Execsum



		TC/TCWA


	News & Info

	1996 Water Quality Report

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY

In 1993, the Tobyhanna Creek/Tunkhannock Creek Watershed Association began implementation of its Water Quality Monitoring Program. Since the first testing event in November 1993, the program has expanded to include 26 volunteer monitors testing 26 sites in the Tobyhanna Creek/Tunkhannock Creek Watershed on a monthly basis. Testing is conducted as outlined in the Association's ``Water Quality Monitoring Program Sampling Guide."

Training programs have been conducted to provide volunteer monitors with instruction in program goals and administration, the use of sampling and testing equipment, proper sampling techniques, and safety measures. During 1995 and 1996, 11 new volunteers were trained and incorporated into the program through formal and "on-the-job" training programs. Additionally, a training program was held in 1995 with representatives from the United States Environmental Protection Agency (USEPA), the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection (PADEP), and the Monroe County Conservation District (MCCD) on stream habitat assessment procedures.

To further expand the program, the Association is pursuing the incorporation of benthic macroinvertebrate testing into the Water Quality Monitoring Program. Members are working with the MCCD to learn procedures for benthic macroinvertebrate sampling and identification. As technical and manpower capabilities permit, this form of testing will be incorporated into the Water Quality Monitoring Program.

Monthly stream monitoring during 1995 and 1996 was conducted for pH, temperature, and stream flow velocity to quantitatively monitor the streams. Additionally, physical stream characteristics and the stream habitat were also assessed to qualitatively evaluate the streams. For comparison, pH and temperature results have been compared to Pennsylvania Water Quality Criteria (WQC) established by the PADEP for the stream's specific classification. Most of the streams in the Tobyhanna Creek/Tunkhannock Creek Watershed are classified as High Quality-Cold Water Fisheries (HQ-CWF), while two streams are classified as Exceptional Value (EV). Habitat assessment results have been compared to criteria published in ``Rapid Bioassessment Protocols for Use in Streams and Rivers - Benthic Macroinvertebrate and Fish" (USEPA, 1989). In comparison to these criteria, the results of the program can be summarized as follows:

Stream	Site	pH	Temperature	Habitat Rating
Tobyhanna Creek (HQ-CWF)	Warnertown	Met WQC (1)	Above WQC in spring and summer 1995	Optimal
	PP&L Bridge	Met WQC	Above WQC in summer 1995	Suboptimal- Optimal
	Above Pocono Lake	Met WQC	Above WQC in summer 1995	Suboptimal
	Blakeslee Club	Met WQC	Above WQC in August and October 1996	Optimal
	Route 115	Met WQC	Above WQC in August and October 1996	Optimal
Frame Cabin Run (EV)	Above Tobyhanna Creek	Consistent with 1994 data. Below HQ-CWF WQC in late winter and spring 1996	Consistent with 1994 data. Met HQ-CWF WQC	Optimal
Kistler Run (HQ-CWF)	Route 423	Below WQC	Met WQC	Suboptimal- Optimal
Hawkey Run (HQ-CWF)	Above Stillwater Lake	Met WQC	Met WQC	Optimal
Pocono Summit Creek (HQ-CWF)	Hemlock Lane	Met WQC	Above WQC (2)	1995- Suboptimal 1996 - Optimal
	Between Route 380 and Stillwater Lake	Met WQC	Above WQC in July 1995 and spring and fall 1996	Suboptimal- Optimal
Dotters Run (HQ-CWF)	Above Stillwater Lake	Below WQC (3)	Above WQC in winter, spring, and summer 1995	Optimal
Upper Tunkhannock Creek (HQ-CWF)	Miller Drive	Met WQC	Above WQC	Optimal
	Above Beaver Creek	Met WQC	Above WQC	Optimal
Unnamed Tributary to Upper Tunkhannock Creek (HQ-CWF)	Tanglewood Drive	Below WQC	Met WQC	Suboptimal
Unnamed Creek from Trout Pond to Judges Pond (HQ-CWF)	Above Judges Pond	Below WQC	Met WQC	Optimal
Unnamed Creek from Hemlock Pond (HQ-CWF)	Lakeview Drive	Below or near low end of WQC	Above WQC in springs and summers of 1995 and 1996	Marginal
Beaver Creek (HQ-CWF)	Below Tamaque Lake	Below WQC	Above WQC in summer 1996	Optimal
	Above Upper Tunkhannock Creek	Met WQC	Met WQC	Optimal
Wagner Run (HQ-CWF)	North Shore Road	Below WQC	Met WQC	Suboptimal
Wolfs Spring Run (HQ-CWF)	South Shore Road	Below WQC	Met WQC	Optimal
Tunkhannock Creek (HQ-CWF)	Long Pond Road near Richard Drive	Below WQC	Above WQC in spring 1996	Suboptimal
	Hypsie Gap Road	Below WQC	Met WQC	Suboptimal- Optimal
	Long Pond Road near Pocono Raceway	Below WQC	Above WQC	Suboptimal- Optimal
	Route 115	Below WQC	Met WQC	Not conducted
Mud Pond Run (HQ-CWF)	Kuhenbeaker Road	Below WQC	Above WQC in spring 1996	Optimal
Keipers Run (HQ-CWF)	Route 903	Below or near low end of WQC	Above WQC	Not conducted


	Notes

	(1) = Met WQC for the majority of the testing events.

	(2) = Above WQC for the majority of the testing events.

	(3) = Below WQC for the majority of the testing events.

The Association also participated in the Delaware River Basin Commission's (DRBC) Water Snapshot `96 program. Participation in this program was conducted in conjunction with the April 1996 monthly testing event. In addition to the basic tests, samples were collected and analyzed for nitrates+nitrites and total phosphorus, and field measurements were made for dissolved oxygen. Nitrates+nitrites and dissolved oxygen measurements met Pennsylvania WQC. Total phosphorus was not detected in the streams tested.

Testing was also conducted to evaluate potential impacts to streams during a large race weekend at Pocono Raceway. Fecal coliform samples were collected and analyzed from three test sites in the vicinity of Pocono Raceway before and after the NASCAR race weekend of July 20-21, 1996. These samples did not show significant changes over the course of the weekend.

Based on the information gathered as part of this program, it is recommended that volunteers continue to inspect the streams on a regular basis and that the Association continue its educational efforts. Further action is recommended to address the following issues which were identified during the Water Quality Monitoring Program:

Tobyhanna Creek - Above Pocono Lake - Monitor potential erosion concerns from logging activities.
Pocono Summit Creek - Hemlock Lane - Monitor flow and investigate options to prevent the creek from going dry, as occurred in 1995.
Upper Tunkhannock Creek - Above Beaver Creek - Evaluate the source of the significantly elevated stream temperatures observed throughout 1995 and 1996.
Unnamed Creek from Hemlock Pond - Monitor impacts on the stream quality, if any, due to the new culverts.
Mud Pond Run - Below Kuhenbeaker Road - Request that the source of the sediment accumulating below Kuhenbeaker Road be addressed by Monroe County in the county's comprehensive stormwater management plan.

To supplement the data gathered as part of this program, the Association recommends that the Monroe County Planning Commission (MCPC) include Beaver Creek and Pocono Summit Creek in its Annual Water Quality Study.

To continue the development of the Water Quality Monitoring Program, the following goals are established for 1997:

Expand the program to include benthic macroinvertebrate testing

Expand the program to include chemical analysis at a greater frequency

Incorporate additional test sites into the MCPC's Annual Water Quality Study

Improve QA/QC sampling to meet program objectives

Expand testing into the lower watershed (Blakeslee area) and upper watershed (Tobyhanna area)