Though it may be the oldest chapter of the National Audubon Society in Pennsylvania (founded in 1906), the Tiadaghton Audubon Society has some fresh new ideas on improving water quality. It will be working to improve the health of Pine Creek with some rather unlikely partners -- mussels and eels!
Pine Creek is an ecologically significant waterway that feeds into the West Branch of the Susquehanna River and ultimately into the Chesapeake Bay. However, over time it has faced a decline in water quality, most notably because of a collapse in the Elliptio complanata mussel population.
With its TogetherGreen Innovation Grant, the Tiadaghton Audubon Society will work to improve the water quality of this creek, the watershed, and the bay through the reintroduction of the American Eel. The Conowingo Dam on the Lower Susquehanna River has prevented the migration of the eel northward since 1928. The American Eel must be present to act as a host for the Elliptio larvae for two months in order for this mussel to begin a life cycle which can last up to 110 years. Increasing the mussel population is essential as adults of this incredible organism can filter up to one gallon of water per hour!
Through a partnership with the US Geological Survey and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Tiadaghton Audubon Society will transport the American Eel to the research lab for tagging and then release into Pine Creek. This effort will be supported by local high school students, who will help with accompanying community outreach by conducting and publicizing interviews with local residents about their experiences with the eels and mussels of Pine Creek and its tributaries prior to the organisms' demise. On “Release and Restoration Day,” Tiadaghton Audubon Society will invite local elected representatives out for a two hour program and a tour of the site with the goal of garnering long-term support and funding for this project.
Ultimately, with the help of some eels and mussels, the Pine Creek Tributary will once again become a thriving waterway, continue to be an asset to its community, and help to improve the water quality of the Chesapeake Bay.