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Insights from Two Years of Community Science Monitoring in Darby Creek

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By Anna Willig, Watershed Conservation Research and Data Specialist

This March, the Darby Creek Community Science Monitoring Program (DCCS) — a collaboration between Willistown Conservation Trust, Darby Creek Valley Association, and Stroud Water Research Center — celebrated its second birthday! We officially launched the DCCS in March 2021 with two stalwart volunteers sampling at two sites in Berwyn. Today, 28 volunteers actively monitor 21 sample sites throughout the watershed, extending past Folcroft (Figure 1). The goals of the DCCS are to learn about the health of Darby Creek and its tributaries and identify key restoration sites through monthly water quality monitoring visits.

Figure 1

Water temperature is a key indicator of stream health. As water warms, it holds less oxygen and becomes inhospitable to aquatic wildlife. Trout fishes are one of the most sensitive groups to high water temperature and are a benchmark for healthy streams. If streams are too warm for trout, they are likely too warm for a host of other aquatic species, including mussels and macroinvertebrates. Water temperatures in Darby Creek are often too warm to support the reproduction and survival of trout species (Figure 2). The removal of trees along a stream, increases in development, and stormwater runoff can all contribute to warming streams. The best way to cool streams down is by reforesting stream banks, planting native plants, and designing stormwater management that allows rain to soak into the soil.

Another indicator of stream health is chloride concentration. Chloride is an ion that reflects the amount of salt in streams. Road salt is the main source of salt in streams and is increasingly recognized as a major pollutant. Chloride concentration varies widely between sites in Darby Creek (Figure 3). Generally, chloride concentrations are below the chronic exposure threshold set by the EPA, but are above levels that researchers have found harmful to aquatic organisms. While road salt is necessary for safe winter travel, limiting use and sweeping salt up after storms can reduce salt pollution in streams.

While temperature and chloride concentration reflect a host of threats to the health of Darby Creek, our volunteers have found good news in Darby Creek. One volunteer found a small population of freshwater mussels — which are uncommon in Darby Creek — at one sample site. Freshwater mussels are one of the most imperiled groups globally, and finding them in Darby Creek is a clear indicator that, despite development and pollution, the creek is still a critical resource deserving of protection. We are working with research groups to document and protect this precious group of mussels.

Figure 2. Water temperature in Darby Creek. Each dot represents a measurement taken by a volunteer. Each site is individually colored. The black line represents the maximum water temperature that supports the reproduction of trout.
Figure 3. Chloride concentration in Darby Creek. Each dot represents a measurement taken by a volunteer. Each site is individually colored.

We are incredibly grateful to all the fantastic volunteers who participate in this program. Through their dedication and enthusiasm, the DCCS has exceeded all expectations! The heart of this program is partnership, and we are thankful for support from Stroud Water Research Center and Darby Creek Valley Association. As the DCCS enters its third year, we are excited to build on partnerships, gain new insights, and leverage our volunteers’ data to improve the health of Darby Creek.

To learn more about the Darby Creek Community Science Monitoring Program, please visit their website or email Lauren McGrath (lbm@wctrust.org).

Help Keep our Drinking Water Clean by Reducing Salt Pollution

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By WCT Conservation Research and Data Specialist Anna Willig
Cover Photo by Jennifer Mathes

Salt levels, often measured as chloride concentration, have increased dramatically in U.S. streams since the 1940s, when it became common practice in the U.S. to salt roads during winter storms. The Pennsylvania Department of Transportation applies over 800,000 tons of road salt per year to state roads in addition to a similar amount applied by municipalities and private citizens. These numbers add up to over 1.5 million tons of road salt applied per year in Pennsylvania alone, all of which eventually ends up in waterways. Though salt is naturally present in streams at trace concentrations due to the weathering of rocks and soils, the insects, fish, mussels, and amphibians that live in local waterways cannot tolerate the spikes in salt concentration that occur in winter.

