateau province of the Appalachian Mountains.  The east and west branches of the Lackawanna confluence at Stillwater Dam, a flood control structure built by the United States Army Corps of Engineers in 1960.

After passing Stillwater Cliffs, the river enters the Lackawanna Valley flowing for forty miles in a northeast to southwest direction through Forest City, Carbondale, the Mid Valley, Scranton and the Down Valley to the confluence at Pittston.  There are over sixty tributary streams to the Lackawanna rising on the Moosic and West mountains or on the Pocono Plateau where Spring Brook and Roaring Brook sub-watersheds flow through gaps in the Moosic Mountains to join the Lackawanna.

The Lackawanna Valley contains part of the northern anthracite coal field which has been extensively mined.  The upper Lackawanna watershed, the Moosic and West mountain ranges, and the North Pocono Plateau areas are mostly wooded with successional forest cover.  The valley between Pittston, Scranton and Carbondale is a patchwork of urban and suburban centers interspersed with abandoned coal mine sites strung out along the river and the floor of the valley with some sprawl along terraces and hillsides to about half the distance from the river to the ridge tops.  The watershed has an approximate human population of 200,000 persons.

Numerous studies of water and habitat quality have been conducted during the past twenty years.  According to these studies, the aquatic health of the river and tributary streams is good- to-excellent in the upper reaches of the watershed.  The river maintains a moderate aquatic health down to Scranton.  Downstream through Scranton to Pittston, the river’s aquatic health declines precipitously.  Acid mine drainage (AMD) from the Old Forge bore hole completely eliminates the aquatic habitat in the lower three miles to the confluence.  Other impacts from combined sewer overflows, (CSO’s) and urban storm water contribute to the decline in aquatic health.

The number of urban storm and combined sewer discharge point sources increase through Carbondale and the Mid Valley and accelerate rapidly as the river passes Interstate 81 and flows through the City of Scranton and the down valley communities of Taylor, Moosic, Old Forge and Duryea.  Surface storm water flows across un-vegetated mine spoils piles and inadequate erosion control programs at many construction sites contribute to excessive particulate sedimentation which adversely affects aquatic habitat and water quality.

The stream and river survey walks conducted by the LRCA for this plan have identified endemic situations of mining and urban related impacts which contribute to water quality and habitat loss, watershed degradation, and property damages.  Many smaller tributary streams loose their entire flow to the subterranean mine voids.  During storm events these dry channels become raging torrents where large volumes of storm water at high velocities move significant amounts of coal wastes and urban debris which form the soil profiles along these degraded tributaries.  This adds inordinate quantities of sediment and larger coal waste loads to the river further degrading the aquatic health and aesthetics of the watershed. 

The inadequate and inconsistent application of land use controls or regulations protecting the valley’s flood plains is evident in many river and stream reaches where adjacent property owners have deposited all types of utility trench waste, masonry building debris, vegetative debris, construction waste, tires, car parts as well as the proverbial kitchen sink.  There are many areas where these fills encroach from the flood plain into the watercourse adding volumes of unstable manmade materials to the bed load of the tributaries and eventually the river.  High flows often transport these materials and block bridge piers and culverts causing localized flooding and damage to adjacent properties and homes.

The Lackawanna River and its watershed are a study in contrasts, offering many examples of the adaptive and recuperative qualities of the natural world.  The upper watersheds of the river and tributaries are predominantly high-quality coldwater fisheries with successional forest cover and extensive forested wetland complexes.  These watersheds are nationally significant natural habitat and water resource areas.  The urban/coal field areas of the watershed exhibit many degraded river and stream reaches, the lower three miles of river are a dead zone stained a bright yellow-orange with the iron oxide residue of mine drainage.

Yet even in the urban areas, the river and larger tributaries flow through wooded riparian greenways; underutilized abandoned mine properties and rail corridors provide a buffer for the river.  Over the past twenty years, the river has developed into an outstanding Class-A coldwater fishery known for brown trout as well as native brook trout from Carbondale through the Mid Valley.

