Background
and Intentions of the JCWP
This planning process began with the premise that everyone in this region should help to determine the quality of life in our communities. Volunteers, natural resource professionals, and key decision makers have worked side by side for more than three years to produce this plan. The Juniata Clean Water Partnership (JCWP) believes it has prepared an effective document and action plan that is meaningful, ambitious, and practical.
This document, the Juniata Watershed Management Plan, is being submitted to the PA Department of Conservation and Natural Resources (DCNR) Bureau of Recreation and Conservation by the JCWP, on behalf of the Mid-State Resource Conservation and Development Council and the Southern Alleghenies Conservancy. With submission of the plan to the DCNR, the JCWP will petition the state to be put on the Pennsylvania Rivers Conservation Registry. Once on that listing, the Juniata River watershed will be eligible for matching funds for the implementation of projects identified in this plan. This will allow a number of watershed associations, municipalities, conservation districts, county planning organizations, and community organizations to leverage funding.
Now that the Juniata Watershed Management
Plan is complete, the JCWP and all the involved communities can proceed to the
next task: carrying out the recommended actions and projects listed in this
plan. Implementing the recommended
actions will require thousands of committed people and organizations to work
together patiently over the next decade and beyond.
This watershed plan completes a crucial planning phase for the Juniata River watershed and for the Juniata Clean Water Partnership. Yet the completion of the plan by no means represents the “end of the road” for the JCWP or for watershed planning more generally. Rather, this is just the beginning. The completed plan will serve as the catalyst for watershed restoration and protection projects that will provide watershed residents with a clean and healthy future.
As we proceed to the new task of implementing watershed restoration projects, the JCWP is committed to the communities of the Juniata watershed. In order for this plan to be a success, we need to keep the momentum going and begin work on the numerous projects identified. The JCWP is determined to do this by assisting communities as they carry out projects identified in the watershed plan, by continuing to increase public awareness and education on watershed issues, by conducting watershed-wide studies and modeling as needed, by fostering communication and cooperation between communities for natural resource improvement, and by assisting in the establishment of successful watershed associations for the tributaries of the Juniata River. We look to the residents and local government officials of the Juniata watershed to take the lead in successfully improving the water quality and overall quality of life for everyone in this region.
A. The Juniata Watershed Management Plan: Creating a Community Vision
Creating the Juniata Watershed Management Plan was the initial focus of the JCWP steering committee. Rather than simply identifying and undertaking water-related conservation and restoration projects on a piecemeal basis, the committee decided to develop a comprehensive watershed plan for the entire Juniata River basin. This plan is driven by the concerns of local residents. The plan considers and prioritizes many different water-related projects so that the highest priority concerns will be addressed first. Thus, the JCWP identified the DCNR Rivers Conservation Program as a source of support that would enable them to gather the background research and public input needed to develop the plan.
The JCWP steering committee’s efforts in developing the watershed plan have been driven by three key principles: grassroots involvement, conservation, and stewardship.
Partners of the JCWP recognize that the best decisions regarding a river or other local resource are usually made by those who have the most familiarity with that resource. The more distant decision makers are from the places affected by their decisions, the greater the possibility that those decisions will inadequately address the situation. Thus the JCWP felt it was crucial to hear and incorporate the concerns of local residents and community leaders throughout the planning process. True grassroots involvement is integral to the plan design and process.
The more involved the public is in this process, the more likely it is that they will accept the plan. A greater level of acceptance among the communities of the Juniata watershed means increased public commitment to implement the many facets of this plan. Secondly, our public participation meetings provided opportunities for a multi-faceted exchange of information and ideas. It allowed the JCWP to hear the concerns of local communities, and at the same time allowed everyone to absorb new information and understand potential projects.
The JCWP envisions a watershed whose resources are used and conserved for the benefit of all residents, including those yet to be born. Conservation activities that protect drinking water sources, build topsoil, maintain scarce resources, or otherwise increase the ability of ecosystems to function in a healthy manner improve the quality of life for everyone. Conservation is fundamentally concerned with maintaining the health of human and natural communities and the relationships within and between those communities. Therefore, the JCWP’s decisions are guided by a balanced concern for the environmental, social, and economic well being of the residents of the Juniata watershed. The principle of conservation must apply to all three spheres if we are to see positive results in any one sphere. If people in a community are unable to make a decent living, the social life of a community suffers. And if the social bonds of small communities weaken, the prudent use and protection of local natural resources receives lower priority than meeting basic needs. Likewise, in a weak economy, there is less available money to put towards protection and restoration of resources.
Finally, the JCWP is motivated by the principle of stewardship. In the development of this plan, and as we work towards the greater goal of conserving the natural resources of the Juniata watershed, the JCWP is guided by the ethic of appropriately managing the abundant resources that are entrusted to those of us in this region. The JCWP, in turn, encourages landowners and municipal officials in the Juniata watershed to be good stewards of their land, considering the impacts their decisions have on the entire community. When the principle of stewardship guides the use of resources, conservation becomes a given.
