Good News You May Have Missed
Morris School Students Assist with Stream Corridor Restoration
MORRIS—This year, Morris Central School, Butternut Valley Alliance and Upper Susquehanna Coalition have worked together to stabilize a highly erosive streambank on the school’s property along Butternut Creek. The site, identified by BVA through a whole watershed assessment, was contributing large amounts of sediment and nutrients into Butternut Creek and then eventually the Susquehanna River, adding unnecessary pollutants and affecting habitat. Additionally, there was room for improvement of habitat conditions along the stream corridor to support trout, mussels, American eels and other aquatic life. This project is being funded through local support and through a competitive grant from the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation, with support from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency.
For this project, the entire stream corridor along the property is receiving restorative practices, approximately 1,500 feet of stream. The stream bank was stabilized this past August to hinder further erosion. This fall, the riparian area will be planted with trees and shrubs for bank protection, reducing the velocity and timing of flood flows and to shade the stream for temperature regulation. Adjacent wetlands are being restored to create even more habitat for insects, birds and other critters.
