8-13-09

WILLIAMSPORT, Pa. – Several interns with the Lycoming College Clean Water Institute (CWI) celebrated the completion of the Mill Creek/Larson Project in July. The interns partnered with many other community members and organizations to build Mill Creek’s first stream bank stabilization project, which provides fish habitat and helps stabilize eroding banks while reducing down-stream sedimentation.

The project began with a preliminary watershed assessment of the 22 square-mile Rose Valley/Mill Creek Watershed that was compiled by intern Tracie Curtis. She worked under the supervision of Dr. Mel Zimmerman, who is the CWI director and a biology professor at the College. The assessment, which took two years to complete, outlined the characteristics of the watershed, as well as provided detailed information of the wildlife in the area based on the results of analysis and experiments conducted.

The erosion part of assessment was then turned over to the Pennsylvania Fish and Boat Commission, which designed the fish habitat/bank stabilization plan for the Larson site restoration project in the Mill Creek area.

The Rose Valley/Mill Creek Watershed Association received a Pennsylvania Growing Greener Grant in 2008 to develop fish habitat improvements at up to two sites along Mill Creek, utilizing structures recommended by the Pennsylvania Fish and Boat Commission. Lycoming was among those contracted to provide pre-construction fish, macro-invertebrates and water chemistry data at the Larson site. Construction on the site began in late October 2008.

Lycoming CWI interns helping with the project included Curtis, Zeb Buck, K.C. Failor, Brent Hile, Amanda Lane, Maxwell Olsen, Morgan Reale, Amber Rock, Megan Schulze and Greg Sledzik.

Other community members and organizations that participated, volunteered or donated to the project were: Winter Lumber Company, Dunkin’ Donuts, Williamsport Sun-Gazette, Pennsylvania Fish & Boat Commission, Lycoming and Sullivan counties watershed specialists and the Rose Valley/Mill Creek Watershed Association.

Lycoming College's Clean Water Institute interns recently completed a Mill Creek stream bank stabilization project, which provides fish habitat and helps stabilize eroding banks while reducing down-stream sedimentation.

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