—Lancaster Farmini
94
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v
Deibert Valley in southern Schuylkill County may companies choose the Red Creek as their location
be flooded if it is chosen as a site for a seven for the dam and reservoir. The Red Creek is just
square-mile water reservoir. As many as 17 farms, barely visible in this scene and passes under a
including this land owned and rented by Wilbert rural road at the dark spot, right.
Moyer, will be submerged if Pennsylvania electric
By DIETER KRIEG
LANDINGVILLE, Pa. - A
dam and water reservoir
project being considered
near this southern Schuylkill
County community has
many of the citizens in the
area up in arms. To combat
the project, farmers and
others in the area have
formed a coalition known as
“Citizens Opposing Red
Creed Dam,” or CORCD, for
short.
A meeting was held here
Monday night, with 75 people
in attendance. The purpose
was to continue to provide
area residents with pertinent
information and to organize
ways by which the proposed
dam site can be defeated.
Farmers in the area are
concerned about losing their
farmlands and homes, while
the community as a whole is
worried about the economic
impact the proposed
reservoir might have.
The Delaware River Basin
Commission, headquartered
in West Trenton, N.J., told
Lancaster Farming that the
purpose of the proposed
stored water (not
necessarily at the Red Creek
site) is to provide “cooling
make-up water” for nuclear
electric generating plants. A
spokesman for the DRBC
noted that if plans aren’t
made now to meet present
and future water
requirements, a critical
situation could develop by
around 1983.
The DRBC spokesman
further explained that “a
number of electric utility
generating stations are
being developed and planned
in the Delaware River Basin.
We have a very dynamic
basin, with seven million
people within it and millions
and millions more in ad
jacent areas. There’s a great
demand for water resour
ces.”
Saturday
Seventeen farms
may he drowned
Electric companies in the
eastern Pennsylvania and
New Jersey areas are
looking for alternate sources
of water because of the loss
of previously proposed water
storage facility at Tocks
Island in the Poconos area.
Environmental groups and
the Department of
Enrironmental Resources
(DER) brought that project
to a halt, according to Ed
Finnegan, secretary for the
CORCD. He noted that the
Tock Island site was pur
chased by the government
10-13 years ago and was
otherwise approved for a
reservoir. The government
was reportedly willing to
turn the site over tothe
utilities.
According to the DRBC,
water from the considered
reservoir at Red Creek will
not be directly involved in
cooling procedures at power
plants. Rather, the stored
water is to be released at
certain times to control the
salinity level of the lower
Delaware River. Some
concern has been expressed
over the lowering of the fresh
water content in that area
and the inward movement of
ocean water to take its place.
A reservoir upstream from
the Philadelphia area is
supposed to help alleviate
the problem.
The Red Creek Dam Site is
located approximately 100
miles northwest of
Philadelphia, with the
Schuylkill River being the
main artery of flow for the
water from the Red Creek
reservoir. The Red Creek
itself is a tiny stream just a
few steps wide. It is not
expected to create the
reservoir by its own flow
once the dam is constructed
(if it is constructed). In
stead, water will be pumped
into it from the Schuylkill
Feb. 19. 1977
Lower Schuylkill Coun
tians don’t think much of the
possible dam for several
reasons, not the least of
which is the loss of their
lands, and homes and the
dampening effect the
completed project would
have on the economy. The
loss of farmlands and homes,
for example, would mean die
erosion of the tax base in
South Manheim Township.
Individuals and businesses
are likely to feel the
resulting consequences. The
possible “economic erosion”
could filter through the
region for years after the
project is completed.
The citizens are also
concerned about the
proposed reservoir not being
of the fresh water variety.
The water which is supposed
to be pumped in from the
Schuylkill will admittedly go
stagnant, and when the
reservoir is drawn down to
supply water to the
Philadelphia area, 100 miles
downstream, the land areas
which were previously under
water will give off an un
pleasant odor.
A study on the Red Creek
site states: “The residences
overlooking the site would be
indirectly affected, in that
the vista would be
significantly altered, and
may be distinctly unpleasant
during periods of severe
drawdown.
“Drawdown at Red Creek
will occur in all years, and in
a minimum year will involve
a drawdown of 20 feet and 270
acres exposed. The average
year drawdown would be 30
feet and 390 acres exposed.
This would be approximately
40 per cent of the total
reservoir area.
It may seem that water 100
miles away from its
River, into which the Red
Creek empties.
. • «?/.;
destination will not have
much effect on the target
area, since it would be
“spread pretty thin” all
along its path (the Schuylkill
River). But DRBC officials
say the distance factor
makes no difference. Like
water carried in a pipeline, it
will reach its destination and
do the job it’s designed for ,
they say.
It must be pointed out that
the Red Creek project is not
final. On the other hand,
residents in southern
Schuylkill County can’t
afford to wait until a decision
is finalized, claiming that by
that time they will be sunk
for sure. They emphasize
that of nine sites originally
under consideration, the
electric utilities have
narrowed their choices down
to four. Red Creek is
rumored to be in the top two.
The DRBC failed to confirm
or deny that rumor, saying
that their latest update has
the narrowing down process
down to four sites.
