Since organizing in 1999, the Baker Creek Watershed has endeavored to promote good management practices along the waterway that bisects North East Borough. In addition to educational materials, the group has sponsored an annual Clean-Up with the cooperation of the Borough officials and local sponsors, including the Community Nurses, Bob Martin at State Farm Insurance, the Boston Bean Café, Boy Scout Troop #57, and PennDOT.

Baker Creek is represented on Pennsylvania Lake Erie Watershed Association (PLEWA), and participates in the September International Coastal Cleanup. Educational materials were provided to Earth Force and the North East Middle School’s Hooked on Fishing group.

Locally, the storm drains in the Borough will again be stenciled to indicate “Do not dump; drains to Lake Erie” with the assistance of the North East High School Ecology Club.

The first annual Baker Creek Beautification Award was presented to the O’Leary Dental Group for the restoration construction on the riparian area to the rear of their office.
Baker Creek Watershed Association meets quarterly, unless additional meetings are needed. All meetings are open to the public. If anyone wishes to be added to the mailing list, contact Diana Hatfield at the above address and phone.

Treasurer’s Report:

In February 2002 the Baker Creek Watershed Association, in partnership with the Borough of North East, listed a series of environmental goals and objectives to be addressed, including the selection of a major improvement project. A structural assessment analysis of Baker Creek previously conducted revealed that the municipal parking lot was an area that could be improved. A proposal to control urban runoff non-point pollution in this lot led to the application for grants to help defray the costs of such a project.

A Coastal Zone grant helped cover the design fee with Dahlkemper’s Landscaping presenting the final drawings for approval in mid-2003. The incorporation of permeable pavement, infiltration galleys, catch basins with oil separators, riparian plantings, and a central planted area drew approvals during public comment sessions.

Funding assistance by Pennsylvania Department of Environmental’s Growing Greener program and Great Lakes Basin enabled the project implementation to proceed. A landscape grant from the Environmental Fund of Pennsylvania was put to use immediately to establish a small demonstration garden, to illustrate the vision for the larger municipal lot areas.

Finally underway in mid-May 2005 by Mayer Brothers Construction, the project benefited from good weather and close coordination of the construction by Hill Engineering. What you see here today is not a finished product: the street lights and landscaping will be installed shortly. Trees, funded by the North East Shade Tree Commission, will be planted in the appropriate season. The surrounding building owners have joined the effort and funded improvements that will enhance access, further increasing the effectiveness of this area.

Mission Statement:

The Baker Creek Watershed Association mission is to promote the restoration and conservation of the Baker Creek Watershed by assisting, developing, sponsoring activities pertaining to safety, waterflow, envrionmental, and aesthetic issues.

Baker Creek Description:

Baker Creek originates on the glacial ridge of the Lake Erie watershed and flows north through the Borough of North East. The first third of the flow is mostly pastoral, becoming “domesticated” as it defines back property borders in residential neighborhoods. A small portion of the creek flows alongside the municipal parking lot, under buildings, and under roadways. The creek exits the Borough as it flows into 16-Mile Creek, which empties into Lake Erie.

Phase I

The Baker Creek Watershed Association was organized in 2000 with a Pennsylvania Growing Greener grant. With this grant, and some in-kind funds, we advertised and held public meetings, some with speakers. We visited school classrooms, set up a traveling display around the community, developed a brochure, stenciled stormdrains, and generally “recruited” people for our cause.
Internally, we held an organizational meeting, established a steering committee, set an agenda, wrote a mission statement, adopted bylaws, compiled a history of the creek, and sent a representative to a statewide conference.

On site, we photographed the length of the project area of Baker Creek, inventoried the plant varieties, held a Clean-Up Day, and began site preparations for a Demonstration Project.

Phase II

We were fortunate enough to receive a second Pennsylvania Growing Greener grant for an engineering assessment of Baker Creek. Following field research on November 1, 2001, the engineering assessment was completed and presented to the Steering Committee on November 28, 2001. The information from the assessment was significant enough to begin planning for a community Demonstration Project in the public municipal parking lot, a source of considerable non-point source pollution.

As a result of the increased attention that the group was receiving, three independent riparian projects were completed along the creek, at the property owner?s expense.

Phase III

Again, with the assistance of a Pennsylvania Growing Greener grant, we were able to hire a professional Urban Environmental Landscape Architect to draw up plans for improvements to the Municipal Parking Lot. This plan will address management of considerable stormwater, urban runoff from the impervious surface of the parking lot, a riparian buffer on both sides of the creek, catch basins, and permeable areas throughout the lot. This design is currently underway, and several drafts having already been shown at public input meetings. Partners in this projected construction are the North East Area Chamber of Commerce, the North East Borough, the North East Shade Tree Commission, the North East Cultural Center, Boy Scout Troop 57, and the North East High School Ecology Club.

NOTE: We are not a 501(c)(3); therefore we partner with either the Borough (in the case of a municipality being eligible) or one of our affiliated environmental groups, in which we maintain memberships, to apply for grant funds.

Officers:

• John Hallenburg, Chairman
• Jody Timer, Vice-Chair
• Diana Hatfield, Secretary
• Tom Mack, Treasurer

Membership:

• Average attendance at meetings: 12
• Monthly mailing list: 30
• Products: Brochure and Display Board
• Resources: Library of materials

Contact Information:

• c/o 21 S. Lake Street
• North East PA 16428
• Phone: 814-725-4262
• FAX: 814-725-3994
• e-mail:nechamber at lakeside dot net

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