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Lakes & Streams Tour Description Lakes & Streams Tour Locations |
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| Lakes & Streams Tour Description | ||
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Pennsylvania is covered by some 4,000 lakes and impoundments, which provide 160,000 acres of recreation, habitat for animal and plant species, and economic resources. Many people depend on freshwater bodies such as lakes for surface drinking water and industry. Northwest Pennsylvania is home to the state's largest natural lake, Conneaut Lake, and the largest manmade lake, Pymatuning Lake. The lakes on this tour are home to many wildlife and plant species and are used frequently for recreation including fishing, boating, and swimming. On this tour, you will visit Conneaut Lake and Canadohta Lake, examples of glacially formed lakes. These natural glacial lakes, important biologically and geologically, are quite rare and only occur where ice sheets moved across the land during the last ice age. Since the water filters through glacial sediments, calcium carbonate dissolved from limestone, it buffers the pH of the lakes and wetlands, making them more able to support a diversity of plants and fish. Humans are a large threat to the 13,000 year-old lakes through agricultural runoff, untreated sewage, and lawn and golf course fertilizers. This tour will take you to both manmade and natural lakes in the area.
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| Lakes & Streams Tour Locations | ||
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| Description:
Pymatuning is the largest manmade lake in Pennsylvania, consisting
of 17,088 acres of open water. The area where Pymatuning Lake now
exists was a large wetland before it was dammed. The idea to dam Pymatuning
was spurred by a severe flood in 1913, which lead Congress to sign
the Pymatuning Act. August 17, 1934, marked the completion of the
dam that was dedicated by the former Pennsylvania Governor Gifford
Pinchot, a famous conservationist who founded the U.S. Forest Service.
Pymatuning is now a popular place for sailing and fishing.
Environmental Issue: Before glaciers made their way across Pennsylvania, the Pymatuning area was a natural lake. Glaciers passed through and altered the topography, leaving behind a wetland ecosystem. Later, the area was dammed to conserve waters entering the Pymatuning Swamp and to control flooding. Damming waters is a major cause in the loss of wetlands. Wetlands are special ecosystems, defined by particular soils, water conditions, and plant species. They also act as filters for sediments and help to improve water quality. Wetlands support a great diversity of life, providing critical habitat for these creatures. The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service estimates that one-third of all endangered species spend part of their lives in wetlands and nearly half of all original wetlands in the U.S. have been drained, filled, polluted, or degraded. By providing hydro-electricity and controlling floods, while offering a place for recreation, dams have many positive results. But these benefits come at a cost, a price that sometimes outweighs these benefits. Negative effects of dams include a loss of habitat for many wetland and river animals, as well as changes in the biology and chemistry of waterway.
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Smock River Walk - French Creek  |
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| Description:
French Creek is a biologically diverse stream with over 89 types of
fish and 27 species of freshwater mussels, including 2 federally endangered
species. The Creek flows from small tributaries in southern Chautauqua
County, New York, to its junction with the Allegheny River at Franklin,
Pennsylvania. The French Creek watershed covers over 1,235 square
miles through farmland, woods, meadows, wetlands, and towns, all of
which influence water quality. French Creek contains more freshwater
mussel species than any other stream in Pennsylvania. The diversity
of life within French Creek has won the creek fame and environmental
protection. The creek contains few invasive (non-native) species and
has very few dams that block the natural flow of the stream, alter
water chemistry, and prevent species migration.
Environmental
Issue: French Creek is a biologically diverse stream with over
89 types of fish and 27 species of freshwater mussels, including
2 federally endangered species. The freshwater mussels live on the
bottom and filter the water to eat and breathe and are a vital component
of the ecosystem.
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| Description:
Oil Creek is aptly named. This region is the birthplace of the modern
oil industry with the discovery of oil at Drake Well, outside Titusville,
in 1859. The park emphasizes the change from oil boom and environmental
degradation to the beautiful and productive landscape seen today.
There are numerous hiking trails as well as a 9.7-mile paved trail
from Drake Well to the park. As you walk along the trail, you will
see a picturesque view of the Oil Creek valley. Today, the creek is
clear; long ago, naturally occurring oil seeps clouded the water.
Seeps were places near the creek where oil was collected.
Environmental Issue: As you ride or walk along the trail, you will see picturesque view of Oil Creek, which the trail follows. Today, the creek is clear; long ago, naturally-occurring oil seeps clouded the water. Seeps were places near the creek where oil was collected. Native Americans were first to gather the oil, sometimes floating on top of the water. One trader, Tobias Hirte, wrote in 1792, that he saw Native Americans using feathers to dip into a seep to bring up oil. Other early gatherers shoveled oily gravel into canoes and then poured in water so that they could skim off the oil. Water was the key so that floating oil could be skimmed off and gathered. In the 1800s, it was also common for wool blankets to be used to catch floating oil. Today, there is little evidence of the massive amounts of oil that flowed through the area, although an occasional bursting rainbow in Oil Creek may be a drop escaping from an old well or a buried pipe. Just as oil has almost disappeared from the Oil Creek region, it is also diminishing every day from reserves around the world. On average, each person in the United States uses more than 60 barrels of oil per year! Americans consume as much energy in one day as most people will use in a year in less developed countries. This energy consumption clearly links to the great comfort we enjoy in this country as well as posing huge environmental challenges.
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| Woodcock
Creek Lake: Bossard Nature Trail
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Description:
Woodcock Creek Lake lies among the rolling hills of rural Crawford
County and was formed from a manmade dam. The dam is nearly a mile
in length, is paved, and is a popular place to run, walk, and rollerblade.
Nearby is the Bossard Nature Trail, where visitors can take a self-guided
walk on the easily accessible 1,000 feet of paved trail. At the
head of the nature trail is Woodcock's Visitor Information Center,
where there is a variety of displays and interpretative programs.
Woodcock Creek Lake is popular for fishing and boating. Also nearby
is Colonel Crawford Park where lakeside camping is available.
Environmental Issue: Woodcock Creek Lake was authorized by the Flood Control Act of 1936 and has been in full operation since February 1974. This reservoir is part of the flood control system operated by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers for French Creek, Allegheny River, and upper Ohio River. The lake is full (1180-foot elevation) during the summer months and is lowered about 15 feet during the winter. This elevation is held until early March when the lake is gradually refilled. The purpose of this project includes flood control, low-flow augmentation for water quality, fish and wildlife enhancement, and recreation. The construction of dams for flood control and hydroelectric and mechanical power is common in the United States. Woodcock Creek Dam is quite large compared to the estimated 75,000 small and abandoned dams that block America's creeks and rivers. Many dams, built for mechanical energy before the advent of fossil fuels, now only serve to disrupt the ecology of streams. The water held in the impoundment is warmer and less oxygenated than upstream sections. Dams also collect sediment and organic debris as the water velocity slows and particles fall out of suspension. The natural flow regime of the river is also upset as flood control dams regulate flow out of the dam. Lastly, dams present a physical barrier for the migration of fish and other wildlife. Many conservation organizations, such as Trout Unlimited and American Rivers have begun to remove abandoned dams as a cost effective and simple solution for the restoration of impacted waterways.
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