Clean Creek Program

Calendar

May 2013

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Clean Creek Program

NEW - 2009 State of the Creek Report (inside, outside)

The Deckers Creek watershed is polluted by acid mine drainage (AMD), bacteria, heavy metals, sediment, trash, and general abandonment. The biggest threat to the watershed is AMD, which jeopardizes the environmental quality of Deckers Creek and its tributaries by destroying the biological communities in the streams and causing them to run an orange color. As a result of these pollutants, numerous streams in the Deckers Creek watershed which once contained diverse biological life are now an eyesore, mostly un-fishable, and are not healthy to swim in.

However, restoration of the creek is crucial for the course its community wants to take. River-focused development and a popular rail-trail that parallels Deckers Creek have made remediation of Deckers Creek essential. A clean creek and revived fishery mean restored habitat, an increase in property values, greater tax revenues for local governments, and new options for creek-side development. In order to do this, FODC needs information about the current condition of Deckers Creek. We compile this information through the Clean Creek Program.

The Clean Creek Program (CCP) has three components: 1) water quality monitoring and assessment of fish and invertebrate communities at 13 sites across the watershed, 2) dissemination of our findings through an annual State of the Creek report to the community and local schools, and 3) continued capacity building with local businesses through CCP sponsorships to restore and protect Deckers Creek. This is the only ongoing FODC project designed to track long-term trends in the water quality of streams in the Deckers Creek watershed. Data collected and published through this program are used to educate the public about the impact of AMD and other environmental pollutants, engage local community members, steer restoration efforts, to evaluate restoration success.

Be a Clean Creek sponsor! If you would like to sponsor one of our Clean Creek Program sampling sites with a gracious donation of $300 or more, please contact our office. Also, we would be delighted to do a presentation on the State of the Creek for organization, business, or group; all you have to do is request one.