This fishery extends into the City of Scranton as well. The river makes a gradual transition from the cold to warm water fishery beginning at the Route 81 Bridge along the northern edge of the City of Scranton.  Through Scranton to its confluence the river channel widens and its gradient becomes shallower.  There are longer reaches with open embankments and diminished riparian cover.

The past fifteen years have seen a variety of enhancements to the Lackawanna watershed.  The Lackawanna River Corridor Association (LRCA) was created in 1987 as a community-based non profit educational and community development organization to promote the restoration and stewardship of the river and its watershed resources by local residents, businesses and government agencies.  The LRCA developed a Lackawanna River Citizens Master Plan during 1988-1990 in partnership with Lackawanna County, state and federal agencies. The Citizens Master Plan contained recommendations for a major public/private initiative to address environmental clean up of the river; protection of river-related resources; the creation of the Lackawanna River Greenway, a system of interconnected parks, trails, open space/natural areas along the river and stream corridors through the urban areas to the upper watershed ridge tops and natural areas; the creation of a public education and public involvement program to provide positive river-based environmental experiences for the public; and importantly a Lackawanna River Partnership, an assembly of river stakeholders and decision makers from the public and private sectors.  The partnership would meet regularly and foster cooperative consensus-based decision-making on public policy related to management of our river resources.  The partnership would also work to secure investment for infrastructure to protect the river while advancing community development goals for the watershed.

Several components of these recommendations are being implemented by local and state agencies.  The overall tenor of the Citizens Master Plan is that of a holistic document advocating a multi objective management and implementation philosophy.  These aspects of the plan have been more difficult to realize.  The creation of a formal Lackawanna River Partnership entity has not occurred.  Several models have been suggested for consideration by public officials, yet, a consensus on the scope and role of such an organization has not yet emerged.  The Partnership issue is discussed and considered further in this updated river conservation plan.

The development of the river greenway park and trail system is well on the way.  The Plan for the Lackawanna Heritage Valley of 1991 followed up on several recommendations from the river plan of 1990.  The Heritage Plan lead to the establishment of the Lackawanna Heritage Valley Authority (LHVA) to implement a wide range of programs and projects thematically related to the physical, cultural and socio-economic heritage of the community.

The LRCA worked with the National Park Service, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and the Heritage Authority on a Corps-funded reconnaissance level study for a Lackawanna River Greenway in 1992-93.

The outcomes of the Greenway study have resulted in two major initiatives, one for Greenway Trail development, the Lackawanna River Heritage Trail and another for a water quality improvement program, Lackawanna River Watershed 2000. 

The Lackawanna River Heritage Trail (LRHT) is being developed under the leadership of the Lackawanna Heritage Valley Authority with Pennsylvania Heritage program funding and Transportation Enhancement program funding.  The LRCA is partnering with Heritage Authority on programs to acquire former railroad rights-of-way, develop recreational trail installations and an inter-municipal trail committee to manage the completed trail.  In addition to abandoned rail beds, the trail is proposed to run on Corps of Engineers’ flood control levees, municipal parks and along public streets where river access is not available.  The Rail Trail Council of Northeast Pennsylvania (RTC) and the Trails Conservation Corporation (TCC) have acquired abandoned Delaware & Hudson and New York, Ontario & Western rail corridors along the upper Lackawanna and are developing trails and conservation projects in these areas.

The Lackawanna River Watershed 2000 (LRW 2K) program is funded through a USEPA grant, administered through the Lackawanna County Commissioners.  The goals of LRW 2K are to address combined sewer overflow (CSO) problems and acid mine drainage/abandoned mine land (AMD/AML) impacts to the Lackawanna watershed.

In other areas of initial recommendations, the LRCA continues to lead a public involvement initiative and conduct education programs.  Individuals and organized groups have been involved with LRCA sponsored river cleanups, trail building, tree plantings and water quality monitoring.  LRCA staff have conducted numerous school presentations, educational field trips, nature hikes and public speaking engagements.