Road salts threaten streams in two ways. During and after a winter storm, salt concentrations in streams can skyrocket as salty meltwater rushes in, creating conditions that are acutely toxic for fish and other stream creatures. Salts also build up in soils and in groundwater, slowly entering streams throughout the year and resulting in chronically elevated salt concentrations. Many stream organisms, particularly freshwater mussels, cannot tolerate these long-term increases in salt concentration and gradually disappear from streams.  

In the streams in the Willistown region, we have seen both acute spikes in salt concentration and evidence of chronic build-up through our monthly water quality monitoring program  in the headwaters of Ridley, Crum, and Darby Creeks. Chloride concentration, an indicator of salt pollution, is typically highest in winter months, with a notable spike occurring in February 2021. The spike in February 2021 was caused by snowmelt actively washing road salts into the streams. Chloride concentrations remain elevated throughout the year, often exceeding 50 mg/L, the maximum salt threshold that the most sensitive stream organisms can tolerate. 

Figure 1. Chloride concentration, an indicator of salt contamination, in the headwaters of Ridley, Crum, and Darby Creeks. All the red points indicate sample sites in Ridley Creek, the green points indicate sample sites in Crum Creek, and the blue points indicate a sample site in Darby Creek. 

Salt contamination in streams also harms human health and infrastructure. Road salt can end up in drinking water wells and water supplies and often is not removed by water treatments facilities. As salts move through the environment, they can pick up other pollutants along the way, further contaminating streams and drinking water. Salts also speed up the corrosion of metal pipes and concrete, shortening the lifespan of infrastructure. Similarly, overuse of salt rusts and corrodes cars, leading to expensive repairs. 

While road salt is necessary for safety, here are some ways to reduce salt pollution:

  • Shovel before applying salt. Even on cold days, the sun can still melt a thin layer of snow and may take care of the problem for you.
  • Do not use more than the recommended amount of salt. Only 1 mug full of salt, or 12 oz., is required to melt a 20-foot-long driveway. Read the instructions on your bag to see how much you need. 
  • If you feel crunching when you walk, you applied too much! Salt only works when it dissolves, so all the crystals that you feel crunching underfoot are not actually melting snow and ice. 
  • After the snow and ice have melted, sweep up any remaining salt! Save it and apply it during the next storm. 
  • Report large piles of salt on roads to your local municipality.
  • Share information about road salt and encourage your neighbors to use less!

To learn more about how to reduce salt pollution, check out these resources: 

Capturing a Snapshot of Darby Creek

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By WCT Conservation Research and Data Specialist Anna Willig 

At the beginning of November, the Watershed Protection Program at Willistown Conservation Trust (WCT) partnered with the Darby Creek Valley Watershed Association (DCVA) and, together, enlisted four volunteers to conduct a sampling “blitz” in the Darby Creek Watershed. With the help of our determined volunteers, we collected samples from 19 previously unstudied sites in two hours (Map 1). Once the volunteers collected the samples, everyone met at the Upper Main Line YMCA’s Artisan Village to analyze water quality and discuss the results. 

Our Team (from left to right): Charlie Coulter (volunteer), Anna Willig (WCT, author), Lauren McGrath, Michelle Lampley (UMLY), Deirdre Gordon (volunteer), Lloyd Cole (volunteer), Dale Weaver (volunteer), and Aurora Dizel (DCVA).

Darby Creek originates in small tributaries along the Route 30 corridor from Easttown to Ardmore which flow together as the stream makes its way towards John Heinz National Wildlife Refuge where it meets the Delaware River. Throughout its length, Darby Creek flows through many highly developed areas, picking up road salts, fertilizers, and other pollutants from lawns, parking lots, and roadways. 

Despite these threats to the health of the stream, few community science studies have been completed to understand the health of Darby Creek and all of its tributaries. To shed some light on the water quality in the Darby Creek Watershed, the Darby Creek Community Science Monitoring Program was launched in 2021 in partnership with DCVA and under the scientific guidance of Stroud Water Research Center. To date, volunteers have been trained to collect high quality water chemistry data at 15 sites throughout the entire watershed every four weeks. 

