MAKING A NEW HOME FOR TROUT
Environmentalists hope coir logs will bring fish upstream
Along Valley Run Creek near Frontier Pastures farm in Washington Township, the reed canary grass was choking out native plants.
The creek flowed warm and murky, a sign of a high load of sediment and farm runoff.
“We call it ‘the green death,’ “said Kent Himelright, watershed coordinator for the Berks County Conservation District, referring to grass that was brought to North America more than 100 years ago from Europe and Asia.
Eliminating the grass is one of several aspects of a two-year riparian restoration project that culminated last week with the installation of logs made of coconut husks. The logs, called coir logs (pronounced “coy-er”), provide a base into which native plants and trees were planted.
They were light enough for four or five people to carry, but when soaked with water they are practically immovable, Himelright said.
Coir comes from the fibrous husks of the inner shell of the coconut. It has been used for hundreds of years for all sorts of products familiar to many, such as doormats. Other items including rope, rugs, brushes and stuffing for upholstered furniture. Coir resists rot and is biodegradable.
The logs came from East Coast Erosion Control near Bernville. The company says coir logs convert into mulch that improves the organic composition of the soil.
The logs will prevent erosion and anchor a new riparian buffer along the creek.
Himelright said the new buffer will filter the runoff and shelter the water so it will be cooler for trout. He said the hope is that logs will smother the reed canary grass.
Last week, volunteers from Upper Perkiomen Valley Trout Unlimited Chapter joined conservation district staff in installing about 25 coir logs and 150 live stakes on Valley Run. The coir logs were anchored with wood stakes and burlap twine. The live stakes were planted directly into the logs.
A live stake is a stem cutting taken from a tree. Live stakes are inserted into stream banks. The cuttings grow into new trees and establish a root network that helps stave off erosion.
Tucked in an area of farms known as Butter Valley, Valley Run flows to Pachwechen Run in Hereford Township, then to Perkiomen Creek, which flows to the Green Lane Reservoir in Montgomery County, a drinking water source for many Aqua America customers.
Himelright said Pachwechen has naturally reproducing trout, a sign of good water quality.
“If we can improve the water quality enough, those trout will move up to Valley Run,” Himelright said.
The $28,000 project included repair of two stream crossings for Frontier Pasture’s beef cattle.
Himelright said the funds came from the Schuylkill River Restoration Fund, Pennsylvania Small Business Advantage grant and an internal grant from the conservation district.
The log installation had been planned for last year but COVID-19 restrictions thwarted efforts.
The installation permit restricts work in the water when bog turtles may be migrating through the area. None was located in the stretch, but they are known to move through the area during the summer, Himelright said.