Program To Focus On Health Of Local Waterways
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For Immediate Release
February 23, 2000
(READING, Pa.) – A program on restoration projects involving area lakes and streams, including water pollution abatement efforts, will be held here March 6, 2000.
It will run from 1:30 p.m. to 4:30 p.m. in City Council chambers, located on the second floor of Reading City Hall, 815 Washington St. The public is invited to attend.
Sponsors are the Berks County Conservancy, the Reading Area Water Authority, and the Delaware River Basin Commission.
Penn State professors Dr. Kerry Wedel and Dr. Lysle Sherwin will discuss the Maiden Creek/Lake Ontelaunee project, a $4.4 million venture to construct a sedimentation basin near the lake.
Dr. Phillip Dougherty and Dr. John Hall, professors at Albright College, will talk about a $5.9 million project to apply best management practices (BMPs) at some 140 farms in the Tulpehocken Creek Watershed. BMPs that involve farming include such projects as stream bank fencing and the construction of cattle crossings, both aimed at reducing the amount of manure entering waterways.
A panel discussion will follow the presentations.
The Berks County Conservancy is a non-profit organization devoted to the protection of open space, forests, waterways, farm land, and historic sites.
The Reading Area Water Authority provides water to some 123,000 customers within Berks County.
The Delaware River Basin Commission is an interstate/federal agency which manages the water resources within the 13,539 square-mile basin, including most of Berks County. Programs focus on water quality protection, watershed planning, water supply allocation, regulatory review, water conservation initiatives, drought management, flood control, and recreation.
The commission will hold a business meeting and public hearing in Reading City Hall the next day, March 7. The two-day event is designed to highlight local issues for the DRBC commissioners and staff while giving area residents a chance to learn more about programs that are in place to protect Berks County waterways. Similar two-day affairs, also featuring special programs, are planned for the future in other parts of the basin.
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Contact: Clarke Rupert 609-883-9500 ext. 260
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