A tributary to French Creek, the most biodiverse creek in the eastern United States, South Branch French Creek is popular with anglers and outdoor enthusiasts.
The project began September 14 and will last through September 30, weather permitting, near the Little League ball fields in Union City, Erie County.
Luke Bobnar, watershed projects manager with the Conservancy, says approximately 3,000 feet of the stream will be improved by streambank stabilization techniques and the addition of fish habitat structures.
The project aims to reduce sedimentation and streambank erosion and improve habitat for fish and other aquatic species.
"The work will involve strategically placing logs and rocks to stabilize the streambank and streambed and provide places for fish to rest and hide, and installing cross vanes, mudsills or log-frame stone deflectors to direct water away from the streambank to reduce erosion," Luke says.
In the future, live-stake trees could be planted to increase streambank stability.
The habitat structure installation could create muddy water in the stream, but Luke adds water quality will not be affected during construction.
He notes that work will be done primarily from the south embankment.
Luke noted that the work must be done during low-flow conditions to install the structures at the correct elevation and with the least amount of environmental damage.
The work will be done around the baseball schedule to ensure the safest working conditions and the least disturbance to the public.
The Department of Environmental Protection’s Growing Greener Plus Program provided financial assistance for the project.
In preparation for this work over the past two years, the partners have been working with volunteers to remove and kill Japanese knotweed, multiflora rose and other invasive weeds at the site.
The weed control effort was funded in part by a sub-grant from Union City Borough through a Partnerships for Regional Invasive Species Management (PRISM) grant to educate the public.
Landowners interested in managing invasive weeds and landscaping with native plants on their properties, or anyone interested in more information about the South Branch French Creek habitat improvement project may contact Kylie Maland, WPC’s watershed manager for Lake Erie and Ohio River basin, at 814-776-1114 or kmaland@paconserve.org.
The Western Pennsylvania Conservancy is a private nonprofit conservation organization founded in 1932, WPC has helped establish 11 state parks, conserved more than 297,000 acres of natural lands, protected or restored more than 3,000 miles of rivers and streams, and assessed thousands of wildlife species and their habitats.
The Conservancy owns and operates Frank Lloyd Wright’s Fallingwater, which is on the UNESCO World Heritage List and symbolizes people living in harmony with nature.
In addition, WPC enriches our region’s cities and towns through 130 community gardens and other green spaces and thousands of trees that are planted with the help of more than 7,000 volunteers.
The work of the Conservancy is accomplished through the support of more than 10,000 members.
(Photo: South Branch French Creek stream restoration site.)
Related Articles This Week:
-- Western PA Conservancy, Partners To Improve Fish Habitat On South Branch French Creek In Erie County [PaEN]
-- Swarthmore College Hosts The Swarthmore Fungi Fest Sept. 29 to Oct. 2 [PaEN]
[Posted: September 15, 2026] PA Environment Digest
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