 Saucon Creek
Saucon
Creek is a 26.6 mile long stream, located in Northampton County, and is considered a high quality
coldwater fishery (HQ-CWF) by standards of the
Commonwealth
of
Pennsylvania. Local
interest in the Saucon Creek, along with increased interest in stream
preservation, has continued to grow over the past few years. This growing
community awareness has resulted in the formation of a new Saucon Creek
Chapter of Trout Unlimited, an organization which fosters stream
preservation and local programs for the community.
The Coldwater Heritage Partnership Program grant offers communities and
regions an opportunity to be active in preservation and stream
improvements. This partnership program has enabled Barry Isett &
Associates, Inc. to study the Saucon Creek for needed critical analysis.
The
overall purpose of this project is to build awareness and study trout
populations, water quality, and macro-invertebrate conditions within the
headwaters of Saucon Creek. This initial purpose has been expanded to
include an overview of the entire watershed with two sites of special
interest. One emphasis is on the 1 ˝ mile section in Hellertown,
designated “selective harvest artificial lures only” by PA Fish and
Boat Commission, while a second emphasis is on tributaries located in Lower
Saucon
Township.
The resulting conclusion is a conservation and protection strategy. Up to
this date, study methods included: gathering data on existing conditions
and identifying potential impacts, threats, problems, and opportunities.
After all data has been collected, a plan of action will be formulated on
protection strategies and increased conservation methods. It is
anticipated that a structured plan of action will build community
awareness for Saucon Creek and increase support for the conservation of
other coldwater streams.
It
should be noted that this study was designed specifically to look at trout
and trout related issues and is not meant to be a substitute for a full
watershed assessment or rivers conservation plan. A full watershed
assessment study is strongly encouraged in the near future.
Contact:
Joe
Hoffman
Barry
Issett and Associates
85
South Route
100 and
Kressler
Lane
Post
Office Box 147
Trexlertown,
PA 18087-0147
phone
610-398-0904
fax
610-481-9098
hoffman_joe@hotmail.com
www.barryisett.com
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For
More Information
Download the Saucon Creek Conservation Plan