Wildlands Conservancy is currently working on the following projects to help protect our natural resources and enhance the quality of life where you live, work and play!

Restoration of Jordan Creek — Growing Greener funding will be used to complete the design, engineering and permitting necessary to restore the 0.75-mile reach of Jordan Creek that flows through the City of Allentown’s Jordan Park.

This reach of the Jordan is seriously degraded. There are two intact concrete dams and remnants of two more dams within the 0.75-mile stretch. These obsolete dams create slow moving to stagnant water that is too warm and too low in oxygen to support a healthy fish community. The expansive crumbling stone walls channelize the Creek and completely prevent it from accessing its floodplain. These walls and dams also create considerably hazardous conditions for park users. There is very little vegetation near the Creek, and what does exist is almost exclusively invasive, including Purple loosestrife, Japanese knotweed, and Multiflora rose.

Because the reach we wish to restore is so seriously degraded the project will need to be completed in two phases. Our present grant funding is to complete the design, engineering and permitting phase of the project (Phase I). Next year we plan to seek funds to actually complete the restoration (Phase II).

The Jordan Creek is listed on the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection’s (DEP) Integrated List of impaired waterways and is the largest tributary to the Little Lehigh Creek.

Little Lehigh Creek Dam Removal Design - Wildlands Conservancy will use Growing Greener funding to complete the engineering and permitting required for the removal of the first three dams (from the confluence with the Lehigh River) on the Little Lehigh Creek. All three dams are owned by the City of Allentown. All three dams degrade water quality and aquatic habitat, inhibit fish migration public parks)., exacerbate flooding and flood damage, and are public safety hazards.

The large scope of this project requires that it be completed in two phases. Our present funding will be used to complete the design, engineering and permitting phase of the project. Once complete we plan to seek funding for the actual removal of the dams. The eventual removal of the dams in question will restore migratory fish passage, greatly improve water quality by reducing thermal pollution and restoring natural stream flows and sediment transport, reduce flooding and associated damage, and remove significant public safety hazards from our park system.

The Little Lehigh Creek is classified as a High Quality-Cold Water Fishery (HQ-CWF), but unfortunately suffers from the non-point source pollution and habitat degradation typical of streams in rapidly urbanizing areas, and as a result is listed on DEP’s integrated list of impaired waters.

Lehigh River Fish Passage Feasibility Study - The Pa. Fish & Boat Commission was recently awarded funding from the American Rivers/NOAA Community Grant Program to complete a feasibility study that will assess ways to improve fish passage through the Lehigh River, including the potential for, and potential impacts of, removing the dams on the River. Wildlands Conservancy has been selected to administer this project for the Commission.

The significant steps underway to restore fish migration through the Lehigh, in conjunction with the removal of the Little Lehigh dams, will eventually lead to the restoration of migratory fish passage from the Atlantic Ocean and Delaware River (the Delaware is the largest undammed river east of the Mississippi), through the Lehigh and into the Little Lehigh watershed.

Privately owned fourth barrier on the Little Lehigh Creek:
In 2010 Wildlands Conservancy received a grant from American Rivers and in June 2011 we completed the engineering and permitting necessary to remove fourth barrier dam on the Creek (located just upstream of the Pool Wildlife Sanctuary). Wildlands and the dam’s owners are currently working to secure funding for the actual removal of this dam.

Jordan Creek Greenway – Wildlands Conservancy continues to lead the protection of the Jordan Creek Greenway – a 53.3-mile active greenway connecting the City of Allentown with the Appalachian Trail atop Blue Mountain. The protection of the greenway will help increase wildlife habitat, improve water quality by protecting long linear tracts of streambank and preserve open space.

Wildlands Conservancy assisted Whitehall Township in its successful award of two funding opportunities. The Township received a $230,000 grant from Pennsylvania Department of Conservation and Natural Resources, and was awarded additional $449,500 funds from Pennsylvania Department of Transportation, to begin the design, permitting and construction of the trail from MacArthur Road to Mickley Road. South Whitehall Township completed a feasibility study for the Cedar Crest Boulevard crossing of the trail.

Wildlands Conservancy also received a DCNR grant to provide technical assistance and municipal outreach to all eleven of the municipalities within the Jordan Creek watershed. Funds from this grant will help provide natural resource protection education forums, landowner technical assistance for such things as riparian buffer and wildlife habitat enhancements and land use workshops.

Open Space Plan for Whitehall Township – Wildlands Conservancy has contracted with Whitehall Township to study the northern tier of the township and provide options for protecting the remaining open spaces. The report will outline the various options including transfer of development rights, open space referenda, conservation easements, etc.