From PennFuture (http://www.pennfuture.org):
Pennsylvania has some of the best waters on the east coast for recreational activities like fly fishing, kayaking, and swimming. These uses are only possible because many small creeks and streams have outstanding water quality.
The Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection protects our waters based on specific “uses,” such as fishing, swimming, and, if the water is at a high enough level in quality, the “special protection uses” of High Quality or Exceptional Value. Once the appropriate use of a water body is determined, it is designated as such in state regulations and protected through permitting processes, enforcement actions, and other mechanisms.
Ensuring that our waters are designated with the correct use is critical to protecting our health, our environment, our economy, and our communities.
Recently, the DEP completed assessments of Cranberry Creek and Paradise Creek (including Tank and Devils Hole Creeks) in the Poconos and recommends that these creeks be protected as Exceptional Value in the Pennsylvania regulations. These creeks are an important part of the Brodhead Watershed and are known for their exceptional fly fishing. PennFuture supports the DEP’s recommendation to upgrade the designated uses of Paradise and Cranberry Creeks.
But many other creeks have not yet received the same protections. The process to assess and secure stream upgrades can take years. Our communities should not have to wait years, or even decades in some cases, for proper protection of our waters.
Go to https://pennfuture.salsalabs.org/support_water_quality_protections/index.html and tell the DEP that you support the upgrade of Cranberry and Paradise Creeks, and to expeditiously address other water bodies that require redesignation and higher protections under Pennsylvania law, thereby protecting stream quality throughout the state.
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