Local people will not always agree with one another regarding the best way to achieve a healthy environment, but solutions can be found. Environmental protection and economic development do not have to be conflicting goals. With strong grassroots involvement from local residents, especially municipal officials, and long-term planning informed by the principles of stewardship and conservation, we can work together to restore and enhance the Juniata watershed for the benefit of all of its residents.
There are several reasons why the JCWP steering committee identified a need for a watershed plan. The plan has been designed to do the following:
- Reduce threats to water quality and quantity from numerous sources such as poor or no storm water management, inadequate or non-existing sewage treatment, eroding stream banks, nutrient and sediment overload, acid mine drainage, and poor floodplain management.
- Provide healthy resources to sustain the region’s way of life.
- Improve and provide greater consistency to regional planning efforts.
- Encourage municipal officials to assume responsibility for their water-related problems.
- Improve the level of education on watershed concepts and issues.
- Increase citizen participation and decision making on resource issues.
- Create a strategy to best implement future projects.
- Direct appropriate additional funding to municipalities and organizations to carry out necessary conservation projects.
- Foster long-term partnerships among state and local agencies with community stakeholders to meet common conservation goals.
B. Background of the Juniata Clean Water Partnership
The Juniata Clean Water Partnership was formed in 1997 to begin addressing the environmental and natural resource issues affecting the Juniata River watershed. The JCWP is a regional coalition of citizens, community groups, non-profit conservation organizations, county planning offices, and county conservation districts. The mission of the JCWP is to build local capacity to protect, enhance, and restore the natural resources of the Juniata watershed.
In May of 1998, the Mid-State Resource Conservation and Development Council and the Southern Alleghenies Conservancy, on behalf of the JCWP, were awarded a Rivers Conservation Planning grant through the PA Department of Conservation and Natural Resources, Bureau of Recreation and Conservation. This funding was used to create a comprehensive watershed plan that identifies natural resource issues, concerns, threats, and opportunities. The Juniata Watershed Management Plan will be crucial to maintaining good water quality and quantity and a high standard of living into the 21st century for the residents of the Juniata watershed.
The initial, overall goals of the JCWP were to develop a watershed plan for communities in the Juniata River watershed, to identify projects in need of funding, to build public awareness of watershed issues and threats, and to foster communication and cooperation between communities for natural resource improvement. As we began nearing the completion of the watershed plan, we adjusted our goals and added the following:
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Assisting communities in implementing the watershed plan,
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Increasing public awareness and education on watershed issues,
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Conducting watershed-wide studies and modeling as needed, and
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Assisting in the establishment of successful watershed associations for the tributaries of the Juniata River.
Partners in this effort include:
Allegheny Heritage
Development Corporation
Allegheny Ridge State Heritage Park
Bedford County Conservation District
Bedford County Planning
Blair County Conservation District
Blair County Planning
Canaan Valley Institute
Chesapeake Bay Foundation
Department of Conservation and Natural
Resources
Department of Environmental Protection
Fulton County Conservation District
Fulton County Planning
Howard Heinz
Endowment/Western PA Watershed
Protection Program
Huntingdon County Conservation District
Huntingdon County Planning
Juniata College
Juniata County Conservation District
Juniata County Planning
Mid-State Resource Conservation and
Development Council
Mifflin County Conservation District
Mifflin County Planning
Pennsylvania State Cooperative Extension
Perry County Conservation District
Southern Alleghenies Conservancy
Southern Alleghenies Resource Conservation
and Development Council
Tri-County Regional Planning
C. Grantee Background Information
The JCWP is a regional coalition and not an incorporated, non-profit organization. Therefore, it was unable to receive a Rivers Conservation grant directly from DCNR. Two of the JCWP’s member organizations applied for the grant on its behalf. The applicants to DCNR’s Rivers Conservation grant program were the Mid-State Resource Conservation and Development (RC&D) Council and the Southern Alleghenies Conservancy (SAC). Both organizations are non-profit, tax-exempt regional organizations whose staffs are led by a council and board of directors to serve the social and environmental needs of local communities.
The Mid-State RC&D was established in 1993 to serve Juniata, Mifflin, Snyder, and Union counties. In 1999, the Mid-State’s region expanded to include Perry County. The mission of the RC&D is “To address the long-term needs of our communities by conserving and sharing our common resources.” Projects supported by the RC&D focus on community and recreational services, economic improvement, and natural resources management. Mid-State RC&D has utilized creative and innovative methods to produce income and maintain expenses without sacrificing their services to citizens of the region.