The sampling blitz, which covered 19 sites in the headwaters of Darby Creek, allowed us to gain even more information on water quality while controlling for weather conditions. Rain, heat, and other weather conditions can impact water quality measurements. By sampling at a single point in time, we can capture differences in water quality between sample sites rather than changes caused by time. Many of the sampling sites were located on small tributaries, allowing us to study how fine-scale differences in land use upstream of the sample site can impact water quality. 

One of the goals of the sampling blitz was to understand salt pollution in the headwaters of Darby Creek. Road salts applied in the winter end up in streams as snow and ice melt and flow into the nearest waterway. Salts can build up in groundwater and soils, resulting in long-term increases in salt concentration in streams, a phenomenon known as freshwater salinization. Freshwater salinization is occurring across North America, and increases in salt concentration threaten the fish, insects, mussels, and other organisms living in streams. By measuring salt concentration in November, before winter road salts are applied, we capture baseline concentrations that reflect long-term buildup of salts in soils and groundwater. 

The results of the sampling blitz indicate that salt pollution (as measured by chloride concentration) varied widely across the headwaters of Darby Creek. Chloride concentration ranged from 34 ppm to 230 ppm (Map 1). The lowest chloride concentration was measured at Site 19, a site located on Camp Run, a small tributary to Darby Creek. The area that drains into Camp Run is predominantly agricultural land, with some sections of limited residential development and forest. By contrast, chloride concentration was highest at Site 2, a site on an unnamed tributary. The land that drains into Site 2 is similar to the size of the Camp Run watershed, but is much more developed. The tributary originates near a SEPTA train station and flows under Route 30, picking up salt and contamination from residential and commercial developments. Identifying pollution hotspots, such as Site 2, can help determine areas that should be targeted for future restoration. 

Map 1. Sample sites in the headwaters of Darby Creek. Each point represents the approximate location of a sample site and is colored by the chloride concentration at that site. Low chloride concentrations are represented by pale yellow, with high chloride concentrations represented by a dark red. The red box indicates the sample area.

Another indicator of water quality that volunteers measured was specific conductivity, which reflects how well electricity can move through water. Pure water is a poor conductor and has a low conductivity. As more ions are added to the water — from pollutants such as salts, fertilizers, and heavy metals — conductivity increases. Conductivity also varied greatly between sites, ranging from 325 to 967 μS/cm. While a higher conductivity indicates a higher concentration of pollutants, it does not indicate the type of pollutant. When chloride (which is an ion that increases conductivity) is compared to conductivity at each site, we found that there is a strong relationship between the two measurements (shown by the trendline), indicating that salt pollution is the biggest driver of conductivity in the headwaters of Darby Creek (Figure 1). However, there are two sites, Site 1 and Site 9, that do not quite follow the relationship. Further research is needed to understand what is driving conductivity at these sites. To learn more about conductivity, check out the State of Our Streams Report. 

Figure 1. The relationship between chloride concentration and specific conductivity in the headwaters of Darby Creek. Each point represents a chloride concentration and specific conductivity measurement taken at a sample site. Points are colored by site. 

The results of the snapshot survey indicate that water quality is highly variable in the headwaters of Darby Creek. Sites that drain the highly-developed Route 30 corridor, such as Site 2 and Site 5, have relatively poor water quality, while sites that drain areas with more open space, such as Site 18 and Site 19, have much better water quality. The variability in water quality within a small section of the Darby Creek Watershed highlights the deep connection between local land use and stream health. Protecting areas of open space, especially in small tributaries, is crucial to maintaining and improving water quality throughout the entire watershed. 

Additionally, increasing awareness of threats to water quality, such as winter road salt application, can help to reduce the impact on local streams. To reduce road salt contamination in streams, avoid over applying salt and sweep up any salt that remains after snow and ice have melted. The salt can be reused for the next winter storm, saving money and helping improve water quality! 

