Conserve and sustainably use the oceans, seas and marine resources

Globally: The United Nations uses this Sustainable Development Goal to carefully manage the world's oceans, seas, and marine resources, which are essential features of a sustainable future.

Meadville: The impact of urban development and human activities on local waterways were analyzed.

Local Facts and Figures

What are the local water bodies in Meadville?

The main waterway in Meadville is French Creek. Two additional tributaries, Cussewago Creek and Mill Run, fall within the city limits. (1) (2)

What recreation is available in and around Meadville’s bodies of water?

French Creek gives access to fishing, hunting, bird watching, hiking, and boating/paddling locally. (3)

    • There is one canoe/boat access point in French Creek within Meadville city limits at Bicentennial Park (3)and several others nearby but outside the city limits.
    • The French Creek Valley Conservancy protects the watershed and connects citizens to its many recreation opportunities (4).

Does Meadville have keystone, endangered, or indicator species?

    • Pennsylvania's largest salamander, the hellbender, makes French Creek its home. (5)
    • French Creek hosts more than 28 freshwater mussel species, including 13 that are listed as endangered in Pennsylvania. These freshwater mussels are valuable indicators of water quality. (5)
    • The zebra mussel, an invasive species and potential threat, made its first documented appearance in the French Creek watershed in 2000 when it was discovered in Edinboro Lake in Erie County. (6)

How are human activities affecting local water bodies?

    • 40% of land use in the French Creek Watershed is used for agriculture. (7)
    • Meadville is the most industrialized city sitting on French Creek. How we interact with the creek can make a major impact on its quality.
    • Agricultural Best Management Practices (BMPs) such as no till planting, crop nutrient management, pest management, stream bank fencing, and animal feeding operations management are effective procedures that can sustain and improve water quality while maintaining effective agricultural production. (1)

What is the state of ecosystem services in Meadville?

Based on estimations made in a 2017 Allegheny College senior thesis, it is in the best interest for land use decision makers to conserve the French Creek riparian zone in the long-run as it is the more economically beneficial land use decision. (8)

Local Strengths and Opportunities

    • French Creek is considered one of the most important streams of its size in the northeastern United States due to its excellent water quality and abundant biodiversity. (1) (2)
    • Cussewago Bottoms has been recognized as an Important Bird Area by the National Audubon Society. (9) (10)
    • It was reported in the 2002 French Creek Watershed Conservation Plan that the West Mead and Meadville sewage treatment plants have recently been upgraded to prevent future sewage bypasses. (6)

Local Weaknesses and Threats

    • Point discharges from industries and municipal sewage treatment plants in and around Meadville, the largest city on French Creek, have negatively affected the water quality in the past. (6)
    • The leading causes of stream impairment in French Creek are nutrients for agricultural purposes, primarily nitrogen and phosphorous. (11)
    • Conrail program car shop, Spauldings, Inc., Old Meadville Landfill, Meadville Malleable Iron Co. were listed as potential hazardous sites in the French Creek watershed located in Meadville. (6)
    • Unlike other cities along French Creek, Meadville is not designated as a ‘Creek Town’. (12)

Case Studies

ELIZABETHTOWN AND GREENVILLE, KENTUCKY: Natural resources were identified to address potential issues prior to a disruptive event such as a flood or protected natural resources that were up against development pressure. Series of walking trails and parks were implemented that encompass a number of lakes and streams in the area.

RIVER KRASFIDON, GREECE: Environmentally burdened river in between two municipalities in Greece. An option was proposed to turn the river into a road, but instead it was revitalized.

Citations

  1. French Creek Watershed. (n.d.). The French Creek Conservancy. Retrieved April, 2018, from https://frenchcreekconservancy.org/french-creek-watershed/
  2. Conserving Priority Landscapes. (n.d.). Western Pennsylvania Conservancy. Retrieved April, 2018, from https://waterlandlife.org/land-conservation/conserving-priority-landscapes/#french
  3. https://naturalatlas.com/boat-launches/bicentennial-park-2128958
  4. https://frenchcreekconservancy.org/recreation/
  5. The French Creek Watershed. (n.d.). The Nature Conservancy. Retrieved April, 2018, from https://www.nature.org/ourinitiatives/regions/northamerica/unitedstates/pennsylvania/placesweprotect/french-creek-watershed.xml
  6. French Creek Watershed Conservation Plan (2002, January). Western Pennsylvania Conservancy. Retrieved April, 2018, from http://www.docs.dcnr.pa.gov/cs/groups/public/documents/document/D_001904.pdf
  7. Agriculture. (n.d.). The French Creek Conservancy. Retrieved April, 2018, from https://frenchcreekconservancy.org/agriculture/
  8. Hanna, L. (2017, April). Valuation of Ecosystem Services vs. Economic Development in the Riparian zone of French Creek, Crawford County, Pennsylvania. https://dspace.allegheny.edu/bitstream/handle/10456/42722/2016_17_Hanna_RiparianZone.pdf?sequence=3&isAllowed=y
  9. Tautin, J. (2017). Important Bird Areas of the French Creek Watershed. Retrieved April, 2018, from https://frenchcreekconservancy.org/wp-content/uploads/2017/09/FactSheet_IBAfinal.pdf
  10. Cussewago Bottom. (2018, March 09). Retrieved April, 2018, from http://www.audubon.org/important-bird-areas/cussewago-bottom
  11. https://frenchcreekconservancy.org/risks-to-the-watershed/
  12. https://frenchcreekconservancy.org/creek-towns/