Pike groundwater will receive long-term study

By TOM KANE

MILFORD, PA – Water is going to be the most critical environmental issue we will face far into the future, many environmentalists say.

Not open space. Not the preservation of farmland. Not the management of land use issues, important though these may be, but rather, wateržits availability and its quality.

Without the availability of large quantities of clean water, the future of our communities is dismal if not doomed, according to experts.

Pike County, which is under considerable growth pressures today, has just received a grant of $131,944 from the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) for assessment of its groundwater resources. The grant is part of the state’s Growing Greener Program.

The original request asked for $139,944 but DEP was unable to fund the entire amount.

“We are going to require accurate, scientific information and sound management tools on which to base water-use planning and management decisions,” said John Jose, Watershed Specialist of the Pike County Conservation District (PCCD). Jose spoke before the Pike County Commissioners on December 6.

Currently, such information is lacking and it is imperative that efforts be undertaken to fill the gaps in Pike’s knowledge base on this vital resource, he said.

“With the voluntary cooperation of private well owners, 20 to 25 pre-existing drilled wells will be incorporated into a county-wide groundwater level monitoring network,” Jose said.

For the period of 2007 to 2009 the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) will measure water levels monthly. During the summer of 2007, USGS will test the wells in order to locate ground water pollution and to plan strategies to fight that pollution. Information will be provided to enhance the effectiveness of efforts to protect groundwater.

County, state and federal agencies say that groundwater in Pike contributes on average 74 percent of the water flowing in streams in any given year.

“Groundwater quality and quantity are major factors in determining stream health,” Jose said.