This snapshot survey was a pilot for a larger survey WCT, DCVA, and Stroud Water Research Center are hoping to conduct in the spring. We are deeply grateful to the Upper Main Line YMCA for hosting this event and to our fantastic volunteers who were willing and eager to explore new sections of stream to collect this data. The snapshot survey would not have been possible without our partnerships with DCVA and Stroud Water Research Center. If you are interested in joining our community science program, please contact Lauren McGrath at lbm@wctrust.org. 

The Tale of Two Streams

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Every four weeks, the Watershed Protection Program heads over to East Goshen to visit two branches of Ridley Creek near the Goshenville Blacksmith Shop. We trudge down the road to our first site, RC1, which lies in the main stem of Ridley Creek. We hop in the creek, take measurements, collect samples, and then we walk about 150 feet to our next site, WBRC1, West Branch Ridley Creek, where we do it all over again. Even though these two sample sites are right next to each other, WBRC1 is in a completely different creek. Just downstream from these two sample sites, the West Branch merges into Ridley Creek, and the waters from the sample sites flow together as one.

Ridley Creek

In many ways, these two streams are identical. The amount of water flowing through them is nearly the same. Also similar in size is the size of land they drain. Their banks are lined by both trees and shrubs, with a few patches of clearing. The stream beds are rocky along with some sand and mud near the banks. Given all of these similarities, it would be easy to imagine that the water quality is similar at these two sites, as well.

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West Branch Ridley Creek

However, as the Watershed Protection Team discovered, once we started looking at the water chemistry, we found that the two streams are quite different. Immediately, we noticed differences in specific conductivity. Specific conductivity measures the ease at which electricity can move through water, and pure water is a terrible conductor, meaning it has low specific conductivity. So when we find that specific conductivity is high in water, then that tells us that there are pollutants present. Comparing WBRC1 and RC1, we found that the specific conductivity is much higher in WBRC1 than RC1, meaning the water quality is much lower in WBRC1. However, specific conductivity cannot tell us which pollutants are in the water–it can only indicate that there are pollutants.  

Specific Conductivity Data for RC1 and WBRC1

Looking deeper into the chemistry, we found that WBRC1 contains higher concentrations of chlorides, nitrogen, and phosphorus, all of which increase specific conductivity. So where are they coming from? For chlorides, the answer is road salts. After road salts are applied in winter, they runoff into streams and groundwaters, where they can persist throughout the year, leading to higher concentrations of chlorides year round. For nitrogen and phosphorus, the answer is a little more complicated. They can come from a few different sources, most commonly fertilizers, leaky septic and sewer systems, and animal waste. Elevated concentrations of chlorides, nitrogen, and phosphorus are concerning because these pollutants can threaten the survival of sensitive stream organisms, such as mussels, trout, and stream insects. 

RC1 and WBRC1 Chloride Data

However, this poses more questions: why are there higher concentrations of salts and nutrients at WBRC1? How could water chemistry at two sites only 150 feet apart from each other be so different? To understand where these contaminants are coming from, we needed to look at what is going on in the land upstream of each sample site. And what we found is a difference in impervious surfaces.

Phosphorus Bar Graph
Nitrogen Bar Graph

Impervious surfaces are any surfaces that water cannot directly pass through, such as roads, sidewalks, parking lots, driveways, and buildings. These surfaces have several direct and indirect impacts on water quality. Many impervious surfaces are treated with road salt in the winter, and any rain or snow that hits these surfaces will carry that salt into the stream, increasing chloride concentrations. Impervious surfaces also reflect human activity in an area. Generally, the more impervious surfaces in an area, the more humans, and with more humans comes more fertilizer applications on lawns and gardens and more septic and sewer systems, all of which can flow into streams. As a result, there is a strong relationship between the amount of impervious surface cover and the pollutants that drain into a stream system.

We found that of the land that drains into WBRC1, 20% of that area is covered by impervious surfaces, as compared with RC1, where only 14% of the area is covered by impervious surfaces. While 6% may seem like a small difference, it is large enough to account for the difference in water quality of these two streams. This tells us that for Ridley Creek to maintain its health and water quality, we need to strive to stay below 20% impervious surfaces, and maybe even less than that. 

