About
Raccoon Creek Watershed
The
Raccoon Creek Watershed is home to 32,000 people in fifteen
municipalities in Beaver, Washington and Allegheny Counties.
Its secluded valleys and woodlands are havens for sportsmen
and outdoor enthusiasts. Much of the watershed is designated
an Important Birding Area by the Audubon Society of Western
PA.
Its
184 square miles have been extensively mined for coal since
1781. As a result, the creek and its tributaries were seriously
degraded by acids and metals draining from abandoned deep
mines and strip mines.
Over
175 sources of abandoned mine drainage, or AMD pollution,
were identified in our Watershed Survey and Restoration
Plan, completed in 2000. Most of these discharges are in
the creek's headwaters in Washington and Allegheny Counties
(see clickable map below).
Water
quality in Raccoon Creek is on the mend, largely due to
the construction of AMD treatment systems and sewage treatment
plants within the past several years. Much work remains
yet to be done.
We encourage
residents, businesses, land owners, organizations and law
makers to join us in restoring and protecting the wetlands,
streams and lakes of our beautiful Raccoon Creek Watershed.
GIS map adapted from Raccoon Creek Watershed AMD Survey and Restoration Plan, EPA Section 104(b)(3) Document prepared by Skelley and Loy, Inc., August 2000
