Environmental Organizations, Elected Officials, and Concerned Residents Urge DEP to Protect Aquashicola Creek
MONROE COUNTY (June 17, 2021) – On Thursday, June 17, 2021, the Aquashicola/Pohopoco Watershed Conservancy (APWC) submitted to the Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) a bundle of letters of support from environmental and conservation organizations and elected officials as well as sign-on letters signed by hundreds of concerned residents. The letters and petitions urge DEP to finally review APWC’s stream redesignation petition, submitted over a decade ago in 2010, and to produce a report that aligns with the APWC’s request in the petition. The petition requested that DEP upgrade the designated use of a portion of Aquashicola Creek, from its source to its confluence with Buckwha Creek, from High Quality-Cold Water Fishery (HQ-CWF) and Migratory Fishery (MF) to Exceptional Value (EV). EV is the state’s highest level of regulatory protection. The scientific analysis provided by Monroe County Conservation District and DEP, both referenced in the petition, demonstrate that the stream’s biological diversity should be sufficient for the stream to qualify for an EV designation.
Aquashicola Creek’s current designated use, HQ-CWF, allows permit-holders to discharge pollutants into the waterway and degrade the stream’s water quality if they are able to demonstrate a “social or economic justification.” Streams with EV designated uses receive significant regulatory protection from harmful pollution because permit-holders are required without exception to demonstrate that their discharges into the waterway will not degrade water quality.
Aquashicola/Pohopoco Watershed Conservancy added the following statement: “We at APWC have been dismayed and frustrated by the lack of action on the part of DEP. We feel strongly that it is long overdue for this regulatory body to fulfill what is in its mission statement and move to protect the upper Aquashicola from current and future threats.”
Aquashicola Creek is a key feature of a landscape cherished for its recreation destinations and conservation areas. These areas not only provide invaluable ecological services, but also contribute to the area’s ecotourism sector, which is vital to the region’s economy. The upper section of the Aquashicola Creek winds through several contiguous preserved tracts of land, including sections of the Cherry Valley National Wildlife Refuge and PA State Game Lands 168. The creek also runs parallel to the Appalachian Trail and Kittatinny Ridge, which is part of the world-famous migratory corridor for birds, the Atlantic Flyway. Portions of the creek have already been designated Class A Wild Trout Streams and Naturally Reproducing Trout Streams by the Pennsylvania Fish and Boat Commission.
In the decade since APWC submitted its petition, multiple development projects that would threaten the water quality of the Aquashicola have been proposed. The Alpine Rose racetrack, which would have deteriorated water quality, was defeated in 2013. However, the Aquashicola Creek is now in the direct path of Phase 1 of the proposed PennEast Pipeline, which is slated to cross the creek. With this large-scale project looming, many residents and environmental organizations believe Aquashicola needs the state’s highest level of protection now more than ever and are calling on the DEP to take swift action to review and support the petition.
“The redesignation petition is strong, the law is clear and the people have spoken. DEP should take swift action to finally review this petition and ensure these waterways receive the EV designation they rightfully deserve,” says Joseph Minott, Executive Director and Chief Counsel of Clean Air Council
“It is well past time for the PADEP to review this petition and upgrade the Aquashicola Creek. We must preserve our exceptional waterways and protect them from pollution and threats like the PennEast Pipeline. The government also must honor their constitutional obligation to preserve for future generations a natural resource that is healthy and thriving,” says Maya van Rossum, the Delaware Riverkeeper and leader of the Delaware Riverkeeper Network.
“It is well past the time for the Aquashicola Creek and watershed to be given the highest level of regulatory protection. We cannot continue to allow the environmental treasures of Carbon County to be taken away bit by bit by projects like the PennEast pipeline,” says Linda Christman, President of Save Carbon County.
“A decade is too long to wait for a stream to receive protections that are supported by clear evidence,” says Abigail M. Jones, Vice President of Legal & Policy at PennFuture. “DEP cannot continue to sit on its hands and must immediately take action to upgrade Aquashicola Creek to an Exceptional Value water. To wait any longer would jeopardize the health of this remarkable creek.”
Our Pocono Waters, a coalition of organizations, businesses, and outdoor recreational enthusiasts engaged in defending and promoting the Poconos region’s Exceptional Value streams, adds the following statement: “It is important that DEP immediately recognizes the Exceptional Value of Aquashicola Creek and afford it all the protections such an amazing water deserves. Strong clean water protections are needed to ensure that the scenic and natural beauty of the Poconos Mountains continues to attract millions of people and supports local businesses.”