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Catchments draining into West Branch Ridley Creek (WBRC1) and main stem Ridley Creek (RC1) sampling sites. Note the dense impervious surface cover in the WBRC1 catchment compared to the RC1 catchment.

The story of these two streams can be a hopeful one, and there are many lessons to be learned. If we can keep the amount of impervious surfaces down, we can protect water quality, even at an incredibly local scale. The more land we can protect as open space, the better the water quality in our streams and rivers. 

In addition to protecting land, we as individuals can also reduce the impact that impervious surfaces have on streams by doing the following:

  1. Limiting the amount of road salt used in the winter or sweeping up road salt after storms pass. This is a great way to reduce the amount of salt entering streams. 
  2. Reducing fertilizer use and avoiding applying fertilizers before rainstorms.
  3. Planting rain gardens alongside roads and driveways to help collect and filter stormwater, further reducing the amount of salts and nutrients entering streams. Native flowers, shrubs, and trees are great at absorbing excess nutrients and salts before they enter streams, and planting more of these plants will go a long way towards improving water quality.  
  4. Finding more tips here: Healthy Streams Start with Healthy Landscapes.

No matter how far away you are from a stream, any action you can take will make a difference.  

— By Watershed Conservation Associate Anna Willig

Sources:

Baker, M. E., Schley, M. L., & Sexton, J. O. (2019). Impacts of Expanding Impervious Surface on Specific Conductance in Urbanizing Streams. Water Resources Research, 55(8), 6482–6498. https://doi.org/10.1029/2019WR025014

Morse, C. C., Huryn, A. D., & Cronan, C. (2003). Impervious Surface Area as a Predictor of the Effects of Urbanization on Stream Insect Communities in Maine, U.S.A. Environmental Monitoring and Assessment, 89(1), 95–127. https://doi.org/10.1023/A:1025821622411

Beaver Business

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Please Note: The Watershed Protection Team is excited to welcome our newest team member and encourages all visitors to keep an eye out for beavers at Ashbridge but please do not go searching for them. The health of our waterways will benefit from the presence of Castor canadensis, so please be respectful of their space.  

In the middle of the 2021 spring tree planting, the Watershed Protection Team had quite the surprise when we spotted evidence of beaver activity in Ashbridge Preserve. A single tree was knocked down along Ridley Creek, with distinctive teeth marks that indicated a beaver had found itself a tasty meal. In October, the first lodge was located, and it was clear that the beavers had settled in the center of 1,000 freshly planted trees. But more than concern was a feeling of validation; the hard work of every staff member, volunteer and student has resulted in the creation of suitable habitat for one of nature’s most effective ecosystem engineers.

  • A beaver caught on the Trust’s wildlife cam
  • Evidence of beaver activity at Ashbridge Preserve. Photo by author.

Beavers (Castor canadensis) are the largest rodent found in North America, reaching 3 feet in length and weighing between 30 and 60 pounds. They have small faces, stocky brown bodies, and a distinctively hairless, paddle-shaped tail. Their tail allows beavers to be distinguished from groundhogs, which have short, furry tails, and muskrats, which have long, hairless tails. Beavers are well-adapted for an aquatic lifestyle: when they dive underwater, their eyes are protected by a set of transparent eyelids and their ears and nose are protected by watertight membranes. They even have a second set of lips that close behind their teeth, which allows them to chew while underwater and not drown. They can remain underwater for 15 minutes, and their oily, waterproof fur helps them stay dry. Their webbed feet and rudder-like tail allows beavers to swim at speeds of 5 miles per hour.

Chompy the beaver was donated to Willistown Conservation Trust and currently lodges in the Rushton Conservation Center. Note its glossy fur and hairless, paddle-shaped tail. Photo by author.

