This is what Sleepy Creek looked like on July 7 after 2 inches of rain. As can be seen here, the creek is swollen and muddy from storm water runoff. The sediment that gets into the creek is bad for the organisms that live in the water and makes it’s way into the Potomac river and then the Chesapeake Bay.
Norman Dean and Chuck Marsh conduct the biological conditions part of a stream survey at Yellow Spring Run. Even though there was very little flow due to lack of rain lately, there were a surprisingly large amount of benthic macroinvertebrates, salamanders, crayfish, and minnows in the net. Bob Meadows, Jeff Iliff and Danielle Watson also helped with the survey. Stay tuned for information on the next monitoring event, maybe you can join us!
Spring tree plantings are just around the corner, so re-visit our site for the dates as they are decided.
Sleepy Creek Watershed residents, don’t pass up this opportunity to address that nagging septic problem or simply get 50% off that much needed maintenance pump-out! (Watch our Video.)
You should receive a copy of this valuable coupon and limited time offer in the mail this week.
Email us if you have questions or contact Suzy Campbell at the Panhandle Conservation District for more details.
Please do it today and help care for our Sleepy Creek Watershed!
Click picture above to Download the Simple Application Form
Annual SCWA Meeting Scheduled for December 3, 2016
As announced earlier, we will hold our annual meeting this coming Saturday, December 3, 2016, at 7 P.M. The meeting will be held at the Morgan County Board of Education Office, 247 Harrison Street.
Following a recap of our 2016 activities and a treasurer’s report, obusiness meeting will include election of officers for the next two year term. The following officers’ terms expire at the end of this year: James Michael, Stan Oaks, and Susan Jones. Anyone wanting to join the board may express their interest at the meeting before a vote is taken.
Our guest speaker will be Mr. Ted Hogan, Executive Director, Partnership for Ecological Restoration, Inc., Stevensville, MD. Ted has over 40 years of experience in in wetland and stream studies and restoration. His firm currently has a contract with us through the Chesapeake Bay Stewardship Fund to design a stream restoration project on Sleepy Creek near the Spriggs Road bridge. He will discuss the science and nuances of steam restoration.
Refreshments will be served.
Planting trees is fun!
It was perfect weather to enjoy the beauty of Sleepy Creek during our annual monitoring at this site.
Level 3 Stream Survey results for Sleepy Creek at Creek Road on 09-02-2016, 8:30am.
Participants: Fink, Iliff, Oaks, Meadows, Dean.
Conditions: Sunny and cool, no rain in the last 48 hours.
Latitude: 39-30-59 Longitude: 78-13-38
Water temp: 19.5 C. , Dissolved Oxygen: 67 mg/l, Conductivity: 284 uS, Turbidity: 56 (tube reading)
Habitat conditions: 180 optimal (up 15 from last year)
Biological conditions: 83.6 Optimal (up 2.6 from last year)
There were 180 low tolerance benthic macroinvertebrates represented by 10 types, 83 ‘critters’ of 7 types in the medium tolerance category, and only one in the high tolerance category.
Click on our ‘Stream Monitoring’ category (to the right) to see stream monitoring results for other Sleepy Creek Locations this year, as well as a deeper explanation of the process in a posting called, “What is stream monitoring and what do the numbers mean?”
Level 3 Stream Survey results for Sleepy Creek near Burnt Mill Bridge August 19, 2016 8:30 am.
Monitors: Iliff, Fink, Oaks, Dean, Meadows
Latitude: 39-38-47 Longitude: 78-7-45
Ambient temp: 90 deg. and sunny
Water temp: 24 deg. C (75.2 F)
pH:7.5 Dissolved solids: 110 ppm
Habitat conditions: 183 Optimal (up five from last year)
Biological conditions: 81.6 Optimal (same)
There were 228 low tolerance benthic macroinvertebrates represented by 9 types, 239 ‘critters’ of 7 types in the medium tolerance category, and only one in the high tolerance category.
Click on our ‘Stream Monitoring’ category (to the right) to see stream monitoring results for other Sleepy Creek Locations this year.
Carla Hardy (1971-2016), founder of the Carla Hardy WV Project CommuniTree program, has passed away suddenly and unexpectedly. Cacapon Institute is offering memorial trees to be planted in her honor in fall 2016. By planting a memorial tree this fall, you are expanding upon Carla’s legacy and upholding the motto of the program she began back in 2008 by “Building Communities from the Roots Up!”
Community organizations and private homeowners are encouraged to apply to plant memorial trees throughout their communities and in their backyards.
Trees will be available for pickup between October 1st and November 30th at either:
On your order form, you’ll need to select where you’ll be picking up your trees from, how many trees you are requesting, and answer some basic information about where you’ll be planting the trees and how they will be maintained. Please keep in mind that we will do our best to honor all requests for species, but in certain situations, a similar species may be substituted based on nursery availability.
The deadline to apply for memorial trees is Wednesday, September 14th.
We encourage successful applicants to submit their tree planting with pictures to Cacapon Institute’s “What’s Your BMP” tool on our website.
Please fill out a form at the Cacapon Institute website, www.cacaponinstitute.org and email it to ctree@cacaponinstitute.org or contact me with any questions.
On behalf of Carla Hardy WV Project CommuniTree,
Tanner Haid, Urban Watershed Forester
ISA Certified Arborist #MA-5639A
Cacapon Institute
#10 Rock Ford Road
Great Cacapon, WV 25422
Cell: 540-335-0687
Office: 304-258-8013
Building Communities from the Roots Up!
