Watershed Awareness Through Signage Project

The BWA was awarded a grant from the Department of Environmental Protection Environmental Education Program to develop a signage program designed to increase awareness of the watershed and it’s many pristine streams. Now, motorists on Routes 390, 447 and 191 will know when they are “Entering the Brodhead Watershed.” Three signs with that message have been installed in the Brodhead headwaters. The sign on 390 is north of Skytop Lodge, the sign on 447 is near the Lake in the Clouds entrance and the sign on 191 is just above Griscom Run, a tributary of the Buck Hill Creek.

Doug and Nathan Leies install a new sign off Rte. 390 north of Skytop

In addition to the Entering the Brodhead Watershed signs the grant also provides funding to place smaller signs marking the Streamwatch locations where volunteers have been monitoring the streams throughout the watershed, and stream name signs at 50 locations. 

In 2014, the BWA is celebrating the 25th Anniversary of its founding in 1989 and the new signs allow residents and visitors alike to know how much we appreciate living and caring for the valuable watershed resources we have right here in the watershed we call home.

Stream Name Sign Program

Greene Township is the first to put up their new stream name signs.  Leavitt Branch flows out of Lake in the Clouds in Greene Township, Pike County,  flows east for a bit, then turns south.   Rt 390 follows the Leavitt Branch, which feeds Skytop’s Mountain Lake and then joins the Brodhead just north of the village of Canadensis.   Lake in the Clouds resident and BWA Streamwatcher,  Charlie Schaffer delivered the signs to  Greene Township last week.

Wendy Lichty and Ed Cramer, Stroud Township Supervisor, smile about new stream name signs for Stroud Township roads.

Thanks to a 2013 grant from the Dept of Environmental Protection Environmental Education Program,  BWA has been able to purchase more stream name signs for watershed bridges. 

The grant focuses mainly on roads that cross McMichael Creek, primarily in Chestnuthill and Hamilton townships.  A total of 15 bridges, needing 30 signs, were identified in those townships. Stroud Township has one crossing without signs, and several crossings of Brodhead Creek without signs.   In addition, we were able to provide Paradise Township with 6 signs for Paradise Creek bridges and Price Township with 4 signs for Leas Run.  In all cases, the municipalities are donating the poles and time for their road crews to erect the signs.

The Stream Name Sign program was developed to help residents learn about their watershed and the streams near their homes or those they cross as they travel around the watershed.  BWA believes that knowing where you live in the watershed will help you protect your stream. To learn more about the Brodhead watershed, visit our KNOW YOUR WATERSHED ADDRESS page.

Through earlier grants, and a Stream Name Sign Sponsorship program, BWA and watershed municipalities have erected more than 200 signs where roads cross streams.

STREAM NAME SIGN SPONSORSHIP

The BWA, in partnership with various watershed municipalities and the PA Department of Transportation, has developed a stream name sign program to place stream name signs at the many road crossings in the watershed. Signs have been erected in Paradise and Stroud townships as well as at several state highway stream crossings throughout the watershed. The goal of this project is to help residents and visitors alike learn about the Brodhead watershed and care for the streams where they live or visit.

You can become a Stream Sign Sponsor and help this program grow – CONTACT US to find out how.