The Buck Stops Here- Erosion and Sediment

Since 1956 the BCCD has worked with the community to reduce erosion and sedimentation within our county

Lacy Powers, Conservation Technician, BCCD
Here at the Bradford County Conservation District, we are dedicated to helping conserve, protect, and restore our natural resources.  What are our natural resources exactly? Well, there is the air we breathe, the water we drink, and the soil we use to build on and grow our crops in. While the District’s agriculture and technical teams deal in conserving the resources differently, one thing you will notice is the shared focus on protecting our soils from erosion.  As a matter of fact, that is the whole reason conservation districts were created to begin with.  

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In response to the tragic events of the Dust Bowl, which we discussed in a previous week’s article, President Franklin D. Roosevelt’s administration established the Soil Conservation Services that pushed to create programs that would address soil erosion issues and assist local farmers in proper farming practices. The agricultural team at the District helps farmers create a plan for erosion and sediment control so they will have viable topsoil to cultivate for generations to come. We also provide other tools and resources such as our no-till drill, which you can rent for your own plantings by called 570-485-3144.

What about other activities people do that create soil erosion? Surely erosion is not only the farmer’s fault. There are buildings and roads being constructed every day that strip the land and dramatically increase stormwater runoff, which can cause erosion and increase sedimentation in our waterways. That is where the technical team at our conservation district steps in.

Did you know Bradford County has the most dirt roads in our state? Our Dirt, Gravel, and Low Volume Roads program educates and assists municipalities with constructing roads that are more resilient to stormwater and erosion.  This saves taxpayers money on constant road repair and keeps sediment out of our streams. 

Our watershed team also helps landowners who are battling property loss due to stream bank erosion. One farmer we are assisting has lost over 1 acre of crop land due to stream bank degradation over the years.  By rehabilitating banks, we are protecting landowners from property loss and decreasing the amount of soil entering our streams during high water flow events. The watershed team also assists in undersized culvert replacements that are known to increase flooding, damage surrounding infrastructure, and increase erosion and sedimentation.  These culverts are replaced with bottomless culvert arches that reconnect our stream channels, promote the movement of aquatic organism passage and are designed to easily handle 100- year stormwater events (reducing flooding, erosion, stress on our streams).

A large part of reducing the amount of soil and other pollutants from entering our streams is reestablishing the forested stream buffers that line our stream banks.  This is where our forest specialist has become a valuable resource to our community and by teaming with Stroud Research Center, we reforested 38 acres of stream banks in 2024 alone.  The deep roots of the trees help strengthen our banks and provide more space to slow down stormwater and deposit pollutants before they enter our streams.

Lastly is our Chapter 102 and 105 programs that deal with erosion and sediment (E&S) control and waterway encroachment.  These programs deal specifically with construction and the necessary E&S plans that help keep the soil onsite and not in our streams.  Any earth disturbance over one acre requires a National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (NPDES) permit which is submitted to our office for review and approval before construction begins.  We can also help create E&S plans for residents who are planning on completing small earth disturbance projects too. 
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Sediment may not be your first choice when asked what the number one pollutant in Pennsylvania is, but it’s true. This proves that erosion and sediment are just as much of a challenge today as it was in the 1930s. We continue to learn what can happen if our resources are not properly managed and for the past 69 years the Bradford County Conservation District has been dedicated to helping create a vibrant and healthy environment supported by an educated, connected, and involved community.  Together we can reduce erosion and sediment pollution events, just stop by our office and ask us how.
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The Bradford County Conservation District is committed to helping people manage resources wisely.  You can visit the Bradford County Conservation District at 200 Lake Rd in Wysox across from the Wysox Fire Hall. Contact us at (570) 485-3144 or visit our web page at www.bccdpa.com.