Indiana County Watersheds
What is a watershed?
A watershed is an area of land that drains into a common body of water. Everyone lives in a watershed. When a drop of rain falls on your house, that drop eventually makes it to a stream, putting your home in that stream’s watershed. Watersheds come in all sizes and there are watersheds within watersheds. Further, they cross township, county, state, and national boundaries.
Why do we care about watersheds?
Each stream’s watershed leads to a larger creek or river and the pollution that each of us contributes to our watersheds can cause pollution overloads downstream.
What types of pollution affect my watershed?
- Many watersheds in Indiana County suffer from a variety of pollutants including
- Abandoned Mine Drainage (AMD). AMD is often acidic and can carry toxic metals such as iron, aluminum, and manganese which poison fish and insects. AMD impacted streams are often lifeless and discolored.
- Sediments from Dirt Roads and Agriculture. The lack of trees along streams encourages erosion. Erosion leads to property loss and the sedimentation of streams which makes it difficult for fish to breathe and makes water dirty for use downstream.
- Fecal Coliforms from Sewage. Improperly managed waste water makes our streams unfit for recreation, use, and consumption.
- Flooding Due to Increased Development. Storm water runoff from housing developments, shopping centers, and highways can lead to property damage if it is not managed properly. Although most of Indiana County is rural, our streams are starting to show signs of overdevelopment.
What is the good news?
Indiana County is unique in that it has two very different major watersheds. Precipitation falling on the northeast corner of the county drains to the Chesapeake Bay via the West Branch of the Susquehanna River. All other precipitation falling in the county drains to the Ohio River and ultimately the Gulf of Mexico.
Several of our watersheds have desirable qualities. The Little Mahoning Creek Watershed has unique aquatic diversity and is home to the largest salamander, the hellbender. Blackleggs Creek Watershed is a favorite fishing spot for stocked trout fisherman. Yellow Creek Watershed is blessed with a state park. Finally, Crooked Creek Watershed boasts some of the most productive agricultural land in our county.
What does the Indiana County Conservation District do to help watersheds?
The Indiana County Conservation District Watershed Specialist is a full-time employee who works solely on watershed issues. They conduct watershed assessments, write implementation plans, oversee restoration projects, educate the public, and help build the capacity of the numerous non-profit, volunteer environmental organizations within the county. The Watershed Specialist is available to meet with landowners to discuss pollution concerns and write grants to mitigate threats.
To learn more about what watershed you live in and if your watershed is suffering from pollution, visit the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection’seMapPA or contact your Watershed Specialist
Contact Information
Brooke Esarey, Watershed Specialist
b.esarey@iccdpa.org
(724) 471-4751 Ext. 3
Adam Cotchen, Manager
a.cotchen@iccdpa.org
(724) 471-4751 Ext. 4
Indiana County Conservation District 