On Wednesday, Aug. 14, individuals of all ages are invited to take part in a creek stomp hosted by the Chiques Creek Watershed Alliance (CCWA) at 6 p.m. The free event will take place rain or shine. Participants will gather at the pavilion at Mummau Park on West High Street in Manheim, and the creek stomp will take place in Rife Run.
"The creek stomp is a great opportunity to get in the creek and explore," said CCWA president Steve Gergely. "What we're looking for specifically at the creek stomp are macroinvertebrates. It's not something that I did as a kid, but my kids enjoy it every year."
Old shoes or sandals that can get wet are recommended, as attendees are encouraged to wade into the water and explore. Snacks and beverages will be provided.
Accordingly to Gergely, the purpose of the creek stomp, which has become an annual event due to its success and popularity, is to discover the life within backyard streams and creeks. Organizers hope that participants will learn more about how the fish and insects within a waterway can indicate the overall health of the creek through the hands-on experience as they get their hands and feet wet.
The creek stomp will be led by Matt Kofroth, a watershed specialist with the Lancaster County Conservation District who has been leading this event and others throughout the county for several years. Gergely said that last year's event had a great crowd; however, due to the tremendous amounts of rain, Rife Run was running very high so organizers opted not to send participants into the creek. Instead, Kofroth pulled out a variety of macroinvertebrates for everyone to examine.
"The stream bank restoration projects along Rife Run, both in Mummau and Logan parks, have really helped with flood control in lesser storm events and with water quality," said Gergely. He noted that an observation platform at Mummau Park and a pedestrian bridge over the creek at Logan Park, located just across the street, both offer great vantage points to view the restoration work.
CCWA members will be available at the creek stomp to answer questions and provide information about the organization's other ongoing efforts to promote good stewardship of the land within the Chiques Watershed. CCWA meets on the first Wednesday of each month at 7 p.m. at the Rapho Township building, 971 N. Colebrook Road, Manheim. New members and interested individuals are always welcome to attend.
To learn more, readers may visit http://chiquescreekwatershed.org or http://www.facebook.com/ChiquesCreekWatershedAlliance.
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