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Our Mission:
To Promote the Health of the Fishing Creek Watershed
To Promote the Health of the Fishing Creek Watershed
****UPCOMING EVENTS****
“Dam removal in Pennsylvania: Benefits for Fish, Rivers and Communities”
David Dippold, PhD, Fish Passage Biologist, PA Fish and Boat Commission, Division of Habitat Management
Monday, April 13, 2026, at 7 pm
Large Meeting Room, Ag Services Building, 702 Sawmill Road, Bloomsburg
(See description below)
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****All events will be held in the Lower Level Conference Room in the Ag Services Building
at 702 Sawmill Road, Bloomsburg PA 17815 unless noted otherwise****
Are you aware that our local Boone’s Dam was removed last summer? Do you wonder why? We’ve asked David Dippold from the PA Fish and Boat Commission to bring us the story of the dam removal program in Pennsylvania.
As an overview, Dr. Dippold sent this information. “Pennsylvania leads the nation in dam removals, having removed nearly 420 dams across the state. Although some dams continue to serve a function (e.g. flood control, water supply), many dams are obsolete and no longer serve their intended purpose. These aging and obsolete dams can pose a risk to public safety, may contribute to localized flooding, and can have negative effects on aquatic ecosystems and the populations that they support. In this presentation, we will explore Pennsylvania’s dam removal program, discuss the process of removing a dam, and discover how removing barriers can benefit Pennsylvania’s aquatic resources.”
We hope you can join us on April 13th to learn the full story.
As an overview, Dr. Dippold sent this information. “Pennsylvania leads the nation in dam removals, having removed nearly 420 dams across the state. Although some dams continue to serve a function (e.g. flood control, water supply), many dams are obsolete and no longer serve their intended purpose. These aging and obsolete dams can pose a risk to public safety, may contribute to localized flooding, and can have negative effects on aquatic ecosystems and the populations that they support. In this presentation, we will explore Pennsylvania’s dam removal program, discuss the process of removing a dam, and discover how removing barriers can benefit Pennsylvania’s aquatic resources.”
We hope you can join us on April 13th to learn the full story.
FCWA–Celebrating 2025 and Welcoming 2026
Thanks to the support of our members and volunteers, Fishing Creek Watershed Association enjoyed another productive and interesting year. A major reason for that success is the quality of the speakers who enriched us with these educational programs this year. We are extremely grateful!
In addition to these programs, FCWA members took part in other events in our watershed, including Fish’n Fun at Kocher Park in June, the Fourth Annual Susquehanna Valley Watershed Festival in July, and several cleanups of Kocher Park and Fishing Creek. We had a very successful day at ArtFest in Bloomsburg in August, where our annual Container Garden Contest set a new record for money earned to fund the plantings at Kocher Park.
As we plan another active and educational year, we want to thank the members and friends who volunteered their time and offered suggestions to help us improve our conservation efforts. We are an all-volunteer organization, and welcome others to join us in our efforts to protect the health of our watershed. You can join FCWA or renew your membership by using the attached membership form. We look forward to seeing you at our programs in 2026, and wish you a happy and healthy new year!
Yours in conservation,
Linda Dietrichson, Susan Webster and Dr. Jennifer Whisner
Thanks to the support of our members and volunteers, Fishing Creek Watershed Association enjoyed another productive and interesting year. A major reason for that success is the quality of the speakers who enriched us with these educational programs this year. We are extremely grateful!
- Dr. Eric C. Miller led a discussion on “The Good Life in the Era of Climate Change”..
- Bill Williams took us back in time to meet the CCC Boys of Camp Morton.
- Alan Belles, from our Columbia County Conservation District, reviewed the innumerable projects that improve the health of our watershed.
- Clay Corbin, with help from John Slotterback, took us birding in Kocher Park.
- Cynthia Schroll led us on two tours of the pollinator plantings in Kocher Park.
- Tanya Nebroski and other members of the Bloomsburg Community Creek Cleanup Project amazed (and horrified) us with slides of the tons of trash they remove monthly from our creek and along area roads.
- Dr. Irmgard Seidl- Adams opened our eyes to some of the tiniest residents of Kocher Park— the moss family.
- John Oast, the “Fishyaker”, introduced us to a fast-growing new sport: fishing from kayaks.
- Jake Klinger and Justin Faus, Columbia County Game Wardens, and Cadet Shaw educated us about black bears and taught us how to act when we meet them.
In addition to these programs, FCWA members took part in other events in our watershed, including Fish’n Fun at Kocher Park in June, the Fourth Annual Susquehanna Valley Watershed Festival in July, and several cleanups of Kocher Park and Fishing Creek. We had a very successful day at ArtFest in Bloomsburg in August, where our annual Container Garden Contest set a new record for money earned to fund the plantings at Kocher Park.
As we plan another active and educational year, we want to thank the members and friends who volunteered their time and offered suggestions to help us improve our conservation efforts. We are an all-volunteer organization, and welcome others to join us in our efforts to protect the health of our watershed. You can join FCWA or renew your membership by using the attached membership form. We look forward to seeing you at our programs in 2026, and wish you a happy and healthy new year!
Yours in conservation,
Linda Dietrichson, Susan Webster and Dr. Jennifer Whisner
The ArtFest Container Garden Contest 2025
We had a beautiful day, excellent entries and helpful volunteers, so it was the best ArtFest yet! Our 15 container garden entries attracted much attention and earned a record $627 toward our Kocher Park pollinator projects.
Our thanks go to everyone who entered, the members and friends who helped at the booth and to all who voted for their favorite gardens. The winning garden, “Nurse Log”, created and built by Joan McCarty, Cynthia Schroll and Keith Kocher, was both educational and beautiful. Its destination after winning will be in the woods, where it will decompose and continue to benefit flora and fauna. Congratulations to Cynthia, Keith and Joan for their prize-winning natural entry. (Cynthia was not present for the photo of the winning garden.)
In case you missed ArtFest, here are some pictures of the entries. We hope they inspire you to enter the contest next year and help us to set a new record!
We had a beautiful day, excellent entries and helpful volunteers, so it was the best ArtFest yet! Our 15 container garden entries attracted much attention and earned a record $627 toward our Kocher Park pollinator projects.
Our thanks go to everyone who entered, the members and friends who helped at the booth and to all who voted for their favorite gardens. The winning garden, “Nurse Log”, created and built by Joan McCarty, Cynthia Schroll and Keith Kocher, was both educational and beautiful. Its destination after winning will be in the woods, where it will decompose and continue to benefit flora and fauna. Congratulations to Cynthia, Keith and Joan for their prize-winning natural entry. (Cynthia was not present for the photo of the winning garden.)
In case you missed ArtFest, here are some pictures of the entries. We hope they inspire you to enter the contest next year and help us to set a new record!
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for more information and follow our upcoming events!
for more information and follow our upcoming events!
