Wildlife in Hot Water: Central PA Edition

This is the second in a multi-part series localizing the National Wildlife Federation’s (NWF) recent report, Wildlife in Hot Water: America’s

Waterways and Climate Change.

Our nation boasts majestic river systems like the Colorado, Mississippi, and - here in central Pennsylvania - the Susquehanna, but climate change threatens them all. The Susquehanna River Basin Commission studies the 27,510 square-mile watershed and its impact on roughly 4.1 million people within its focus area. According to the organization's latest "State of the Susquehanna" report, the basin is both "one of the most flood-prone areas in the entire nation" while experiencing declared emergency droughts 17 times in a 21 year period. 

Full Report: http://bit.ly/1iePwds 

Unfortunately, climate change compounds existing stress of pollution, dammed rivers, invasive species, disease, and destruction of forests and wetlands on our waterways. Some 147 freshwater fish species and populations are federally listed as threatened or endangered. An estimated 37 percent of all freshwater animals - from fish to crayfish to mussels - are considered at risk. The rate of aquatic species extinctions is five times higher than in terrestrial habitats, and climate change will place additional strain on the already highly-stressed freshwater aquatic life.

For many of us who spend time outdoors, we already know what climate change is doing to our waterways and wildlife. Here is a personal account from Pennsylvania resident Ed Perry on bass fishing in the Susquehanna from the NWF report:

"Up until 2005, then the hottest year on record, my family had been floating the middle Susquehanna for more than 25 years, camping on the islands, and wake fishing for smallmouth bass. But climate change has altered temperature and rainfall patterns, causing repeat kills of smallmouth bass in 100 miles of the middle Susquehanna River. The fishery has been devastated to the point that many guides gave quit taking anglers there and my family no longer takes these fishing trips that were such an important part of our outdoor experience." 

In an amendment to the Pennsylvania Wildlife Action Plan, written by Pennsylvania's Game Commission and the Fish and Boat Commission, it stated climate change could trigger substantial changes to fish and wildlife populations of the commonwealth, including, but not limited to:

• Migration of flora and fauna northward or to higher elevations in order to escape warming conditions;
• Decreased populations of freshwater and anadromous fish, like salmon and trout, due to reduced snowpack and increase temperatures in streams;
• Altered flooding patterns, which affect spawning and rearing habitat for many aquatic species;
• Increased spread of wildlife diseases and parasites.

Our nation and region's waterways are undoubtedly experiencing the negative impacts of climate change, but we all have the opportunity to lessen the risks posed to our waterways, wildlife, and their habitat. 

What you can do:
Support the Environmental Protection Agency's (EPA) Clean Power Plan. The EPA is taking a step in the right direction by finalizing the Clean Power Plan. With the new standards, we expect immediate actions can and should be taken to help safeguard our communities and wildlife from the impacts of climate change.

Support the EPA's Clean Water Rule. Without these protections, at least 60% of our nation's streams and 20 million acres of wetlands are vulnerable to pollution.

Jen Quinn is central Pennsylvania outreach coordinator for PennFuture and is based in Harrisburg. She tweets @QuinnJen1.

Wildlife in Hot Water: Philadelphia Edition

This is the first in a multi-part series localizing the National Wildlife Federation's (NWF) recent report, Wildlife in Hot Water: America’s Waterways and Climate Change.

Last week, PennFuture joined the NWF in Scranton to release its new report, which examines the affects climate change is having on wildlife and the nation’s waterways. 

The report details the rapid changes to the Earth’s water cycle that are already having negative impacts on ecosystems. As a result of disruptive carbon pollution, these changes include earlier and more rapid snowmelt, fewer and more intense rainfall events, and more frequent and extreme droughts and floods. The very character, chemistry, and quality of our waterways are changing in some of the following ways: 

• Reduced dissolved oxygen levels in streams and lakes
• Loss of habitat for cold and cool water fish species as climate change is prompting warmer temperatures
• Loss of wetlands and reduced riparian/floodplain connectivity
• Loss of upstream/downstream connectivity caused by the drying of stream and river reaches
• Reduced extent, diversity, and quality of in-stream habitat for aquatic biota
• Increased pollutant concentrations from urban and agricultural runoff

These effects are already being felt throughout Pennsylvania. Last Wednesday, speakers at our press event discussed the negative effects of climate change on water and wildlife in the Lackawanna and Susquehanna Rivers. But northeast Pennsylvania isn’t the only region of the commonwealth feeling these effects. The City of Philadelphia, bordered by two tidal rivers, is particularly at risk to sea level rise and extreme weather events. 

Flooding on Kelly Drive in Philadelphia

Some findings concerning Philadelphia and climate change-related flooding:

• According to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), nuisance flooding in Philadelphia – think road closures, overwhelmed storm drains, and infrastructure damage – has increased by 650 percent over the past 50 years. This significant increase is due to many factors, including climate-related sea level rise. NOAA concluded in its report that acceleration in sea level rise “will further intensify nuisance flooding impacts over time, and will further reduce the time between flood events.” 
• Sea levels in the Delaware Estuary have already risen by about a foot in the last century and experts expect to experience a rise of at last three more feet within ninety years.
• A report from the Union of Concerned Scientists projects that over the next thirty years tidal flooding events in Philadelphia will grow in frequency from 19 to 200 per year.
• The National Weather Service’s Sea, Lake, and Overland Surge from Hurricanes (SLOSH) model shows the that large sections of Philadelphia would be inundated if a Category 1 or 2 hurricane were to directly impact the region. In particular, southwest Philadelphia, which includes the Eastwick neighborhood as well as Philadelphia International Airport, would be particularly vulnerable to surge flooding where water levels would be higher than the elevation of the area. In an op-ed in Plan Philly’s Eyes on the Street blog, author Amy Laura Cahn shares that during Hurricane Floyd, “Eastwick’s slab-on-grade homes filled with six feet of water.” As a result, Eastwick residents have experienced spikes in the cost of flood insurance. 