SAC was established in 1990 and serves Bedford, Blair, Cambria, Fulton, Huntingdon, and Somerset counties. The conservancy acts as a vital link between grassroots citizens and organizations with programs and initiatives that serve their needs. The Southern Alleghenies RC&D and Conservancy work side by side to achieve true grassroots resource protection activities.
D. Overview of the Plan
The Juniata Watershed Management Plan is structured as follows.
1. Resource Chapters
The first section, consisting of Chapters II through VI, describes the various resources of the Juniata River watershed.
Chapter II is a general description of the watershed, including brief overviews of the history, topography/geology, land use, transportation infrastructure, socio-economic and political characteristics of the area. This chapter also includes descriptions of prior studies that have focused on the Juniata watershed.
Chapter III focuses on the land resources of the watershed, describing the soils, land ownership patterns, and hazardous areas (hazardous waste sites, abandoned mine land, sinkholes, steep slopes).
Chapter IV focuses on the water resources of the watershed, describing the major tributaries, stream designated uses, wetlands, floodplains, and lakes of the area. This chapter also discusses general water quality threats in the watershed, monitoring efforts, and water supply issues.
Chapter V focuses on the biological resources of the watershed, describing the wildlife, vegetation, rare species, and important habitats that exist in the area.
Chapter VI focuses on the cultural resources of the watershed, describing the recreation areas, historic sites, and education resources found in the area.
2. Recommended Actions
The next section, consisting of Chapters VII and VIII, is the heart of the plan. This is the section that describes the major concerns in the watershed and recommends projects that address those concerns.
Chapter VII highlights the major issues and concerns that exist in the Juniata River watershed. This chapter describes the processes that the JCWP used to gather public input and learn what are the major concerns in this area. These processes included two rounds of public meetings and a water resources survey of municipal officials. The findings of these activities are located in Chapter VII and in Appendix B.
Chapter VIII lists the recommended actions that are intended to address the issues and concerns discussed in the previous chapter. These recommendations are described in two distinct formats: Recommended Action summary tables and an Implementation Strategy. The Recommended Action summary tables list, in a tabular format, the recommended actions, the potential partner agencies involved in implementation, potential funding agencies, and the general priority of each action. The Implementation Strategy identifies the general approach recommended to address the overall issue, the list of specific recommended actions, supplemental information about the recommendations (descriptions, sources or agencies to consult, location with existing projects), suggested steps to proceed, and potential contacts, including brief descriptions of how each contact agency may be helpful.
Both formats are divided according to resource categories, which correspond to Chapters III through VI. Resource category sections are indicated by tabs along the edge of the plan. They include Land, Water, Biological, Recreational, Cultural/Historical, Educational, Political/Economic.
If you have an interest in one particular issue and would like to skip directly to the list of recommended actions for that issue, see Table VIII-1, page VIII-81, for the summary list of issues addressed in this plan. There you can find your issue of interest and the resource category which contains it. Go to the first page of that resource category section. There you will find the list of issues within that category, along with page numbers where you can find the Recommended Action summary table and/or Implementation Strategy page(s) for each issue.
An Acronym List, useful for deciphering the Recommended Action summary tables, is included as Table VIII-2, immediately preceding the Land Resources section of Chapter VIII.
3. Appendices
All of the plan maps are located in Appendix A.
Appendix B features more information about the public participation processes described in Chapter VII. Here you will find agendas from the public meetings, lists of environmental and political concerns and positive issues by public meeting location, minutes of the second round of public meetings, a copy of the municipal survey, and more survey response information, including a map and list of municipalities which have returned the survey, and a chart of the results.
More importantly, Appendix B includes two tables that list specific projects. Projects in these tables are also considered to be recommended actions of this plan. Table B-1 features specific projects suggested during the draft plan review process, at public meetings or elsewhere. Table B-2 features needed water-related projects suggested by municipal officials in the survey the JCWP administered.
Appendix B also includes a list of municipalities that have supported the planning process. This information becomes significant as recommended actions become implemented. Projects carried out in a non-supporting municipality, whether recommended actions or not, are not given priority consideration for funding by DCNR. If you are interested in receiving funding to carry out one of the recommended actions, make sure that your municipality (township or borough) has expressed written support of the Juniata Watershed Management Plan.
Appendix C features tables of information pertaining to the resource chapters (II through VI). Please consult the List of Tables, page vi, to see what information is available.
Appendix D features excerpts of related studies, including the Juniata River Corridor Reconnaissance Survey (discussed on page VI-54), the Water Quality and Biological Assessment of the Juniata Subbasin (discussed on page IV-38), the Juniata River Basin Reconnaissance Study and the Supplement for the Raystown Branch (Army Corps of Engineers), and the USGS study, “Water Quality in the Lower Susquehanna River Basin, Pennsylvania and Maryland, 1992-95.” The projects identified in these studies should also be considered as supplements to the recommended actions.
The list of cited sources completes the plan.
Click here to continue to Chapter II - Description of the Juniata Watershed