Financed through a 2001 Growing Greener grant, the Baker Creek Watershed Association (BCWA) was chartered in February, 2001. The impetus to form a group arose from the growing concern in the community about the deteriorating condition of Baker Creek, especially as it flows through the Borough of North East, PA in Erie County. Baker Creek originates in the ridge south of the borough, flows through North East Township, through the borough, joins with Sixteenmile Creek at the western border of the borough, and empties into Lake Erie.

Sections of the creek are part of municipal property, and this encouraged the group to be able to apply for financing, working cooperatively with the Borough officials. The 2001 grant was used to publicize the effort, to hold organizational meetings, to sponsor a Creek Clean-Up Day, and to print informational brochures for distribution throughout the community. A storm drain stenciling project will be complete in Summer 2002.

The response has been gratifying. As the community?s awareness of Baker Creek?s condition has heightened, property owners along the creek have started to work on reducing pollutants, and also on reconstruction and replantings. Other community groups have become affiliated, including boy scout troops, church organizations, senior citizens, the North East Cultural Center, and the high school ecology club. The BCWA received a 2002 Growing Greener grant to do an engineering analysis of this portion of Baker Creek, which will enable an action plan to be developed. Once the action plan is in place, the group will work over a course of years to repair, restore, and rehabilitate Baker Creek.

Diana Hatfield, Secretary, BCWA

In March of 1999 on the corner of West 8th and Bayfront Parkway, Country Fair purchased a parcel of property and decided to build a new Country Fair at this location. This site is also adjacent to the severely eroding eastern bank of Cascade Creek. The S.O.N.S. (Save Our Native Species) of Lake Erie Fishing Club along with other interested groups approached Country Fair about numerous environmental concerns related to the site.

With the excellent cooperation of Country Fair and many other partners, including the Lake Erie-Allegheny Earth Force, Strong Vincent Environmental Science Class, Jr. PLEWA, Alice Sjolander of the French Creek Project, Willow Construction, the Erie County Conservation District, and the S.O.N.S. of Lake Erie, PLEWA applied for and received a Growing Greener Grant from the Department of Environmental Protection to stabilize 250 feet of the Cascade Creek streambank protecting it from future erosion problems and reducing the amount of sediment entering the stream.

Not only did Country Fair provide match monies for the project, but continued as a good neighbor with the installation of underground stormwater retention basins along with oil and grease separators placed in the catch basins. Three rows of Gabion Baskets, MacMat, and erosion control fencing were installed to stabilize the bank from soil loss and provide a protected area for planting over 400 seedlings, live stakes, and bare root plants of native species. These were planted along the streambank by partnering volunteers.

This project was the first project to be completed under the direction of PLEWA and is a direct result of the successful private/public collaboration between Country Fair, PLEWA, and the many other partners involved. Country Fair and the S.O.N.S. keep up with the on-going maintenance of the project site and a sign commemorating the project and its many partners has been erected.

The S.O.N.S. (Save Our Native Species) of Lake Erie Fishing Club established the first erosion control project on Cascade Creek with recycled Rip-Rap stone from the old railroad bridge at Front Street and State Street, now known as the Bayfront Parkway at State Street. (more…)