Elizabethtown College is hosting the Lancaster-Lebanon Watershed Forum and Science Symposium Nov. 19-20. According to the College, the purpose of the event is to “foster conversation and collaboration among a diverse group of stakeholders and participants in protecting watersheds and water quality.”
The forum will also address advances relating to social and technical areas in relation to watershed restoration and protection.
The session on Nov. 19 will focus on scientific research to advance watershed restoration and protection, followed by a session on Nov. 20 which will cover experiences from local watershed practitioners, as well as local government officials, representatives from community organizations and volunteers. The forum’s attendance is expected to be approximately 120 people over the course of the two days.
The event is in collaboration with Lancaster County Conservative District, Lancaster Clean Water Partners, LandStudies, Inc., Lebanon County Conservation District, the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation and the Penn State Agriculture and Environment Center. It will be held in the Susquehanna Room located in Myer Hall.
Associate professor of biology Dr. David Bowne also emphasized that the forum is “intended to be an exchange of ideas on new scientific advances in watershed restoration and best practices on improving water quality.”
Students, faculty, staff and other scientists are invited to attend the forum to learn more about recent advancements in the issue.
The topic of watershed restoration and water quality has increased in popularity as scientists have become focused on improving the water quality of the Chesapeake Bay. As noted by Bowne, the Chesapeake Bay is “incredibly important in economic, environmental and social terms and its health is dependent on everything that happens within its watershed, which covers five states.”
Bowne further explained how the issues surrounding the Chesapeake Bay and its watershed are interconnected to Lancaster County and Lebanon County as rain “that doesn’t evaporate eventually reaches the [Chesapeake] Bay and takes with it all of the stuff that runs off those surfaces.”
Through scientific research on watershed restoration and protection, land management can be revolutionized to minimize pollution that migrates to the Chesapeake Bay from surrounding areas.
On a local level, Bowne noted the importance of maintaining the health of streams in Lancaster County, as well as surrounding counties, as water quality plays a role in providing clean drinking water, habitats for wildlife and other recreational hobbies such as fishing.
“Watershed restoration and protection can also help with flood control, which is becoming more important as rainstorms are becoming more intense [and] dumping more water in a shorter amount of time,” Bowne said, which is supported by the flooding in Pennsylvania that occurred after Tropical Depression Ida hit Sept. 1.
Other students agreed with Bowne’s emphasis on watershed protection and preservation of water quality in relation to the environment.
“As a student with a science major, the intersection of chemistry and biology gives me a lot of background on the issue of watershed protection and water quality. I see them as important to the health of the environment as a whole,” senior Lucas Stehle said.
In an interview Bowne noted that the College lost faculty expertise in aquatic ecology and watershed restoration after Dr. Thomas Murray passed away Nov. 19 of 2020. As such, the forum provides students with the opportunity to expand their knowledge on watershed protection and network with professionals in the field.
“I personally hope to learn more about the many…efforts by diverse groups working to protect watersheds and water quality in Lancaster County and Lebanon County,” Bowne said.
The College has invited researchers, scientists and educators with interests in aiding advancements in watershed restoration and protection to submit proposals, which they will present on Nov. 19. Proposals should be submitted online by Oct. 4 using this form: https://forms.office.com/Pages/ResponsePage.aspx?id=RY30fNs9iUOpwcEVUm61LofwYmL5KQNBg7expkr-VxpUM1lTWUxCS0ZLTTFTNjBTWjVTRDQ0RkNaTy4u.
Local partners conducting research and working to improve watersheds in the area are also invited to attend the event, as well as share their research with their peers. Students are encouraged to attend to expand their knowledge on watershed restoration and protection.