Recently, the Lackawanna has been included in the Upper Susquehanna / Lackawanna Watershed designation as an American Heritage River through the efforts of a regional coalition of municipal, congressional and watershed stakeholders.  This designation is drawing increased federal and state interest in economic development, mine reclamation, water quality improvement, watershed habitat enhancement and cultural resource development. 

The present Lackawanna River Conservation plan examines existing programs and assesses program accomplishments to date.  The LRCA has developed a series of public involvement activities to identify issues, goals and recommendations for the future.

Citizens from across the watershed have participated at public meetings, responded to surveys, reviewed the draft plan on the LRCA’s website, lrca.org and volunteered on one of nearly one-hundred stream walk surveys.

A municipal advisory committee has been formed to facilitate interaction among the twenty-six municipalities in the watershed study area.   Agency personnel at municipal, county, state and private agencies have been interviewed and have reviewed and commented on the plan.  Business and private property interests have also been contacted for information and comment.

The assessment of ongoing activities, previous plan recommendations, actual physical conditions and activities in the watershed, public comment and review have been synthesized to develop this plan’s recommendations.

1.2  Executive Plan Recommendations

The Lackawanna River Watershed Conservation Plan of 2001 provides recommendations for public policy, programs and activities to be considered by federal, state, county and local governmental agencies, non-profit conservation and community organizations, educational and cultural institutions, business interests and property owners.

The recommendations are offered in five broad categories:

·       Organizations and partnerships

·       Environmental quality

·       Recreation and natural resource conservation

·       Community Development

·       Public involvement and education.

1.2.1  Environmental Quality Recommendations

·       Upgrades to municipal plans and ordinances to enhance the definition and protection of natural resources, improve flexibility in subdivision design and encourage watershed best management practices (BMP’s).  (See Sections 11.7 and 11.9)

·       Improvements to sewage facilities and progressive response to a reduction of total maximum daily loads (TMDL’s) for all pollutant sources in the watershed.  (See Sections 11.1 and 11.2)

·       Upgrades to stormwater management facilities and ordinances to include watershed BMP’s; improved regulation of minor subdivisions and earth disturbance activities.  (See Section 11.7 and 11.9)

·       Long-term mine reclamation projects, post-Watershed 2000 and Growing Greener; integration of community and economic development with mine reclamation activities to restore environmental values through infill development strategies.  (See Appendix B)

1.2.2  Recreation and Natural Resource Conservation

·       Lackawanna River Heritage Trail Alternatives are recommended in Appendix A.  A complete 40-mile trail route is described.

·       Heritage Gateways, landings and trail heads are recommended in Appendix A.

·       Greenways and connecting trails are recommended along many tributary streams including:  St. Johns Creek, Roaring Brook, Leggetts Creek, Eddy Creek, Fall Brook and Racket Brook. (See Appendix A and C)

·       The Roaring Brook greenway includes the North Pocono rail trail and links to Nay Aug Park.  (See Sections 12.2 and 12.3)

·       A special places inventory of natural, cultural and historic resource sites has been developed with recommendations to include special protection for these sites in future public and private plans.  (See Sections 6.5 and 8)

·       Watershed special places, natural areas identified in the 1997 Lackawanna County Natural Areas Inventory and most watershed lands associated with PG&W watersheds, now Theta Company lands are recommended for acquisition or special protection and inclusion in the pending Lackawanna and Luzerne counties open space plans.  (See Sections 6.5, 6.6, 7.6, 11.7, 11.9, 11.10 and Section 12)

·       Recommendations suggest that municipal comprehensive plans and ordinances could be upgraded to define, create, and manage the development and conservation of natural areas, open space, greenways, and water resource buffers through open space conservation subdivision designs and infrastructure Best Management Practices.  (See Sections 11.7, 11.9, 12 and Appendix C)

