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Upper Susquehanna River
Watershed Geography
The Upper Susquehanna-Lackawanna Watershed, as
delineated by the U.S. Geological Survey, comprises nearly 1,800 square
miles of land and almost 1,600 miles of perennial rivers and streams.
Lackawanna and Luzerne counties constitute the core of the watershed,
which includes portions of several other counties and more than 150
municipalities. The corridor begins along the Lackawanna at Thompson,
proceeds to the confluence of the Lackawanna with the Susquehanna at
Pittston, and follows the Susquehanna through the
Wyoming Valley to Sunbury. The watershed includes the Wyoming and
Lackawanna Valleys, plus adjoining mountainous areas that provide
headwaters for the numerous streams that flow to the Susquehanna.
Its major urban centers are Wilkes-Barre and Scranton. Other population
centers within the watershed include Bloomsburg, Carbondale, Dickson City,
Dunmore, Hazleton, Kingston, Nanticoke, and Pittston. In 1990, approximately
640,000 people lived in the region.
Action Plan
The community vision developed for the Upper Susquehanna-Lackawanna
Watershed encompasses several major elements. First, a comprehensive study
of the watershed's ecosystem should be undertaken to determine how this
large restoration initiative could be most effective and efficient. The
most pressing environmental problem in the region may be the acid mine
drainage produced by abandoned coal mines. This acid mine drainage has
a variety of harmful effects beyond the watershed -- it is the largest
source of industrial pollution in the Chesapeake Bay and it prevents the
free migration of the American Shad from the Chesapeake Bay to the
headwaters of the Susquehanna. Innovative acid mine drainage abatement
projects, such as the creation of artificial wetlands along streams and
creeks that feed into the Susquehanna River, could alleviate this problem.
The second major obstacle to the environmental and economic revitalization
of the region is the countless acres of mine-scarred land left from
decades-old mining practices. In addition to being an environmental
blight and a health and safety risk, the prevalence of this mine-scarred
land inhibits economic development. As the region runs out of suitable
land for industrial development, pristine "greenfields" are a prime target
for development. Potential solutions include a revolving fund to support
continuing
reclamation efforts and a brownfields-like demonstration project to reclaim
mine-scarred land so that the land will be suitable for industrial
development. At the same time, as a region which suffered in 1972 a
flood that was the worst natural disaster in American history (at that time),
flood protection should be expanded by employing, where practical,
innovative and nonstructural solutions.
Navigator
The Upper Susquehanna-Lackawanna American Heritage River
initiative expects to designate a navigator by September 30, 1999. This
person will be based within the watershed to provide a hands-on approach
in assisting the watershed recovery effort.
Community Partners
The American Heritage River Initiative in the Upper
Susquehanna-Lackawanna Watershed is currently being directed by a grassroots
steering committee consisting of Congressmen Paul Kanjorski and Tim Holden,
county commissioners from the six major watershed counties, and fourteen
representatives from regional economic, environmental, educational and historic groups.
Federal Partners
The Department of Agriculture has been designated as the
lead agency for the
American Heritage River Initiative in the Upper Susquehanna-Lackawanna
Watershed. In addition, an interagency task force consisting of
representatives from the Department of Interior, Department of
Agriculture, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, USGS, Federal Emergency Management
Agency, and EPA have
met on several occasions to discuss a holistic approach to abandoned
mine land reclamation.
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