Riverkeeper note: This is an update on the ongoing story related to a sewage spill below the town of Selinsgrove in Snyder County reported on Sunday, Sept. 22, 2024. You can see the original story here and the first follow-up which reported a temporary fix of the pipe here.
In an update story posted by The Daily Item newspaper earlier today (Sept. 24, 2024), Northcentral PA Department of Environmental Protection spokesperson Megan Lehman admitted that additional sewage could be spilled on Wednesday when the new long-term replacement pipe is installed south of Selinsgrove. That installation on Wednesday will also impact travel in the area according to a press release from PennDOT: "On Wednesday, September 25, 2024, between the hours of 7:30 AM and 3:00 PM, the Route 11 southbound exit ramp to Route 35 will be closed while the contractor for Eastern Snyder County Regional Authority will be working along Route 35. A detour using Route 11 southbound to Aqueduct Road, Route 11 northbound, to Route 35 will be in place while work is being performed. Motorists should be alert, slow down, and expect delays in travel."
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Riverkeeper note: This is an update on an ongoing situation that began on Sunday, Sept. 22, 2024, when a main sewage line ruptured near the East Snyder Sewage Treatment Plant south of Selinsgrove. See the original story here.
As of 9:30 a.m. on Monday, Sept. 30, 2024, the Snyder County Emergency Management Agency is reporting that a temporary sleeve was installed overnight on a ruptured sewage line that had been spewing raw sewage into the Penns Creek/Susquehanna River watershed since earlier in the day on Sunday, Sept. 22, 2024. The Facebook update also indicated that a pipe should arrive later Monday that would be used for necessary long-term repairs at the site. Riverkeeper note: The following is updated information from the Middle Susquehanna Riverkeeper Association as it continues to follow a large sewage line rupture. Check back for more updates as they are available. Have questions, comments or information to share with our Riverkeeper? Send them to [email protected]
A large 20-inch sewage line rupture near the East Snyder County Sewage Treatment Facility on the south end of Selinsgrove, PA, in Snyder County, is spilling raw sewage into the Penns Creek, lower Middle Creek and then flowing into the Susquehanna River just above the Hoover Island boat launch area. The rupture was found early Sunday, Sept. 22, 2024, and as of 3 p.m., authorities are still unsure when the pipe - which moves an average of two million gallons of sewage a day from communities including Selinsgrove, Shamokin Dam and Penn Township - will be repaired. "All residents of Shamokin Dam Borough, Monroe Township, Penn Township, and Selinsgrove Borough are requested to limit use until repairs can be made. There is no estimated time of repair at this time," according to a press release from the Snyder County Emergency Management Authority. "Ways to limit use would be to not run the dishwasher until it is full, only do laundry if you have to, limit time in shower, etc. This does not mean that you can’t use the toilet." Studies show positive impacts of Large Wood Addition projects on trout habitat, stream ecology9/20/2024 Riverkeeper note: The following column and podcast rehash was written by Northern Tier Regional Director Emily Shosh. You can contact her directly at [email protected]
Over time, streams naturally carve their own path as water runs over the lay of the land, interacting with vegetation and different substrates and sediments along the way. This process also creates different parts of a stream, all of which play a role in water quality, trout habitat and overall stream health. In Pennsylvania, this system has been disrupted over the last two centuries primarily through human activities including excessive logging and the loss of forest age/structure diversity, the overall loss of riparian vegetation, inadequate and/or undersized culverts and stream crossings and other development within the stream corridor. One solution to this issue is Large Wood Addition (LWA) projects, also referred to as Large Woody Debris, Large Woody Material and Strategic Wood Additions. Numerous families enjoyed a special cruise aboard the Hiawatha Paddleboat on Sept. 10, 2024, for one of the Middle Susquehanna Riverkeeper Association's Floating Classroom sessions.
On the upper level, PA Fish and Boat Commission's southcentral educator Mindy Musser shared a casting game that included a fish identification exercise. Meanwhile, Riverkeeper John Zaktansky presented on the lower level about numerous unique species of fish and their adaptations. Among them, the Chesapeake logperch, a species of interest in the lower Susquehanna watershed that has been impacted by pollution and sedimentation issues. Middle Susquehanna Riverkeeper offering $5 pass for up to 25% off at Boscov's for Oct. 22 fundraiser9/7/2024 The Middle Susquehanna Riverkeeper Association is participating in the Boscov's Friends Helping Friends Fundraising event on Oct. 22, 2024, which runs from 8 a.m. to 11 p.m. both in-store and online.
The fundraiser involves obtaining a shopping pass from the Riverkeeper Association for a $5 donation between now and the Oct. 22 event. The shopping pass can then be used for up to 25 percent off your shopping at Boscov's on Oct. 22.
Riverkeeper's note: The following is the introductory column by Riverkeeper John Zaktansky from the new e-magazine shared above or at this link. We also share below that the main stories from the same publication, interviews with Peter Petokas, Matt Kaunert and Mizuki Takahashi in blog form. We have included audio players for podcast conversations with Petokas and Kaunert. You can check out the new online petition to help push for protections for hellbenders by clicking here.
There is a huge amount of therapy for me, at least, on super stressful days – when it feels like the whole world is falling apart and the sky is falling with work projects and other major situations – to lay down in bed at night and zero in my thoughts and prayers of thankfulness on a smaller scope of what is going right at home. That even when all else is spiraling out of control, at least my immediate family and things within my two-acre corner of the world are OK, safe and secure. I had that feeling, briefly, for the Eastern hellbender as I helped Dr. Peter Petokas this past July. A citizen report of potential pollution in a small Union County tributary of Penns Creek the night after a heavy rainstorm in late May led to an investigation and ongoing corrective action by a nearby business.
The morning of May 23, 2024, an individual reached out to Middle Susquehanna Riverkeeper John Zaktansky the night after a big storm sharing pictures and video of a very dark, nearly black water flowing down a small waterway and through a culvert under County Line Road not too far from the intersection with Route 304. "I looked at that little run and it was totally black and it smelled like major sewer," the person relayed. "I can tell you one thing, it is all headed to the Penns Creek." Participants learn about bees, invasive plants at Aug. 19 Floating Classroom aboard Hiawatha8/20/2024 Despite being rescheduled due to high waters related to Tropical Storm Debby, the bees and invasive plant Floating Classroom hosted by the Middle Susquehanna Riverkeeper Association aboard the Hiawatha Paddleboat in Williamsport drew a wide variety of families for hands-on instruction on Monday, Aug. 19, 2024.
On the upper level, association Northern Tier Regional Director Emily Shosh shared an overview on invasive plants found throughout the region, the issues they cause and what can be done about them. The presentation included an activity that illustrated how invasive plants can deplete resources in an environment and cut off native species. Column: Internship offered a fresh perspective on environmentalism through outdoor exploration8/11/2024 Riverkeeper's note: The following column was written by Middle Susquehanna Riverkeeper Association summer intern Theadora Duane. She can be contacted via email by clicking here.
I had the privilege of interning for the Middle Susquehanna Riverkeeper Association this summer, and it was an experience unlike any other. From the office to the river, I forged meaningful connections and strengthened my love for and admiration of the environment. I came into the role a bit intimidated and unsure of what to expect. I am by no means an expert in any topic, and the thought of environmental education was both exciting and mildly terrifying. I was immediately met with a kind-hearted support system that taught me that a key part of teaching others is a willingness to learn alongside them. |
AuthorsRiverkeeper John Zaktansky is an award-winning journalist and avid promoter of the outdoors who loves camping, kayaking, fishing and hunting with the family. Archives
February 2025
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