1.2.3  Community Development

·       Following on recommendations for open space and watershed resource protection, the plan suggests ordinance upgrades as well as voluntary incorporation of conservation design and planning techniques and watershed resource Best Management Practices by property owners and developers, especially institutional developers or developers of property associated with former PG&W watershed land.  (See Section 6, 11 and 12 in their entirety)

·       The use of conservation design and watershed BMP’s is recommended for incorporation into all redevelopment of abandoned mine lands.  Economic redevelopment of AML sites is recommended to create new investment opportunities in the Lackawanna Valley corridor between the Pittston, Scranton and Carbondale areas.  Redevelopment of these lands with Smart Growth techniques can serve to create new economic platforms and engender environmental restoration of degraded watersheds.  (See Sections 6.8, 11.4 and Appendix B, Mine Reclamation Plan)

·       The development of new investment projects which demonstrate the comprehensive synergy of open space designs, watershed BMP’s, neo-traditional village developments, and business park AML reclamations is suggested.  (See Section 11.4)  Existing developments which have potential to demonstrate some of these principles are the Leggetts Creek greenway, a residential development with a mine reclamation and recreation open space component in Scranton and the Valley View Business Park, an industrial site development with a mine reclamation and open space resource component.

1.2.4  Public Involvement and Education

·       The plan recommends support for new and ongoing public involvement initiatives conducted by LRCA, LHVA, Rail Trail Council, Voluntary Action Center, Senior Environmental Corps and partner agencies.  New programs for youth involvement are suggested, a Lackawanna Valley Ranger Corps, for example.  Some involvement projects include, trash and  litter cleanups, landscape and tree plantings, trail building and maintenance, water quality monitoring.  (See Sections 7 and 11).

·       The plan also recommends support for the institutional advancement of the LRCA:  ongoing planning, board development, training retreats.  (See Section 11.8)

·       The plan recommends the further enhancement and development of river and watershed information, media and educational resource materials:  brochures, maps, posters, videos, power point slide shows, CD-programs and support for lrca.org.  (See Section 11.8)

·       Other recommendations support the expansion of environmental educational service delivery among conservation organizations, school districts and educational institutions and for adult continuing education and technical training.

·       The plan recommends the creation of and support for municipal Environmental Advisory Committees and an overall municipal watershed advisory committee.

·       The plan recommends the establishment of a Lackawanna Watershed Nature Center with the participation and direction of the LRCA in collaboration with other community organizations and institutions.  (See Sections 11.8,12.2, 12.3 and Appendix C)

·       The plan recommends an anti-litter program, suggests partnerships with the justice system, police departments, community groups, municipalities and the county solid waste management authority to facilitate various litter and dumping control programs.  (See Sections 6.9 and 11)

1.2.5  Organizations and Partnerships

·       This plan reiterates a major recommendation of the 1990 Citizens Master Plan, the creation of a Lackawanna River Partnership as an entity to oversee and coordinate the implementation of the plans recommendations.  The plan suggests the use of the Metropolitan Planning Organization – MPO model which has proven useful in facilitating and prioritizing transportation planning.  A further integration of this concept with the watershed team approach being instituted by PA DEP through the Environmental Futures Planning Process  (EFP2) is recommended.  The roles, mission and responsibilities are suggested.  (See Sections 5, 6, and 11)

·       Other organizational recommendations include the ongoing partnership among LRCA, LHVA, Rail Trail Council and valley municipalities focused on the creation and management of the Lackawanna River Heritage Trail Greenway.  Trail partnerships are suggested in down valley, North Pocono and up-valley communities as well as in metropolitan Scranton an the Abingtons to further develop localized trail linkages to the LRHT system.