Without climate action, it is expected that the rate of sea level rise will accelerate and extreme weather events will occur with greater frequency. Fortunately, there are many options for combating the causes of climate change while simultaneously preserving and protecting wildlife and the waterways they depend on, including: 

• Supporting the Clean Power Plan and reducing our carbon footprint: The Environment Protection Agency’s Clean Power Plan is an important step first step toward mitigating climate change. The plan presents opportunities to not only reduce carbon pollution from existing power plants, but to also invest in a zero-carbon, clean energy future. The commonwealth should expand upon its existing wind, solar, and energy efficiency programs to meet our reduction goals in a manner that is both cost-effective and emissions-neutral. 
• Encouraging Clean Water Act Protections: In order to better protect our wildlife and waters, support for the Clean Water Rule is essential. Without this rule, at least 60 percent of America’s streams and 20 million acres of wetlands would be left vulnerable to the destructive hands of industrial activities. 

In the coming weeks, we plan to share more region-specific stories that underscore the need to act on climate to protect our waterways and wildlife. Stay tuned!

Katie Bartolotta is southeastern Pennsylvania outreach coordinator for PennFuture and is based in Philadelphia. She tweets @KatieBartolotta.  

Paddle time is back

The ice has left the nearby Susquehanna River, and trees on its banks have just started to pop with lime-green buds this week. The annual canoe and kayak excursion event emails are starting to arrive in our inboxes, meaning that spring and paddle time are here again. For me, one of the ways to fully appreciate the beauty, as well as the challenges, that our 83,000 miles of Pennsylvania waterways face is to get out on a river.

Susquehanna River at Harding, north of Pittston, Pa.

Where I live, we’re within an easy drive of some great waterways: the Delaware River, including where it carves through the Water Gap and its 1,200 foot cliffs; the Susquehanna River, and its relatively gentle North Branch near Wilkes-Barre, which contrasts with the wide and vast waterway it becomes to the south; the renowned Yellow Breeches Creek in central Pa., which was once a meandering and beautiful summer paddle with PennFuture colleagues; and the Lehigh River’s scenery, a real hot spot -- especially if you like a bit of whitewater!

While noting eastern Pa. spots, I can’t not mention the Lackawanna River in Scranton, a sentimental (and, of course, unbiased) favorite, along which my ancestors settled in the 1880's. And I know that PennFuture folks in Philly, Pittsburgh, and Harrisburg have their personal lists of great paddling or boating spots, too (ask away -- and tell us your own!). For those who are interested in taking on the Susquehanna's 444-mile challenge, there's something new for you that our CEO, Cindy Dunn, noted in a recent article.

The Fish and Boat Commission's Water Trail Guides are a great resource for paddlers of all levels. There are 17 designated water trails across the state, and cartophiles and history buffs will find plenty about each region, places to see, and river access points and rapids charts.

So pack your sunscreen and water -- and see you out on the Pennsylvania waters.

Kate Gibbons is northeastern Pennsylvania outreach coordinator for PennFuture and is based in Wilkes-Barre.

Riparian buffers: An irrefutable case

We’ve talked before about the importance of properly managing the polluted runoff that results from stormwater. One important mechanism for controlling polluted runoff is the use of riparian buffers. These undeveloped areas adjacent to the water’s edge have wide-ranging benefits. Buffers can help reduce the amount of runoff that enters our streams and rivers, and they filter pollutants out of the runoff that does reach our waterways. Buffers also improve the quality of habitat for aquatic life and even help to increase the values of nearby properties.

On January 27, several organizations sponsored a presentation to Pennsylvania state legislators to educate them about the important role that buffers play in protecting us from the harms that polluted runoff can cause. Representative Greg Vitali, the Delaware Riverkeeper Network, Clean Water Action, American Rivers, PennFuture, and the Pennsylvania Campaign for Clean Water invited three speakers to the State Capitol to talk to a group of more than two dozen people comprised of state legislators and their staff. 

Dr. Bern Sweeney, Director of the Stroud Water Research Center, gave an entertaining and informative presentation about the scientific merits of buffers. He was followed by Mayor J. Richard Gray from the City of Lancaster, who spoke about his city’s experiences implementing green methods of managing polluted runoff. Finally, Patti Elkis from the Delaware Valley Regional Planning Commission summarized buffers’ economic benefits.  

Overall, the information presented during the session made an irrefutable case for the importance of creating and maintaining riparian buffers along Pennsylvania’s waterways. We are grateful to Dr. Sweeney, Mayor Gray, and Ms. Elkins for taking time out of their busy schedules to give the presentations, and we trust that the legislators and legislative staff in attendance found the information valuable.

Mike Helbing is a staff attorney for PennFuture, based in Philadelphia.