South Branch Tunkhannock Creek Watershed Coalition

The South Branch Tunkhannock Creek Watershed Coalition is a citizen’s group formed in 2003 under the auspices of Countryside Conservancy to foster shared responsibility for the environment of the South Branch portion of the Tunkhannock Creek Watershed. The Coalition’s purpose is to raise awareness, to connect people with the watershed, and to encourage them to protect water resources.

The 100-square mile South Branch sub-watershed, lying in northwest Lackawanna County and northeast Wyoming County, is the fastest- developing part of the Tunkhannock Creek Watershed.  Sprawling new development and inadequately managed stormwater runoff are putting pressure on our historically clean and green waterways.

Since 2004, Coalition volunteers have conducted monthly monitoring of water quality at several sites along the South Branch. 

Click to view 2008 monitoring data results. 

Click to view data from 2004-2007.

Since 2005, volunteers have conducted semi-annual monitoring of macroinvertebrate fauna (such as caddisfly, stonefly and mayfly larvae) at one stream site.  Monitoring shows that our stream water quality is generally good and supports a diverse and abundant stream fauna.

However, a quick drive around the watershed shows that floodplains, stream banks and channels are under pressure from increasingly violent runoff events.  The Coalition encourages local landowners and elected officials to focus on more careful management of our precious local waterways.