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 French Creek

 

French Creek


Hopewell Big Woods
French Creek
© TNC

Learn More

Directions

Take the Meadville exit (147-A) from I-79, which directs you east on U.S. Route
322. Remain on Route 322 and you will pass through three lights and then cross the Smock Memorial Bridge. Bear left on the bridge and you will enter the Meadville Arterial Highway. At the third light after the bridge, turn right onto Arch Street. Follow Arch Street for three lights, turning left at the third light onto Park Avenue. Go one block on Park Avenue to a light at Chestnut Street and turn right. The French Creek office is on the left at 301 Chestnut Street.

Contact

Mailing address:
The Nature Conservancy
Box 172
Allegheny College
Meadville, PA 16335
 
Street address:
The Nature Conservancy
301 Chestnut St.
Meadville, PA 16335

After originating in New York, most of the French Creek watershed spreads out across northwestern Pennsylvania before feeding into the Allegheny River. Fed by nine tributaries and mostly free flowing, French Creek hosts some of the nation’s best remaining examples of numerous freshwater species. Scientists attribute the river’s vitality to few disturbances or any widespread damage. As a result, conservation at French Creek continues engage local landowners, conservation groups and government agencies in keeping it that way.

French Creek is healthy, but fragile. Its wildlife depends on clean water, and represents a critical gauge for water quality. For example, brightly colored darters rarely migrate beyond their immediate surroundings, making them highly sensitive to changes in the river’s environment. The hellbender, Pennsylvania’s largest salamander, feeds on crayfish, another pollution-sensitive creature.

Freshwater mussels can also be vulnerable to changes in their surroundings. Once common throughout the east coast, certain freshwater mussels have lost more than 95 percent of their historic range. French Creek hosts 28 freshwater mussel species, including 13 listed as state-endangered, and the federally endangered northern riffleshell and clubshell. The mussels spend their lifetimes filtering water from the creek bottom, making them vital to the health of French Creek.

Since helping the Western Pennsylvania Conservancy with acquiring land near Lake Pleasant in 1995, The Nature Conservancy has worked with numerous partners to protect the Pennsylvania and New York portions of this extraordinary watershed. Whether engaging local farmers in sustainable management practices, or monitoring and removing zebra mussels from the creek, the Conservancy remains dedicated to this national treasure and surrounding communities. 

Size:  River flows for 117 miles; watershed encompasses 1,235 square miles.

Location: Originates in Chataqua County, New York, and flows for 117 miles through Erie, Crawford, Mercer and Venango counties in Pennsylvania until emptying into the Allegheny River.
 
What You’ll See
Twenty-eight species of freshwater mussel. A wide variety of darters, including the Tippecanoe darter, found nowhere else in Pennsylvania except for French Creek and the upper Allegheny River. Numerous aquatic insects, reptiles and amphibians, including the hellbender – Pennsylvania’s largest salamander. Birds, including American bittern, least bittern, black tern, short-eared owl, sedge wren, marsh wren, osprey and bald eagle. Plants of special concern, including rush aster, cuckooflower, vanilla sweet grass and Beck’s water-marigold.

Threats
Hydrological alteration from poorly managed floodplains, water pollution, including runoff from poorly planned development. Dams and stream channel alteration. Non-native species invasions. Unsustainable agricultural and forestry practices.

Action
Mapping mussel populations. Monitoring and removing zebra mussels. Evaluating agricultural practices that affect water quality. Identifying areas of high risk for hazardous spills and runoff. Determining best approaches for the reintroduction and relocation of rare mussels. Working with interested landowners to preserve sensitive riparian forests through conservation easements and other land protection methods.

Milestones
Creation of the French Creek Project in 1995. Acquisition of 200 acres near Lake Pleasant in 1995, together with the Western Pennsylvania Conservancy.
 
Partners
Pennsylvania Environmental Council, Western Pennsylvania Conservancy, Allegheny College, French Creek Valley Conservancy and the Creek Connections program. Eire National Wildlife Refuge

Things To Do
Consult with the French Creek Project’s canoeing guide to the creek and its tributaries. The area also offers opportunities for boating, fishing, hunting, hiking and other nature-based activities.