Stream health report in Pike County just out

During the 2022 surface water sampling season, Pike County Conservation District (PCCD) staff sampled 17 sites for macroinvertebrates and 6 sites for fish throughout Pike County. This effort added to over 20 years of data on Pike County streams. This year, in addition to the Annual Surface Water Quality Report, PCCD has put together a brief, one-sheet review of the results.

Overall, the results show good stream health for Pike County streams, as PCCD aims to keep streams healthy--for healthy ecosystems and health of the county’s residents and economy. For more detailed information about the 2022 surface water monitoring results, check out the newly formatted 2022 Surface Water Quality Report. PCCD Watershed Specialist Rachael Marques will also be hosting a webinar which will review not only the 2022 surface water results, but also the groundwater study results from the last four years as presented by the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS).

In 2023, the District aims to continue the monitoring with 10 macroinvertebrate sites and 7 fish sites. The sites are usually sampled on a rotational schedule but have been reorganized due to COVID-19. We are adjusting our sampling times to account for any affect on data which may have occurred in 2022. The District is also working closely with PA Department of Environmental Protection this year (PADEP) to update our methodology and understand newly released metrics of stream health. Check back later in the year for the next round of surface water data.