Beavers were once abundant throughout North America, from northern Mexico all the way up to the southern Arctic. However, they were heavily hunted for their waterproof pelts by European colonizers, and their numbers dropped rapidly. In Pennsylvania, beavers were wiped out by the beginning of the 20th century. Reintroduction efforts in the 1920s proved successful, and beaver populations have been stable in Pennsylvania since the 1930s, though they likely are not as abundant as they were before European colonization. There are a few known beaver colonies near Willistown in Ridley and Darby creeks, and evidence of beaver activity is occasionally spotted in Willistown, most recently at Ashbridge Preserve.

Beavers are perhaps nature’s most effective engineers, changing entire ecosystems to fit their needs. They build their homes, called lodges, almost exclusively in the middle of slow-moving ponds, where the surrounding water acts as a moat that protects them from terrestrial predators. If no such pond can be found, beavers dam streams and rivers to create the perfect pond. To create their dams, beavers cut down trees with their chisel-like teeth, which constantly grow and self-sharpen. They generally prefer trees with diameters of less than 3 inches, but will cut down larger trees if small trees are not readily available. They construct their dam with logs, branches, twigs, and grasses and seal everything into place with mud. 

Once the dam backs up enough water, beavers build wood and mud lodges in the middle of the pond that can be 6 feet high and up to 40 feet wide. These lodges have 1 or 2 underwater entrances, a ‘living area’ above the water line, and a small air hole in the top to provide ventilation. A lodge houses a colony made of a breeding pair — believed to mate for life — the current years’ kits, and the surviving offspring from the year before. Before the kits are born, the female drives out the second year young. After the young are driven out from the den, they disperse to find new habitat and form their own colonies. 

Beaver settlement causes widespread changes to an ecosystem. The first noticeable change is the clearing of several trees, usually small, that the beaver will use to build its dam. After the dam is built, the creek will start to back up, flooding the adjacent land and forming a small pond. More trees may be felled to build the beaver’s lodge. What was once a wooded valley with a small stream becomes an open pond bordered by wetland vegetation. This new pond supports a host of wetland species that would not otherwise be found in the area — ducks, geese, herons, turtles, fish, frogs, salamanders, and more. Even beaver lodges create habitat: the underwater base of the lodge provides shelter for young fish and the top of the lodge can be a nesting area for birds. 

A beaver captured on the Trust’s game cam

Beyond supporting a biodiverse ecosystem, beavers and their dams improve local water quality. Beaver ponds trap and slow down water, reducing downstream flooding during major storm events. By slowing down the flow of water, beaver dams also allow more water to seep through the soil and replenish groundwater resources. As water passes through a beaver pond, fine sediment and pollutants are filtered out, resulting in cleaner water downstream of the dam. 

Beavers inhabitat a pond until they deplete all nearby food sources, usually after 20 to 30 years. At this point, they abandon their pond and lodge and move on to new habitat. Without constant maintenance, the dam slowly breaks down and eventually breaches. The pond drains, and the previously-submerged seed bank begins to germinate. Shrubs and trees re-establish in the area and, eventually, the open land turns back into a wooded valley. 

If you want to learn more about the history, biology and benefits of having beaver living in local streams, join us for our upcoming virtual Beaver Talk on February 2!

References

Beaver. (n.d.). Pennsylvania Game Commission. Retrieved May 27, 2021, from https://www.pgc.pa.gov:443/Education/WildlifeNotesIndex/Pages/Beaver.aspx

Beaver. (2016, April 25). Smithsonian’s National Zoo. https://nationalzoo.si.edu/animals/beaver

Beaver | National Geographic. (n.d.). Retrieved May 27, 2021, from https://www.nationalgeographic.com/animals/mammals/facts/beaver

Wohl, E. (2021). Legacy effects of loss of beavers in the continental United States. Environmental Research Letters, 16(2), 025010. https://doi.org/10.1088/1748-9326/abd34e

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Our nature preserves are open to the public 365 days per year from sunrise to sunset, providing natural places that offer peace and respite for all. Willistown Conservation Trust owns and manages three nature preserves in the Willistown area - Ashbridge, Kirkwood and Rushton Woods Preserve. We maintain these lands for the … Learn more about our nature preserves.

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