Waltz and Greenwalk Creeks

The Watershed and Streams

The Waltz and Greenwalk Creeks are located in Northampton County, Pennsylvania.  They are part of the Marins Creek sub-watershed of the Delaware River.  Both streams originate at the foot of Blue Mountain.  The Waltz flows south and east from the Borough of Pen Argyl where it receives effluent from the Pen Argyl Sewage Treatment Plant (STP) and some urban runoff and then goes out through Plainfield and Washington Townships through agricultural land.  Along the way it is fed by smaller tributaries originating from wetlands and springs.  The Greenwalk joins the Waltz just northwest of the village of Ackermanville.  The Waltz continues down to its confluence with Martins Creek near the village of Factoryville. 

The Greenwalk begins in Washington Township and flows south, fed by springs and wetlands until it joins the Waltz.   There is a trout hatchery on the Greenwalk.

A TMDL has been done for the Waltz.  Copper is a concern.  The Pen Argyl STP is undergoing a complete overhaul which is scheduled to be complete in April 2009.  It is hoped that this will mitigate much of the copper problem.

Organization Description

Clean Water Fund is a national Section 501(c)(3) research and education organization that promotes the public interest on issues relating to water, waste, toxics and natural resources.  CWF began operations in eastern Pennsylvania in 1986.  Over the years, CWF has become a mature organization offering expertise and strategy around watershed protection efforts and community-driven water quality improvement in eastern Pennsylvania.

Clean Water Fund’s mission is to protect the environment and safeguard public health by empowering citizens to address environmental problems affecting them.  Clean Water Fund (CWF) provides organizing and planning assistance to grassroots groups, empowering them to resolve environmental problems facing their communities. CWF also conducts research and advocacy on issues relating to protection of water resources, pesticides and toxic chemicals, natural resources and environmental impacts on public health.  CWF has organized and chairs the PA Campaign for Clean Water, a coalition of 130 state and local watershed groups and conservancies, building a broader constituency for watershed protection and helping groups become more effective advocates for stronger watershed protection policies.

Project Description

The Martins – Jacoby Watershed Association has begun work to raise the level of protection for the Waltz and Greenwalk Creeks in the Martins Creek Watershed.  Clean Water Fund has agreed to help is this process, including writing portions of the petition requesting the PA DEP to declare these streams as Exceptional Value, affording them the highest degree of protection under Pennsylvania law.  As part of the petition, Clean Water Fund will:

1.        educate local municipal governments on the advantages of a higher level of protection

2.        work with the Watershed Association to test the Waltz and Greenwalk to determine the quality of those waters including comparing the quality before and after completion of the STP rebuild in Pen Argyl. 

3.        involve the Delaware Riverkeeper Network in consulting on the petition process.

Contact Information

For more information on this project and the Clean Water Fund, contact:

Rick Loomis

Clean Water Fund

1124 W. Tilghman Street

Allentown, PA  18102

610-434-9224

FAX 610-434-5790

e-mail:  rloomis@cleanwater.org

www.cleanwaterfund.org