6 products found
Heritage Conservancy products
Bushkill Creek Watershed
The Bushkill Creek Watershed encompasses 80 square miles of Northampton County, PA, stretching from Blue Mountain to the Delaware River in Easton, PA. Groundwater recharge along the wooded slopes of Blue Mountain provides a critical source of high quality water for the headwaters of the Bushkill Creek. Wetlands along the foot of the mountain also help to buffer the streams from surface runoff while providing important wildlife habitat. Most of the upper half of the basin is located in shale and slate geology, and is dominated by woodlands, agriculture, and low-density residential development. The wooded areas generally follow the streams (mainstem, Sobers Run, Engler Run, and Little Bushkill Creek), forming "greenways" from Blue Mountain to Jacobsburg State Park. These riparian corridors absorb rainfall and runoff, keep the streams shaded and cool, and provide important habitat for flora and fauna.
Cooks Creek Watershed
The Cooks Creek Watershed encompasses 30.5 square miles (approximately 19,000 acres) and supports naturally reproducing trout. It has been listed as a first priority site in the Bucks County Natural Areas Inventory (NAI) and has been recognized by the Pennsylvania Fish and Boat Commission as the only viable coldwater fishery in Bucks County. The watershed is composed of steep forested ridges and deep spring-fed ravines. Its wide fertile limestone valley contains prime farmland which is still in production. A vital ecosystem, Cooks Creek is an important agricultural resource in Pennsylvania.
Forks Of The Neshaminy
The Forks of the Neshaminy is so called because of the narrow, winding stream valleys formed by the juncture of the Neshaminy and Little Neshaminy Creeks. This watershed, located in the Pennsylvania municipalities of Warwick; Wrightstown; Buckingham; and Northampton, is approximately 5,600 acres and was recently recognized in the Natural Areas Inventory of Bucks County as an area containing significant natural features which should receive priority for protection. The natural area includes the forested slopes and floodplain along the Little Neshaminy and Neshaminy Creeks near Rushland. This region is also made up of a group of farms united by Neshaminy Creek and due to topography, form a visually distinct area that still reflects its agricultural heritage.
Musconetcong River Valley Watershed
The 157.6 square mile Musconetcong River Valley Watershed lies within the Highlands physiographic province of New Jersey. The Highlands provides the water supply source for the state"s major urban areas and the river"s recreational and historic resources are important to the local economy. The Musconetcong River Valley features an outstanding diversity of farms, hamlets and villages and secluded natural areas. State, county and local parklands within the river corridor provide significant opportunities for hiking, fishing, canoeing, camping, nature study and other outdoor activities. The Musconetcong River and its tributaries support wild trout populations and are regionally important trout fishing streams. This river corridor has been a priority for the Green Acres program of New Jersey for the last decade, with a specific goal of creating a greenway along the river.
Pidcock Creek Watershed
Pidcock Creek is a small tributary of the Delaware River, which serves as an important drinking water for both Camden and Philadelphia. The creek is over 6.5 miles long and drains an area of approximately 12.7 square miles in the Bucks County townships of Buckingham, Upper Makefield, Solebury and Wrightstown. Designated a Lasting Landscape in early 2006, the 8000-acre Pidcock Creek Watershed is formed by a ring of hills: Buckingham Mountain, Solebury Mountain, Jericho Mountain, and Bowman"s Hill, which is a continuation of the diabase ridge that forms Jericho Mountain.
Quakertown Swamp
Located in Richland, East Rockhill and West Rockhill Townships, in Upper Bucks County, Pa., Quakertown Swamp is a 518-acre wetland which is recognized as significant by the Pennsylvania Natural Diversity Inventory because it is a haven for a variety of wildlife species, including beaver and waterfowl. Quakertown swamp has been listed as a first priority site in the Bucks County Natural Areas Inventory (NAI) and is listed by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service as an all important wetland area. Heritage Conservancy was instrumental in securing cooperation from the United States Environmental Protection Agency for designation of the Quakertown Swamp through an Advanced Identification Program. Only seven other wetlands in the Mid-Atlantic region possess this status. More than 74 bird species nest in the swamp. In addition, the Pennsylvania Breeding Bird Census confirmed in the late 1980s the occurrence of Sora rail and marsh wren, two Pennsylvania Species of Special Concern.
