Clean Streams, the Poconos, and You: A Panel Discussion about Exceptional Value Streams in the Poconos
Please join Our Pocono Waters Campaign for a panel discussion about clean streams in the Poconos and the economic, environmental, and recreational benefits they provide for the region.
When: Tuesday, Oct. 30
Time: 6 p.m. to 8:30 p.m.
Where: East Stroudsburg University
Innovation and Entrepreneur Center
562 Independence Road
East Stroudsburg, PA 18301
Our first panel will explain and demystify streams regulations in Pennsylvania, including:
- Robert Weber – Unassessed Waters Coordinator for PA Fish and Boat Commission
- Paul B. Wilson, Ph.D. – Assistant Professor of Biology at East Stroudsburg University
The second panel will focus on everyday resident and recreational uses of streams, including:
- Gary Bloss – Local Business, Josie Porter Farms
- Fred Gender – Poconos Angler
- Chuck Gould – Chestnut Hill Township Supervisor
- Gary Leander – Poconos Canoeist
This is an opportunity to learn about the meaning of “exceptional value” streams and how they benefit our region. There will also be time for you to ask questions about how clean streams regulations benefit you.
Our Pocono Waters Campaign is unifying the community while educating citizens, business leaders, and local leaders about the importance of protecting “Exceptional Value” (EV) streams, highlighting the many ways in which clean streams and economic development coexist in a region known for its natural beauty and booming tourism industry. Clean streams are at the heart of the Poconos where 80 percent of the state’s “EV” streams are located, primarily in Monroe, Pike, and Wayne counties. For more information visit www.ourpoconowaters.org
How to Protect Your Groundwater Resources and Drinking Water
- Get your water tested.
- Download our free phone app – KnowYourH20?
- Get a Community Hazard Report
- Purchase Our Booklet on PA Groundwater Quality
- One Link – The Keystone Clean Water Team Store – Visit Us.
Other Online Training Opportunities
Basic Groundwater Movement
Environmental Issues related to Fracking
Stream Ecology- Stream Restoration
Eastern Region Water Quality Association 2018
B.F. Environmental Consultants Inc and the Keystone Clean Water Team attended the Eastern Regional Water Quality Association 2018 Conference at Kalahai in the Poconos in September 2018. During this conference, we did the following:
- Taught our 1 day course on water sampling, chain-of-custody, and working as a water professional.
- Conducted a 1 hour training session on what is in my water 2018 by Brian oram!
- Presented our new tools for the industry
- Diagnose It – http://www.knowyourh20.us/diagnostic
- Presented our Updated Free Phone Apps – http://www.knowyourh2o.us/download-our-mobile-app
- Announced our NEW Drinking Water Educational Booklet – http://keystone.carbonwaters.org/pennsylvania-groundwater-quality-guide
- Announced our New Training Portal for Professionals
Things you can do to make a difference.
Share Our Portal
Master Watershed Steward Program Monroe County Pennsylvania
January 8, 2018
Penn State Extension and the Monroe County Conservation District are excited to launch the Master Watershed Steward Program.
The Master Watershed Steward program is a collaborative effort between Penn State Extension, Monroe County Conservation District, and local conservation groups. It is similar to the Master Gardener program and is designed to train people in a formal way about the basics of water resource stewardship, creating an energized and educated group of citizens. Currently, the MWS program is in 13 counties across the state and has 194 volunteers that have contributed over 7,500 volunteer hours in 2017.
We are recruiting 20-25 interested people for the class of 2018. The class will consist of 40 hours of training on various topics, including water quality, stream health, groundwater, native plants, and recreational resources. Once this part of the training is complete, trainees perform 50 hours of volunteer service on selected projects such as:
– Organizing and executing stream cleanups.
– Designing and installing demonstration rain gardens.
– Assist in stream restorations.
– Organize educational workshops addressing topics such as rain barrels, pollution prevention, invasive plant control, and stormwater management.
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Applicants are welcome from all walks of life. If under 18, you must be accompanied by a guardian or adult. The program will start on Thursday, March 1, 2018, 6:00-8:30 pm and will continue every Thursday through May. There will be several Saturday field trips.
An informational session at 6:30 pm will be held on January18 at:
Monroe County Conservation District
8050 Running Valley Rd.
Stroudsburg, Pa.
If interested, please contact:
Jim Vogt
Phone: 570-421-6430
Email: jav45@psu.edu
Web: extension.psu.edu/programs/watershed-stewards/counties/monroe
Penn State Extension
Monroe County
724 Phillips Street, Suite 201
Stroudsburg, PA 18360
Private Well Owner Outreach to Private Property Owners Association in the Poconos – Monroe County
The Keystone Clean Water Team was very happy to work with the local “Poconos Region” Property Owners Association to offer a private well water screening test for the residents drinking water. For the 2016 program, a total of 16 residents participated in the program and for this program water testing was offered at two different tiers. The basic tier provide general information related to the bacterial quality of the water and level of nitrate, iron, and total hardness. The advanced tier provided testing for trace metals such as arsenic, copper, lead, zinc, and more comprehensive analysis of the overall quality of the water. The following is a summary of the results:
2 samples were positive for total coliform bacteria, but no samples were positive for E. coli.;
1 sample exceeded the drinking water standard for lead and 5 other samples had detectable levels of lead in the water;
13 of the 16 samples contained detectable levels of nitrate, but at no point did the level exceed or approach the drinking water standard of 10 mg/L;
1 sample had elevated levels of manganese, but 3 had detectable levels of manganese in the water; and
15 of the 16 samples were considered slightly to corrosive to metal piping and 1 sample was considered very corrosive to metal piping.
The pH of the water ranged for 6.2 to 7.5 and only two samples had a pH that was less than the recommended drinking water standard of 6.5. These samples were associated with water that had detectable levels of lead, but not the highest level of lead. The sample with the highest level of lead appeared to be a sample collected at the kitchen sink after the water had been treated with a water softener.
From this snapshot, we learned the following:
- There appears to be a 13 % probability that a private well may contain total coliform bacteria.
- The water produced from the aquifer tends to be slightly corrosive and have total hardness that ranges from 30 to 150 mg/L.
- The groundwater does not appear to have elevated levels of nitrate.
- The groundwater does not appear to have E. coli. bacteria.
- Lead was detected in some water samples, but the occurrence in the well water is related to the corrosiveness of the water, type of water treatment, and type of plumbing fixtures in the home and not the groundwater aquifer.
- Homeowners that reported problems with sulfur odor or black particles were the same homeowners that had elevated or detectable level of manganese.
- If you are considering the use of a water softener, please consider the type of household plumbing and it may be necessary to install a neutralizing filter.
Based on these results, we recommend that all private well owners conduct an annual water quality test. To facilitate this effort, the Keystone Clean Water Team offers an online mail order informational water testing program for private well owners throughout the USA and we offer our Know Your H20? Free Phone App. To learn about our mail order program, please visit us at http://www.water-research.net or http://www.knowyourh20.us. If you have any questions, please call or email 570-335-1947 or bfenviro@ptd.net.
Respectfully submitted,
Mr. Brian Oram, PG