·       Local Environmental Advisory Committees (EAC’s), a municipal watershed advisory committee and watershed coalition are recommended to coordinate and facilitate localized aspects of watershed protection and greenway open space enhancements including upgrades to municipal plans and ordinances to institutionalize the protection and management of open space watershed resources and recreation greenways.  (See Sections 11, 12 and Appendix C)

1.3  Priority Recommendations

A wide number of initiatives are underway based on earlier planning work, this plan prioritizes projects and programs which advance and compliment existing work:

·       The completion of the Lackawanna River Greenway system including the Lackawanna River Heritage Trail with a significant Downtown Scranton waterfront complex, acquisition of river corridor parcels for conservation purposes and the upgrade of municipal plans and ordinances to improve local conservation capacity.

·      The advance of Watershed 2000 by Lackawanna County and related reclamation programs by the PA DEP – BAMR and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers.

·       The development of a Lackawanna River Partnership entity in the context of a water resource MPO integrated with the PA DEP EFP2 process.  This work should focus initially on mine reclamation, improvement of partnerships with sanitary authorities, development of TMDL’s and updates of the ACT 67 stormwater plan.

·       Integration of watershed reclamation work and greenway development with economic development initiatives.

·       Completion of regional open space planning and development of resources to conserve, acquire and manage large open space networks in the Lackawanna watershed and adjacent watersheds.

·       Programs to increase the capacity of LRCA in collaboration with other agencies to develop and disseminate environmental information and education.

·       Programs to increase the visibility and capacity of local non-governmental conservation organizations to reach and utilize volunteers, members and business interests in the creation of sustainable economic and ecological relationships in the region.

Near term to mid term priorities to be developed in the 5 to 10-year period for new initiatives include the following:

·       Development of a North Pocono Watershed Conservation Coalition

·      Linkage of a Roaring Brook/North Pocono greenway and trail system to the Lackawanna River Heritage Trail and Greenway.  Further utilization of the North Pocono greenway to serve as a linkage to conserved watershed parcels as part of a regional open space network.

·       Development of special places program to acquire, conserve and manage watershed special places such as waterfalls, ravines, escarpments either in the context of a regional open space program or integrated with a nature center network.

·       Completion of a re-authorization/reallocation program for Stillwater Dam to meet multi objective water quality, habitat and recreation outcomes.

·       Further development of Heritage Gateways and links to the Lackawanna Heritage Trail system such as:  St. Johns Creek, Leggetts Creek, Fallbrook, and Racket Brook greenways.  Extension of Leggetts Creek greenway to link with a Tunkhannock greenway, linkage of a Racket Brook greenway via D&H Gravity rail incline into the D&H Transportation Heritage corridor.  (See Trail Alternatives in Appendix A and Tributary Stream recommendations in Appendix C)

1.4  Considerations for Implementation

This plan recommends that watershed municipalities adopt resolutions which endorse the general and specific recommendations in this plan.  The resolutions further request the Department of Conservation and Natural Resources to include the Lackawanna River and its watershed on the Pennsylvania River Conservation Registry.  Acceptance of this plan and its recommendations by the municipalities and the PA DCNR Registry will be the first step towards implementation.

Based on the status of the Lackawanna River Corridor Association, as the community watershed conservation organization for the Lackawanna watershed, the LRCA will continue its leading role as a facilitator, convener and implementation partner with watershed municipalities, community organizations, business interests, county, state and federal agencies.

Due to the comprehensive nature of this plan and its recommendations, implementation initiatives, proposals, funding and partnerships may develop with project synergies governed as much by institutional visions, interests and constraints as by watershed-based values and expectations.  This plan then serves the important role of being a long-term guidance and visionary document.  There are literally hundreds of projects and programs which can result from the future growth of partnerships based on a collective vision for the Lackawanna and its watershed.

This watershed conservation plan and its complimentary Upper Lackawanna Watershed Conservation Plan can thematically tie together the aspirations and visions of watershed stakeholders from all levels, across our 350-square-mile watershed in four counties and over forty municipalities.

These plans are invitations to all of our fellow citizens to affirm their community values and become more aware of their relationships with their watershed and their neighbors across this watershed and downstream through the Susquehanna River to the great Chesapeake Bay.