The Schuylkill Action Network led a tour of completed agriculture projects helping to keep Kutztown streams clean.
‘The projects that we looked at, primarily along the Saucony Creek near Kutztown, are helping farmers to improve their practices so they can continue to farm and keep our important water resources clean,’ said Tom Davidock, SAN Coordinator.
Meeting on Kutztown Road on Friday morning June 28, non-profit organizational members, government agencies, public, students and professionals toured the Saucony Creek Watershed which included the forested areas upstream of local farms, the Kutztown Borough Water Treatment Plant and the Saucony Creek Brewing Company.
Davidock explained that the tour provided people with a look into some of the work that was completed on farms in Berks County to improve the health of the watershed. Nearly 40 percent of the Schuylkill Watershed lies in Berks County, which has the most farmland. Additionally, about 30 percent of the streams in the county are polluted from agriculture, according to Davidock.
‘Over the past 10 years, the Schuylkill Action Network and its Partners have been completing projects throughout the Schuylkill Watershed to keep our rivers and creeks clean,’ said Davidock. ‘The Schuylkill River provides drinking water for nearly 2 million people. It is also the largest tributary to the Delaware Estuary, a major economic engine for the region.’
The tour focused on Agriculture Best management practices.
‘Many of these projects simply function by keeping animals and animal waste out of the waterways,’ he said.
For example, in manure storage tanks, animal manure is collected and stored in a large concrete enclosure, which can be kept for longer periods of time and applied to the field when needed, he said.
‘In many cases, this replaces manure piles which can wash away when it rains and flow into the local creek,’ said Davidock. ‘Other projects are as simple as adding roofs and rain gutters to animal areas, which keeps clean rain water from mixing with animal waste and washing away.’
Other projects include work to repair stream banks and keep the animals out of the water often done by installing fencing along the streams, planting trees, and putting in concrete animal crossing that limits their access to the creek.
‘Together, all of these projects makes for more productive farming and a cleaner Schuylkill River,’ said Davidock. ‘Another important project is planning. We work with our partners to help farmers develop conservation and nutrient management plans.’
How is it important to keep the streams clean?
‘In Kutztown, residents get their drinking water from wells near the Saucony Creek. These wells are influenced by water from the creek, which means that cleaner surface water means better water for the community,’ he said. ‘A good example of how important the river is can be found at the Saucony Creek Brewing Company.’
SAN teamed up with the Kutztown brewing company’s owner Matt Lindenmuth, of Kutztown, to create a river themed beer called Stonefly IPA.
‘Matt realizes just how important clean water is to his product and is donating a percentage of all sales from this beer back into protecting the creek,’ said Davidock. ‘Clean water is all of our responsibility and projects like the ones we looked at on the tour have a far greater benefit to the watershed residents that may be initially apparent.’
Their message to the community is their work focuses on Source Water Protection, protecting drinking water.
‘By doing this work and protecting our water resources, we are making it easier for water supplier to provide their customers with clean and safe drinking water,’ said Davidock. ‘Every time we turn on a faucet to brush our teeth, get a drink, or take a shower, we rarely think about where that water comes from. We’re accustomed to having this resource there when we need it. Keeping it clean is very important for all of us. The responsibility for doing that also belongs to everyone.’
Also, Davidock emphasized that everything that happens on the land eventually makes its way to the creeks and rivers, which is a drinking water source for someone downstream.
‘If we manage our land better, and that includes farming, then we can do a much better job at keeping our waterways healthy,’ he said.
Residents can do their part too by not using fertilizer, installing a rain barrel or rain garden, and using more environmentally friendly products, he said.
‘Farming is critical part of our everyday lives, just like water. It is also an important part of our economy,’ said Davidock. ‘By working with the farming community to do projects like this, we can help keep farmers farming and our rivers flowing clean.’
Davidock hopes the tour provided participants with a look at Berks County farming and how farmers are working with SAN to keep the water clean.
‘Being on the farm, seeing the animals, the crops, and even smelling the manure provides an up-close look at this important and fascinating business. Also, seeing the streams flowing through or near these farms and witnessing good farming practices that are helping to protect them provides a unique look at the importance of this work.’
Many of the projects on the tour were funded through a combination of state, federal, and private dollars. Funding from agricultural programs through the Farm Bill, state grants like growing greener, and private dollars through the Schuylkill River Restoration Fund have all helped make these projects feasible, according to Davidock.
Another important source of funding has been from the local and regional water suppliers including Kutztown Water Company, Reading Area Water Company. Western Berks Water Company, Aqua Pennsylvania, and the Philadelphia Water Company, he said.
‘All of these projects have been completed with the hard work and support of many important partner organization including the Berks County Conservancy, the Natural Resource Conservation Service, Berks County Conservation District, Partnership for the Delaware Estuary, EPA, DEP, water suppliers, in addition to many others.’
