Background:
Plans are currently underway for a new public sewer system serving Jefferson
Borough and parts of Codorus Township. These two municipalities are located in
the southern portion of York County in south-central Pennsylvania. The new sewer
system would serve the current
residents, but more importantly hundreds of large new homes in an explosion of
development sprawling
through the surrounding hillsides. The plan that is currently under
consideration includes a new sewage treatment plant that would discharge into
the Codorus Creek watershed. The discharge point would be just over a mile
upstream from the Class 'A' Wild Trout section our chapter is dedicated to. Long
term capacity of this plant is listed at 400,000 gallons per day, and it would
discharge in an irregular pattern of large 'batches' depending on usage. Discharge
would be into a tiny (step across) unnamed tributary which has been known to go
dry during prolonged summer dry spells. Also, the threat of a larger, accidental
discharge due to mechanical failure or human neglect would always be there.
While the affect of the plant would probably not be immediately evident, the
long term effects at the bottom of the food chain, and eventually the trout
population would be impossible to forecast.
The NPDES permit, which is the one that actually allows them to discharge, has
already been granted by the DEP. We anticipated stricter discharge criteria for
the plant due the high quality coldwater fishery downstream (as designated by
DEP themselves). According to their own regulations, the existing water quality must be
maintained downstream from all new discharges. However, the plant is being built
just like any other one would be. DEP maintains that the discharge will be
diluted enough by the time it reaches the HQ section, and that it won't degrade the
water quality. We have not seen any calculations or analysis to support
this assumption. There's also always that threat of a malfunction that
could take out the stream before anyone could stop it.
In addition to the sewer plant discharge, there will also be significant changes to the stormwater runoff in the upper watershed, and the threat of erosion, sedimentation, and thermal effects during and after the many months of construction. Many acres will be torn up and laid bare while the hundreds of large new homes and many new streets are built. While the current economic climate has put a strain on all of us, the downturn in the housing market has granted some reprieve and delayed the start of this development.
Even more disappointing is that
a very viable alternative exists but is no
longer being given any consideration - discharging the plant into the nearby South Branch Codorus watershed,
a stream that is already highly impaired and where very little aquatic life
exists, and certainly no wild trout population. Ironically, a new, functioning
sewer plant already exists on the south branch, and it could certainly be
expanded to meet the future needs of the area.
One last item to consider is the legal action taken against a local farmer and
his family brought on by these plans. This gentleman, a senior citizen whose
family has farmed their land for many generations, faces the destruction of his
prime farmland for the construction of the new sewer lines. His land was
supposedly protected under 'Agricultural Security', but a legal loophole was
exploited because his property spans township boundaries. The family recently
lost their legal battle over the proposed pipeline. You can read more about them
at saverebertfarmland.com
If you would like to get involved in opposing this plan, we would welcome your help and we hope you will contact us. Thank you for your interest and your concern about this irreplaceable resource.
5/4/09: Well, it's finally May, and these next few weeks will be prime time on the Codorus! The bottom is brimming with nymphs, and everyone is anticipating the start of the sulphur hatches. A larger (#14 or so) straw colored species should emerge first, and will overlap with a noticably smaller (18), lemon yellow species that shows up a couple weeks later. The flies usually hatch throughout the afternoon, and may come in bursts from time to time. Evening spinner falls can be substantial during the last 60-90 minutes of daylight. If you can still see and keep your fly out of the trees, you can fish right into the darkness.
Until the sulphurs,
you might see some gray/tan caddis in the air, midges are usually abundant, and
you can always go down to them with a pheasant tail or a scud.
Good luck, and enjoy!