Hop Bottom council to get feet wet

BY PAT FARNELLI

Hop Bottom Borough Council has been taking action on stream banks, culverts and sediment basins, and council members are eager to learn more about stream management.

For decades, these high quality streams have added to the character of the valley village, so several council members plan to attend a conference, “Working in the Stream,” being held April 3 in Wysox by the Endless Mountains Resource Conservation and Development Council.

Hop Bottom was hit hard by a flood in 2006, and residents were voluntarily evacuated After Tropical Storm Lee, another voluntary evacuation was necessary.

Council member Janice Webster has a unique vantage point for keeping tabs on Martins Creek, which flows through the village in its run from Alford to Nicholson, and Hop Bottom Creek, which courses fromBrooklyn to Hop Bottom and turns near the bridge.

Webster’s farm sits at the confluence of the two creeks. “They come together at the edge of my property, and so that is where the sediment basin is located,” Webster explains.

The sediment basin was intended to catch excess sediment and cause the rocks to drop when flooding occurs or water volume is high, allowing the stream to continue on its way. It did its job; but too many rocks dropped, and Hop Bottom Creek is now dry beyond that point, Webster said.

The flooding from Hurricane Irene and Tropical Storm Lee changed the path of the creeks, deposited rocks and sand, and took out the fence of the cow pasture.

In spite of all that, Webster said that meandering is normal for creeks, and actually serves to slow them down.

She noted that folks who try to straighten stream beds usually worsen the problem.

Even before Hurricane Irene and Tropical Storm  blew through town, borough workers had been shoring up the stream banks and repairing and cleaning out the culvert.

A project to restore the banks of Martins Creek began before 1999, and J hooks were built in the section of the creek from the mill to the bridge. J hooks are built of huge underwater stones,  Webster said, and they direct the water to the center of the stream to keep the force of the water, as well as the material carried along from battering the stream  banks.

At Tuesday’s council meeting, an official inspection report was discussed, which concerned the culvert project and railroad bridge part of Martins Creek. The creek is inspected annually by the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection or the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, which alternate every other year.

This year, the stream work was graded “minimally acceptable,” which came as no surprise to the borough, considering it was conducted less than one week after the flooding.

Most of the problems noted on the inspection involved debris and algae that Mayor Paul Henry had noted were under control after repairs done before the storms. The local workers are waiting for the water levels to drop before finishing the project. It is believed that Martins Creek is listed as a “pristine” stream.

The Federal Emergency Management Agency is requesting updates on the water levels and the square footage of the sediment basin.

In other business, the borough police report included a burglary/break-in of the Methodist church, as well as a mysteriously abandoned locked car in front of the post office, which had to be towed. Eleven traffic citations were issued in February.

The new fence for the park is awaiting metal pipes for poles. The park lawn was torn up from games of football, and needs to be rolled and seeded.

The council now has enough members, but a zoning/hearing board, vacancy board, and part time, as needed, zoning officer need to be appointed.

A streetlight outage was reported, and was fixed within 48 hours.

The Akoa property is still a concern, although fine payments are being regularly received.

The basketball court repairs have been completed. Council approved the rental of a port-a-lav for the park area, to arrive in May for the summer months.

Councilman Bill Black reported that a Hop Bottom sign o 167 had been spray painted yellow, and volunteered to remedy its condition.

A new sidewalk ordinance is being drafted by the ordinance committee.

The borough building’s renovation projects, which include a handicapped accessible restroom and remodeling for the borough hall and entrance which will include making it wheelchair accessible, are awaiting funding.