Dear Editor,
What happens upstream matters. That was the message the Greenfire Coalition and Fishing Creek Green Alliance brought to government and community leaders, as well as the community at large, in 1991-94. The condition of the Susquehanna River was no secret then nor is it today. The Susquehanna River is impacted by three major tributaries that flow into the river in Columbia County. They are Nescopeck Creek which flows in at Berwick, Fishing Creek which flows in at Bloomsburg and Catawissa Creek which flows in at Catawissa. Of the three, the 29 mile Fishing Creek is the cleanest. Due to acid rain it has a varying ph of 4.9 to 8.5 and while it has algae bloom problems it does support aquatic life. It is fished regularly and local fishermen and women report that they eat some species such as Walleye. Kudos to the FCWA.
The Catawissa Creek is impacted by acid mine drainage mostly from the Audenried Mine Tunnel some 41 miles upstream. While the Catawissa Creek Restoration Association has done an admirable job advocating for the Catawissa, it struggles to support aquatic life. Some of the lower stretches support bass that come up from the river or from smaller feeder streams. Ed Wytovich of the CCRA and John Zaktansky of the Middle Susquehanna Riverkeeper Association acknowledge the Catawissa is struggling but express hope that over time it will recover.
The Nescopeck Creek is severely impacted by acid mine drainage, aluminum and industrial effluent. This is especially galling since above the Jeddo Mine Tunnel the Nescopeck is pristine. As it runs through Nescopeck State Park it teems with life. When it flows into the Susquehanna it is by all reasonable measures dead. Professor Carl Frankel and Drew Magill of Friends of the Nescopeck report that the group regularly monitors the Nescopeck as far down as where it flows into the Susquehanna. The results show virtually no life.
Of course the condition of the Susquehanna River is significantly impacted by the Catawissa and Nescopeck Creeks as well as hundreds of other creeks, sewage treatment plants, industrial effluent and agricultural runoff. Eventually, all of this impacts the Chesapeake Bay. Several states are now suing Pennsylvania for not doing the necessary work to address the problems. I hear nary a word coming from my elected representatives on all levels. Their silence is deafening. Posterity deserves better. There is money. What is lacking is political will and prioritization. Make it an issue.
Respectfully,
Mike Sauers