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Chickies Creek Watershed progress report aired
By KENDACE BORRY
MANHEIM More than
100 people attended the
public information meeting
for the Chickies Creek
Watershed held this week in
Manheim. Sponsored by the
U.S. Dept, of Agriculture,
Soil Conservation Service,
the meeting was utilized for
the Soil Conservation 'Ser
vice to inform the public
about the Chickies Creek
Watershed project.
With the holding of this
meeting, the SCS noted that
the first two phases, that of
spcifying the objectives of
the project, and that of
evaluating the resources,
were complete. There are
Robert Geiger likes Eastland 3X405 for a short
season hybrid. “It seems particularly adapted to
this area and does well either planted early for
early harvest or planted late as a lot of corn was
this year.”
E 3X450 is a short season hybrid capable of
good yield, fast dry-down and good standability. It
is adaptable to ear harvest as well as shelling.
four phases left in the six
step plan.
The meeting was chaired
by Jim Mays, planning party
staff leader, who told his
audience that something can
be done about the Chickies
Creek flooding problem, but
that what is decided is up to
the public.
Steve Kemmerle,
economist for the SCS,
reported that the total value
of property in Manheim
borough, for both structures
and contents is $6B million.
Approximately 200 people
are employed in this
floodplain area.
According to Kemmerle,
the average annual damage
ROBERT GEIGER, EASTLAND SEED DEALER IN NORTHERN
LEHIGH COUNTY CHECKS PROGRESS OF HIS E 3X405
E3X405
in the borough due to
Chickies Creek is around
$300,000. This figure, which
includes both direct and
direct damage, includes
structure, content, utility,
railroad, highway and
agricultural damage, and
includes future value ad
justments.
Kemmerle, also noted,
that if a 100 year storm, that
is, a storm of the intensity of
Agnes which struck in 1972,
would come in 1978, $3.3
million in damages would
result in the borough.
The SCS’s watershed study
has shown that land uses are
shifting from agriculture to
conservation, recreation,
SEEDWAY,
INC.
SEEM SEED FARMS DIV.
EMMAUS, PA. 18049
woodland and urban uses.
Regardless of the use, they
stress that proper treatment
is needed to protect the
resource base and control
the erosion and sediments.
Their report stated that
there are 84 landowners who
control 8,118 acres who have
become district cooperations
with the soil conservation
service. This represents
approximately 35 per cent of
the watershed.
Approximately 50 per cent
of the watershed land
resources are adequately
protected, the report noted.
The report- states that
terraces and diversions,
grassed waterways, contour
Lancaster Farming, Saturday, September 23,1978
stnpcropping, tile draining,
tree planting, pasture and
hayland planting, woodland
and management plans, and
harvest cuts have been
applied to the land in the
watershed.
Similar practices such as
those, along with con
servation cropping systems,
cover cropping, diversions,
minimum tillage, woodland
stand improvement, ansd
storm water management
are needed to treat the 11,962
acres not adequately
orotected.
Gross erosion from the
watershed, the report went
on to say, includes sources
primarily from sheet and rill
erosion and streambank
erosion. The present annual
gross erosion rate in the
watershed is about 5.5 tons
per acre. The primary
contributors of this erosion
are agricultural lands and
streambanks.
Chickies Creek and its
tributaries were divided into
eight evaluation reaches for
the hydrologic study, with
numerous cross sections,
within each reach,
developed to determine the
flooding characteristics and
flood plain delineations.
Water quality studies were
also conducted and the
results of these will be
available m November.
Several alternatives were
offered by the Soil Con
servation Service.
Three different dam sites
were offered as a possible
means of controlling the
floodplain waters.
Site 1 would be located at
White Oak and control 18.2
square miles of drainage.
Site la would be located
about 3,000 feet upstream
from White Oak and control
11.5 square miles of
drainage. Site lb would be
located on a tributary which
enters the White Oak
reservoir.
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Site 10 would be located
abvut a mile upstream from
the High Street bridge in
Manheim. This dam would
give the most protection and
offer the highest control of
the floodplain area. The dam
would be 48 feet in height,
requiring 800 acres of land.
It would offer 6,110 feet of
floodwater storage.
The Soil Conservation
Service told that upcoming
efforts of the study will be
focused on identifying
alternatives. On September
22, Soil Conservation Service
personnel were available in
Manheim to record
suggestions made by the
public for this project.
The Chickies Creek
Watershed Association will
hold a director’s meeting on
Monday, September 25, to
discuss the alternatives
offered at the meeting and
other business discussed
there.
Questions concerning the
watershed project should be
directed to the Soil Con
servation Serice contact
person, who is Warren Ar
chibald, District Con
servationist, Farm and
Home Center, Room 4, 1383
Arcadia Road, Lancaster,
pa. 17601. He can be reached
by phone at 717-394-0681, ext
561.
The Chickies Creek
Watershed project is
sponsored by the Lancaster
County Commissioners, the
Manheim Borough Council,
and the Lancaster Con
servation District.
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