Juniata River Dumpsite Survey and Characterization

The JCWP recently received $36,350 in DEP Growing Greener funds to conduct an Dumpsite Survey and Characterization in the Juniata Watershed. 

Illegal dumping is a serious problem in the 3,400 square mile region of the Juniata River Watershed.  According to the 1999 municipal wide survey included in the Watershed Management Plan, townships, with their rural, sparsely populated landscapes, find illegal roadside dumping to be their most serious problem.  Many of these illegal dumps throughout the watershed have been in existence for fifty years. 

Previous dumpsite surveys have concluded that nearly half of all dumpsites are located in or near a stream.  Contents from paint cans, motor oil containers, household chemical containers, and electronic devices can emit hazardous substances into streams or groundwater. 

Four PA CleanWays chapters will be participating in this project: Bedford, Blair, Huntingdon, and Mifflin.  Each chapter has a goal   of identifying and characterizing the dumpsites in its county.  Through this project, the JCWP also hopes to encourage the formation of CleanWays chapters in Fulton, Juniata, and Perry Counties. 

Please contact the JCWP or your local PACW chapter if you would like to report an illegal dumpsite or extended area of litter along a roadway or waterway.  We are also interested in hearing from interested volunteers.  The JCWP and CleanWays chapters need your help to complete this comprehensive survey!  

Juniata Watershed Dumpsite Survey and Characterization