"Vanishing" Lancaster County trout stream

[troutbert]

The houses in most developments are on municipal water lines, rather than getting their water from wells.

 

[PennypackFlyer]

Well then... may the mine be flooded out and create a beautiful limestone lake that will one day flow again giving trout cold water to survive that one day PA will dam up. And life will die once again and fly fisherpeople will complain and then TU and others will petition to bring the dam down so that life will live again. It's a vicious cycle - but someone has to mention it.

 

[troutbert]

slay12345 wrote:
In reference to Little Conestoga Creek...

Most of this Josh is due to the quarry. If you go over the stream at night the stream is usually flowing. Both quarries in that area, Rohrer’s and Binkley and Hurst, pull groundwater from the quarry pit during the day when they are working. They put all this water into a basin to settle out the fines in the water. Then when they leave at night they turn the pumps on and discharge this water into the Little Conestoga Cr. and Bachman Run. Fortunately or unfortunately all of this is legal and spelled out in the permit they have with DEP. You can really see it at these two locations because they are towards the headwaters of both of these streams. This is not to say that Bent Creek isn’t also influencing some of this as well but most of it is the quarry and how they run their business. I see it in dry and wet weather conditions and hear it from folks that live along both creeks.

Matthew, W. Kofroth, Watershed Coordinator
Lancaster County Conservation District

That's a good explanation and it is a very common scenario. It's not just limited to this one location. A similar thing has happened on many limestone streams in PA.

 

[Chaz]

troutbert wrote:

slay12345 wrote:
In reference to Little Conestoga Creek...

Most of this Josh is due to the quarry. If you go over the stream at night the stream is usually flowing. Both quarries in that area, Rohrer’s and Binkley and Hurst, pull groundwater from the quarry pit during the day when they are working. They put all this water into a basin to settle out the fines in the water. Then when they leave at night they turn the pumps on and discharge this water into the Little Conestoga Cr. and Bachman Run. Fortunately or unfortunately all of this is legal and spelled out in the permit they have with DEP. You can really see it at these two locations because they are towards the headwaters of both of these streams. This is not to say that Bent Creek isn’t also influencing some of this as well but most of it is the quarry and how they run their business. I see it in dry and wet weather conditions and hear it from folks that live along both creeks.

Matthew, W. Kofroth, Watershed Coordinator
Lancaster County Conservation District

That's a good explanation and it is a very common scenario. It's not just limited to this one location. A similar thing has happened on many limestone streams in PA.

It's an excellent explanation, but it doesn't explain why DEP continues to allow mines to dig below the water table when they know in limestone regions that it causes sink holes all over the place.

 

[slay12345]

It's safe to say that the 3.6" we got in Lititz has left the Little Conestoga with water in the channel.

Chaz, I think it comes down to the politics. For a business that is a necessity to the community, the rules are different. Just look at Rock Lititz. They paid their way to expediting the paperwork to get the huge facility up and running for building the stages and lights, but in order to appease the locals, there would be no sound testing... within the first 2 months (and possibly their first gig) they have the neighbors complaining of so much low end reverberations infiltrating homes giving people headaches and nausea vibrating walls and homes to the point that one woman's glassware sitting on a shelf vibrated off and broke. BUT politics say that the business was good for the community. They kicked in some extra $$$ to help budgetary needs in the area... politics.

 

[wgmiller]

troutbert wrote:
The houses in most developments are on municipal water lines, rather than getting their water from wells.

That may be true, but one has to look at where the municipal water source is. In the case of Donegal Creek in Lancaster County, the largest aquifer for the Mount Joy Borough Municipal Authority lies in the headwaters of Donegal Creek. All one need do is look at a development map from the 70's compared to now. It's amazing to see the growth of the area and how that has contributed to a decline in available water for the creek.

http://www.mountjoyborough.com/mjb-authority/water-treatment-plant/

Here's a shot of Donegal Creek on October 3, just above the stream crossing as you come out from the "quarry hole". That's as low as I've seen it in the years I've been fishing it.

 

[PennypackFlyer]

Are you sure that aint a picture of a hillbilly road down south where water puddles have formed?

 

[foxtrapper1972]

I know what you mean about the Donegal. I've seen it on many Lancaster Co. streams over the past 30 yrs. I am no expert and have no data other than my own observations. It seems that many times when they put in the houses and the drainage ponds etc. the streams lose water. I suspect they are damaging wetlands/ aquifers where water seeps in with the heavy equipment. We had a dry month but there is something else going on here. There are all kinds of groups and agencies and tons of money and grants but nothing stops the onslaught.

 

[Chaz]

Most Municipal water supplies come from a combination of wells and withdrawals from streams. Wells are a big deal in limestone areas, because when you take too much water out of the ground you get sinkholes and dry stream beds.

 

[barrybarry]

Donegal Creek was really bad last year in early September. WG says it's the worst he's seen. That's not good.

Mount Joy is growing like a weed. Build a giant development/city on the east side of town and a giant development/city on the west side of town and everything will remain the same.

Just a couple less cornfields.

Developer pays for a few roads, permits and I'm sure there are more expensive one-time costs.

Community loses.

Roads are typically named something like "Pheasant Crossing" and "Sweet Springs"

 

[raftman]

Roads are typically named something like "Pheasant Crossing" and "Sweet Springs"

I've always sadly loved at the irony of all the new development road names...