Pigeon Creek Watershed Association beautifying Valley

The organization is planting trees and picking up trash.

The Pigeon Creek Watershed Association is making progress one step — or in this case one tree — at a time.

Last week, PCWA held a live stake planting at Richardson Park in Bentleyville that finished in record time because so many people were willing to get their hands dirty to help out.

PCWA became a part of the Washington County Watershed Alliance about a year ago and has hosted tree and shrub plantings, steam bank stabilization projects, education and various cleanups.

March 15 was its most recent event, bringing together area residents of all ages and experience levels to spend a morning beautifying a community park in Bentleyville.

PCWA Treasurer Nat Botsko said there were 26 volunteers at the event, including seven Girl Scouts and their family members.

“The event was scheduled from 10 to 12, but we finished at 11:05, which was very lucky because it began raining as soon as everyone finished packing up,” Botsko said. “We planted a total of 50 live stakes, which have a 50% chance of survival.”

Live stake planting involves inserting dormant, woody cuttings (live stakes) into the ground, typically in streambanks or wetlands, to encourage new plant growth and stabilize soil, acting as a cost-effective erosion control method.

Live stakes are long, hardwood cuttings, usually 3/8 to 1 1/2 inches in diameter and 1 to 2 feet long, taken from trees and shrubs that grow along stream banks or in wetlands.

They are harvested during the dormant season (late fall or early spring) and planted directly into the soil.

PCWA progress

The group plans to continue to protect, restore, enjoy and learn about the land and waterways of the Pigeon Creek Watershed and is accepting new members who want to get involved.

In the last year, a lot has been done, but there is always more to do.

For several years, PCWA president Ken Yonek has monitored the water quality of the creek by mea- suring water temperature, acidity (pH), dissolved solids, particulate matter, dissolved oxygen, hardness and suspended sediment.

In May 2024, PCWA collaborated with Dr. David Argent and a group of PennWest California students to conduct an electrofishing survey, which led to the capture of 188 fish from 14 different species.

These water quality metrics will establish a baseline allowing PCWA to tell whether stream quality is improving or declining.

“In a region like ours, with a long history in mining and manufacturing, we are often dealing with the legacy effects of that history,” Yonek said. “Coal waste piles, fly ash dumps, abandoned mine drainages are commonplace across Southwestern Pennsylvania.

“We understand the important part those industries played in the development of this region, at a time when we did not understand the impact they were having on the entire ecosystem. So today, we just work at trying to remediate the past damage done to our environment, soils and waterways.”

Their job would be easier with more consideration by residents and neighbors who live near, use or pass the watershed.

“What is very difficult to accept is the accumulated damage done, day in day out, by ordinary citizens going about their day with complete disregard of the rights of the people around them,” he said. “Public dumping and casual, chronic littering is simply disrespecting the people and communities where that takes place. They have a right to expect better than this.”

Botsko and her finance and PCWA Vice President Max Noel have organized cleanups along Pigeon Creek since 2023. They have also spearheaded other clean-up efforts in the area.

In June 2024, PCWA and representatives from the Washington County Conservation Project helped a property owner in Bentleyville who had about 3 feet of his creekfront property washed away in the spring 2024 floods.

PCWA continues to help sort out permits, work on design solutions and coordinate funding to minimize further serious erosion.

“Over the fall of 2024 our group, along with our working partners, we identified just such a dumpsite that started along a hillside on Crackerjack Road in Carroll Township with debris scattered along the hillside down to the Pigeon Creek floodplain below,” Yonek said. “The wide scattering and varied debris — construction materials, tires, a wrecked fiberglass fishing boat, etc. — marked a dumpsite that had been visited by many dumpers over a long period of time.

“Our group, along with working partners, developed a plan to start cleaning up this site. On a cold Dec. 14 morning, our volunteer members staff from Allegheny Cleanways met at the site to focus just on the tire cleanup since that’s a specialized waste product.

“Workers deployed all over the hill and floodplain and dragged tires to collection points. Then they were loaded into bins and dragged, like sleds, through the woods and up the slope to a waiting dumpster and loaded into it. The team collected 77 tires in two and a half hours. A great start accomplished by some hard-working hands.”

On April 10, work will continue along that roadway.

“We’re still making plans so stay tuned,” Botsko said.

About Pigeon Creek

Pigeon Creek is known for great fishing spots, but there’s a whole lot more to do in the areas it flows through.

Residents can watch a barrel racing rodeo at Sydmore Arena in Monongahela, do some bird watching along Butsko Road in Fallowfield Township where a great blue heron calls home and enjoy one of the great cycling spots in Washington County along gently sloped and lightly traveled Bentleyville Road.

Membership to the PCWA helps continue efforts to maintain the area and learn through continued water monitoring, cleanup events, erosion control, habitat restoration and educational initiatives.

Those 18 and younger can become members for free.

Anyone older than 18 can have a full PCWA membership for $10. Adult-aged students receive a $5 discount.

The easiest way to sign up to become a member is online at pigeoncreekwatershed. org.

For those who join online, there is an option to also join the Washington County Watershed Alliance for an extra $10, which would be considered a dual membership.

Membership applications can also be downloaded, printed and mailed in with payment.

For more information on upcoming events and other resources, follow the Pigeon Creek Watershed Association on Facebook.