While the DRBC has much
to do with the present
proceedings and ultimate
results, it is the utility
companies which are the
driving force behind the
project. When they lost
Tocks Island, they were
directed to go elsewhere.
The DRBC issued the
utilities a directive last
October by which they were
given 12 months to develop
plans for their own reser
voir. The DRBC must ap
prove their site selection as
well as an environmental
impact statement. The
concluding phases of the site
studies are now in progress,
the DRBC told Lancaster
Farming.
The Red Creek issue and
similar other ones may end
up being wasted portions of a
study, according to in
(Continued on Page 101]
>. ?\
APAMSJ3L
O.C RICE, INC
Biglerville, PA
717 677-8135
YINGLING'S IMPLEMENT
RDI Gettysburg, PA
717 359 4848
BERKS CO.
N H FLICKER & SONS INC
Maxatawny
Ph 215-683-7252
STANLEY A. KLOPPINC
Bernville
Ph. 215-488-1500
MILLER EQUIPMENT
Bechtelsville
Ph 215-845-2911
SHARTLESVILLE FARM EQUIPMENT
ShartlesviTle. PA
215-488-1326
H. Daniel Wenger, Prop.
ZIMMERMAN’S FARM SERVICE
Bethel
Ph. 717-933-4114
BRADFORD CO.
CARLL. PIERCE
RD2
Columbia Cross Roads. PA
717-297-3513
WYNNE'S GARAGE
Canton. PA
717-673-8456
BUCKS CO.
C.J.WONSIDLER BROTHERS
Trumbauersville Road
Quakerlown. PA 18951
215-536-1935
PAUL HISTAND CO, INC.
397 North Mam Street
Doyleslown, PA
215-348-9041
CECIL CO.
AG INDUSTRIAL
EQUIPMENT CO.
Rising Sun. Md
301-651-5568
CHESTER CO.
CHAS. J. McCOMSEY ft SONS
Hickory Hill, PA
215-932-2615
STOLTZFUS FARM SERVICE
Cochranville, PA
215-593-5280
M. S. YEARSLEY & SONS
Westchester
215-696-2990
COLUMBIA CO.
ORANGEVILLE FARM EQUIPMENT
Orangeville, PA
Phone 717-683-5311
WILLIAM F. WELLIVER
Jerseytown, Pa
717-437-2430
CUMBERLAND CO.
ERNEST SHOVER
FARM EQUIPMENT
19 West South St.
Carlisle. PA
717 249-2239
DAUPHIN CO.
SWEIGARD BROS.
RD3, Halifax. PA
Ph. 717-196-3414
FRANKLIN CO.
CHAMBERSBURG FARM SERVICE, INC.
975 S Mam St.
Chambersburg. PA
717-264 3533
MEYERS IMPLEMENTS, INC
Greencastle. PA
717597 2176
LOOK FOR
AT
HARFORD CO.
ROBINSON BROTHERS
Cardiff. Md
Ph. 717-456-5215
LEBANON CO.
A C HEISEY FARM EQUIP!. INC.
ROl Jonestown
Ph. 717-865-4526
UMBERGERSMILL i
RD4 Lebanon (Fontana)
Ph. 717-867-5161
LANCASTER CO.
ROY H. BUCK. INC.
Ephrata. RD2
717-859-2441
A.B.C. GROFF, INC
New Holland
717-354-4191
A. L. HERR&BRO.
Quarryville
717-786-3521
LANDIS BROS. INC.
Lancaster
717-393-3906
LONGENECKER FARM SUPPLY
Rheems
717-367-3590
N. G. HERSHEY & SON
Manheim
717-665-2271
LYCOMING CO.
RICE FARM SUPPLY, INC.
Jersey Shore, Pa
717-398-1391
MONTGOMERY CO.
WENTZ FARM SUPPLIES
Route 29
Palm, PA
215-679-7164
NORTHAMPTON CO.
GEORGE V.SEIPLE& SON
Easton, PA
215-258-7146
NORTHUMBERLAND CO.
MECKLEY’S LIMESTONE
PRODUCTS, INC.
Herndon, Pa
717-758-3915
SCHUYLKILL CO.
L.LECKROTH FARM EQUIP., INC.
New Ringgold
Ph. 717-943-2367
STANLEY’S FARM SERVICE
RO. Klingerstown
Ph. 717-648-2088
SNYDER CO.
ROYER’S FARM SERVICE
RDI. Winfield
New Berlin - Middleburg Hwy
Phone 717-837-3201
TIOGA CO.
CANYON IMPLEMENT. INC.
Mansfield. Pa.
717-724-2731
WAYNE CO.
MARSHALL MACHINERY
Honesdale. PA
717 729 7117
WYOMING CO.
ACE-JURISTA, INC.
Tunkhannock. PA
Hi. 717-136-2610
AIRVILLE FARM SERVICE
Airville. PA
717-162-3351
ANDERSON BROTHERS
New Park. PA
717-312-4272
GEORGE N. GROSS, INC.
RD2. Dover. PA
717-292-1673
YORK CO.