Why do we need clean water?
More than 90% of Lancaster County’s streams are considered unhealthy. Pollution from human development and agriculture have negatively impacted our local water quality, community health, and economic stability.
If you look closely, you will see high, steep banks and exposed tree roots along our streams, which are dramatic signs of legacy sediment build up and erosion. This erosion is causing our soil to travel down to the Chesapeake Bay.
When it rains, if water can’t filter into the ground it washes downhill and picks up pollutants along the way. Flash floods and stormwater pollution are damaging and expensive to clean up.
Clean water is crucial to the survival of all living things, and fish and aquatic organisms can’t breathe in polluted water. At every level, our local biodiversity has dramatically declined, and we need to restore healthy ecosystems in order to welcome back wildlife. As humans, we play a vital role in restoring harmony in this interconnected web of life and environment.
The good news is that there are many ways we can stop pollution using nature-based solutions. Growing native plants and trees and using green infrastructure will work towards solving this problem. Additionally, if we can clean up our waterways, we’ll be able to enjoy them for recreation and also incorporate them into sustainable business practices.
Pennsylvania’s Constitution recognizes access to clean water, pure air, and preservation of the environment as basic civil rights for its people. Despite its current issues, we are hopeful that the Blue Green Connector Project will be a powerful step towards environmental restoration. We all live downstream, and we can all help!
Cleaning Up Waterways
Our waterways are valuable and vital resources, but historically our water has not been treated well.
The Little Conestoga Creek is identified by the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection as an impaired stream for aquatic life and recreational use.
The cause is excess sediment and pollutants coming from urban runoff, storm sewers, and grazing-related agriculture.
These are all harmful to our native plants and animals and make the water unsafe for human use or consumption.
Environmental restoration of the floodplain will improve water quality. It will also stabilize stream banks, reduce flood damage, and dramatically improve the health of the ecosystem and habitat for wildlife.
Clean water is an important part of our quality of life in Pennsylvania. We could all benefit from more local areas to safely recreate and enjoy nature!