Mifflin County is blessed with a large number of high quality streams. What you may or may not realize is that Mifflin County has streams that do not meet their standards for water quality. These streams, known as “impaired streams”, can be found throughout the county, and the pollutants causing these impairments can range from sediment, to stormwater, or even pH. There are a wide range of sources of these pollutants, such as: urban, agriculture, and even atmospheric deposition. The majority of impaired streams in Mifflin County are impaired due to nutrients (Nitrogen & Phosphorous) and sediment from agricultural sources. Decreased fish populations, higher costs of water treatment, wildlife impacts, and groundwater quality are just some of the impacts that result from these streams being impaired. Click Here to view an interactive map of streams in Pennsylvania, including impaired ones, using the PA DEP's eMap interactive mapping tool.
The Conservation District, primarily through the Watershed Specialist, seeks to work with local, state and federal government, as well as citizens, community groups, and watershed organizations to educate, assess, protect, and restore the water resources within Mifflin County. In the past the District has worked with organizations to plant forested riparian buffers, perform FGM Stream Restoration, watershed assessments, develop watershed implementation plans, and much more. The District is currently undertaking efforts to restore two watersheds, the Upper Kishacoquillas and Hungry Run watersheds, to restore these streams by implementing best management practices with the hope of removing them from the impaired waters list.
