|
Shenango |
|
| River | ||
| Watchers |
|
Membership Meeting — February 23
You are invited to our Membership meeting that is also open to the public on Thursday, February 23, 2012 at 7pm. It will be held at the Buhl Park Kindergarten Shelter (across from the SRW office/gatehouse). We hope you can make it and take this opportunity to meet other SRW friends, members and supporters.
Shenango River Watchers Environmental Scholarship
The application deadline for the 2012 scholarship is March 12.
We sponsor an annual scholarship for any high school senior who is a member of or has volunteered with the Shenango River Watchers and/or resides in the Shenango River Watershed, who is entering a four-year college and has shown an interest in preservation of the environment by volunteering his or her time in a community within the Shenango River Watershed of Pa/OH. Read more ...
Current Events
2012 Dates to Save
- February 23: Membership Meeting
- April 21: Earth Day Cleanup
- May 12: Funnel Cakes at Agway in Hermitage
- May 26: Tire Recycling Collection
- June 3: Rally on the River Float
- June 16: Ohio River Sweep
- July 14: Garden Party at DJ's Greenhouse
- July 21: Canoe Cleanup
- September 3: Funnel Cakes at Buhl Day
- September 30: Paddle Fest 2012
- October 6: Funnel Cakes at Agway in Hermitage
- October 11: Wine and Cheese at Buhl Mansion at the Carriage House
- October 16: Funnel Cakes at Munnel Run Farm
- December 5: Repeal Day Fundraiser
Hazardous Construction on the River
The Norfolk and Southern Railroad is replacing their old and rusty truss bridge over the river, about 1.5 miles below Greenville's southern end, and some distance above Kidd's Mill.They have constructed two temporary bridges at the site, both just a few feet above water level. Absolutely not passable. Shortly, these temporary bridges will be replaced by a different temporary bridge structure consisting of five, 50" culvert pipes, covered with gravel, creating a roadway for heavy equipment. Obviously, this will not be passable either.
Should you choose to portage around during the week, you'd be going through a work area of monster equipment (huge cranes) moving huge bridge sections and so forth. Workers may not allow you to proceed in any fashion while they are at work on the bridge.
Take extreme care anywhere near this site.
The job is expected to be completed by February, so it should have no impact on the 2012 paddling season.
Completion of First Phase, Shenango River Water Trail
You’ve been following our 4-year effort to open the channel of the upper Shenango River (from the dam at Pymatuning State Park) to Greenville’s Riverside Park. We fought our way through the bureaucratic hurdles, environmental restrictions, garnered support from the community and political entities, and of course raised $71,000 to do the work.
We had planned to begin the tree work this May, but were frustrated by the unusually high water experienced well into June. We reset a start date of August 1. On that day, two teams of Amish loggers and their wonderful draft horses went to work. They were directed daily by Jim Donnachie, a professional with Meadville Land Services, Inc. A Shenango River Watcher member gave directions or recommendations throughout the month where needed. read more ...
Kayak and Quilt Raffle Winners
Shenango River Watchers has announced the winners for the Kayak and Quilt Raffles. A gracious jogger was pulled from his run at Buhl Park where the winners were drawn on Monday, October 31, 2011.
Ernie Fobes was the lucky winner of this year's Kayak. Ernie is from West Middlesex and bought his ticket at our chili and cornbread fundraiser at Munnell Run Farm in October. When asked if he had kayaked before, he said no. He expressed that he has always wanted to kayak down the Shenango River but never had the opportunity. He's going to try it out in a swimming pool first! When Leisa, his wife, was asked if she would like to try out the kayak she replied "I prefer something larger, like a cruise ship!"
Anita Jones from New Castle was excited to learn that she was the winner of the beautiful hand-quilted bird quilt.
Shenango River Watchers is a non-profit organization with a mission to "Clean-up, Preserve and Protect" the Shenango River Watershed.
Trout Island Trail Cleanup with Cub Scout Pack #45 of Sharpsville October 23, 2011
The Pack #45 Cub Scouts brought a large contingent of scouts and parents to enjoy a great fall day on the Mercer County Trails Association (MCTA) Trout Island Bicycle Trail. Beginning from the start of the trail in Sharpsville and working out past the Shenango Dam, the group rounded up a large quantity of litter and recyclables while canvasing the trail and its surroundings to make the area look great.
Thanks to Pack #45 for helping clean this great trail area along the river.
Rick Barborak and Don Clowes
Cleanup and Recycling Committee
Our Mission
Shenango River Watchers is a non-profit watershed group formed to restore and protect the environmental, scenic, and recreational attributes of the Shenango River Watershed.
Working together, our members and other volunteers have cleared hundreds of tons of garbage and thousands of tires from illegal dump sites along the river, constructed canoe launches, and monitored the water quality of the Shenango River.
Help us to make the river a better place for everyone who lives in or visits the Shenango Valley.
Water Trail Project
We’ve been working now for 4 years on our most ambitious project, clearing the blockages that make the upper Shenango River virtually impassable to paddle craft. To that end, we raised over $70,000 from a variety of sources, public and private.
We negotiated the rocks and shoals of the various bureaucracies, state and national, which can influence our project. We recruited assistance from our local government, and rallied support from service clubs like the Lions, Rotary, Mercer County Woman’s Association, foundations, Scouts and the like. Our local papers gave us wonderful coverage. Most importantly, the general public responded with support and encouragement.
Finally, we have actually begun the work!
The pictures above show the condition of the river just below the Pymatuning Lake dam before work began. Clearly, the river was not passable in a canoe here!
Under the guidance of Meadville Land Services, Inc. , a team of Amish loggers and their amazing Belgian draft horses, with some help from a small tracked "skidder," log after log, jam after jam, is removed from the river’s channel.
Care is taken to not abuse the riverbank. We work around the "riffles," wherein reside Endangered Species of mussels. We deferred our start date to allow fledgling Bald Eagles nesting in the area to mature without disturbance. Much large woody debris is left in the river to maintain and augment habitat for fish, otter, beaver, and avian residents.
By being sensitive to these issues, the river maintains its natural character and health, both in appearance and in fact.
The pictures below show the work in progress and the results of clearing part of the river just below Pymatuning Sate Park.
The first phase of this work, from Pymatuning State Park south to Greenville’s Riverside Park, should be complete by late summer, this year. After MLS evaluates the second phase, from Riverside Park to the "Big Bend" take-out just above Lake Shenango near Clark and Transfer, PA, we will generate a target number for another round of fund raising to complete the project. From Pymatuning State Park to Big Bend, there will be a safe and inviting "family floatable" reach of some 26 miles. Your help is needed to make the complete project a reality.
More information about the water trail is available on our projects page.