Golf Course Reach of Ithan Creek: A Case Study for Watershed Protection and Restoration

_________________________

A Reach of a Creek through a Golf Course: Two Questions

____________________________• How can best practices for turf lawn

maintenance be encouraged or better regulated on golf courses?

• What is the best way to carry out stream bank restoration if it is to occur?

Typical Pennsylvania Streams of Centuries Ago

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www. Landstudies.com

For several centuries

in the mid-Atlantic

states, erosion from

agriculture delivered

tons of sediment to

streams

and sediment built

up behind mill dams.

www.ohiobarns.com

Shaping Banks over Time through Erosion, Sedimentation, and Erosion

Sediments Accumulate behind Dams and Spread Both Upstream and Parallel to the Stream flow

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http://www.vtwaterquality.org/wqd_mgtplan/images/DamEffects02.jpg

• In the past the land denuded by farmers melted away as

erosion and filled flood plains with sediments

• Now, rapid and forceful stormwater run-off occurs due to

impervious surfaces

• Banks erode,

particularly

alluvial sediments

• Result = Streams

deeply incised.

www.bucknell.edu

Shaping Banks over Time by Erosion, Sedimentation, and Erosion

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Streams Cut Down through Alluvial Sediments

Walter and Merritts, Science Jan 18, 2008

Deeply Incised Stream in New Sediments

Walter and Merritts, Science Jan 18, 2008

www.bucknell.edu

Familiar steep, straight

(or undercut) banks

--Probably not the way

that streams looked

prior to European

colonization of this part

of the country.

Shaping Banks through time by erosion, sedimentation, and erosion.

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Ithan Creek Matches this pattern

• Ithan Creek stretches that are deeply incised.

• Radnor Valley Country Club wished to restore the banks of the Ithan Creek where it ran through their property.

• Studied macroinvertebrates and fish in Ithan Creek where it courses through Radnor Valley Country Club.

• Compared golf course reach to upstream section of creek through forested area that belongs to Conestoga Swim Club upstream.

Our Study of A Golf Course area of the Ithan Creek

vs. A Forested Area___________________________________________

Darby Creek Watershed

http://www.nap.usace.army.mil/portals/39/siteimages/Civil/RSM/watershed.jpg

RadnorValleyCountry Club onIthan Creek

Upstream forested area Ithan Creek

Thus there is food and shelter formacroinvertebrates

Through the swim club- the streambed is free stone, boulders, logs, branches, and leave packs with riffles, runs and deep pools.

The shallow grass roots allow erosion.

Any rocks are buried in coarse sand.

There is no habitat for any invertebrates except burrowers such as worms.

Downstream in the grassy area

METHODS• Fish

surveyed by seining

• Macroinvertebrate IBI score

PA DEP scoring system between 0 and 100 calculation based on:Total taxaIntolerant taxaShannon diversity index Modified Beck’s indexHilsenhoff biotic indexEPT taxa

• A stream with a score over 90 =an “A” Stream

• Developed by Chalfant et al., 2007 PA DEP

RESULTSFish use both sections of the stream

• Several species of minnows and shiners, plus white suckers, abundant blacknose dace, and in a deep area with submerged vegetation-the banded killifish.

• Fish cruise back and forth ---

– Hide under the rocks and logs in the deep pools and upstream forested area.

– Can be seen in the golf course section in multi-species schools.

http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-Whr8IyfE4n4/UV8e_SwWK3I/AAAAAAAAAEA/NbYgkSPcZR4/s1600/banded_killifish.jpg

Average IBI scores over two years

15.2 16.3

24.2

30.1

30.5

16.4

45.543.7

Feb April July Oct

Forested Reach

Grassy Reach

Total IBI scores over two years out of a possible score of 100- values similar to those found by

PA DEP in same watershed

0

10

20

30

40

50

60

70

80

90

100

Feb April July Oct

RVCC

CSC

Forested Reach

Grassy Reach

Average Total Taxa Forested vs. Grassy Areas

0

5

10

15

20

25

February April July October

Forested Reach

Grassy Reach

Grassy vs. Forested Area Average EPT over two years

0

1

2

3

4

5

6

7

February April July October

Conclusion from Golf Course vs. Forested Reach Study

• Overall, IBI scores are low, but similar to PA DEP scores in same geographical area.

• The forested area of the stream supports a vibrant community that could colonize the restored area downstream if the restoration occurs.

Bottom Line • Lack of riparian buffer has led to significant erosion

of the golf course soils.

• The eroded sediment have apparently covered the free stone streambed that previously provided habitat for the macroinvertebrate community.

• The golf course reach does not support a healthy aquatic macroinvertebrate community.

Questions to Consider

• How can best practices for turf lawn maintenance be encouraged or better regulated on golf courses?

– How to convince clubs to use less pesticides and herbicides?

– Riparian buffer an obvious aid--How to convince the club members that wild is beautiful?

– Or should this be regulated?

Second Question

• What is the best way to carry out restoration if it is to occur?

How to transition between a restored reach and the adjacent properties?

What to do with sediments removed?

What type of bank restoration given that current streams are so far from their originalform?

Acknowledgements

• Thank you to Radnor Valley Country Club and Conestoga Swim Club for permission to study Ithan Creek on their properties and Gary Kleiman for facilitating the study at RVCC

• Thank you to Adam DiCaprio, Rachael Vietheer, Matt Dougherty, and Sarah Polekoff for their contributions to this research project.

• This research was supported by VanSant and Mellon Funds at Ursinus College.

Photo Credits: • Radnor Valley Country Club and Conestoga Swim Club:

Kate Goddard LandStudiesSarah Wadsworth Gary Kleiman

• Incised stream www.bucknell.edu

• Forested creek http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-3pF9LvECRF8/UcuOjRYdzQI/AAAAAAAAJMA/cQ1bHy48wEc/s1600/darby-creek-2.jpg

Permits: All collections done under PA Fish and Boat Commission Scientific Collection Permit No. 254, Aquatic Educator Permit Type 1 No. 32, and a permit from the US Fish and Wildlife Service.

Studies Referenced:

Walter, Robert C., and Dorothy J. Merritts. "Natural streams and the legacy of water-powered mills." Science 319.5861 (2008): 299-304.

PA DEP Macroinvertebrate Studies of Philadelphia Area Watersheds http://DCVA.org

http://www.gaepd.org/Files_PDF/techguide/wpb/Streambank_and_Shoreline_Stabilization_Guidance_Book_Revised_April_2011.pdf

Kent Park, Drexel Hill PA October 2012 photo by Sarah Polekoff