Central & Western:
French Creek Watershed Project

The French Creek Watershed spans 1,300 square miles in western New York and Pennsylvania. An array of habitats, including headwater streams, mid-reach streams, riparian corridors and wetlands nurture an abundance of plant and animal life. In fact, French Creek is the most biologically diverse aquatic system in the Northeast. This is due to the creek's connection to the Ohio and Mississippi Rivers, which creates corridors for aquatic species, and to the relatively few impacts to the creek from people.
The Nature Conservancy and its partners are working to safeguard this ecologically crucial area while maintaining viable agricultural and recreational opportunities for the people who live here.

Green sided darter © The Nature Conservancy

Ecological Importance: With 89 species of fish and 27 species of mussels, French Creek contains five times more than the average number of species in most other New York streams. Thirteen globally rare species inhabit the creek, including small colorful fish called darters, and the federally endangered clubshell and northern riffleshell mussels. Many of these species disappeared from American waterways, but French Creek continues to provide one of the few remaining riverine refuges.

Partners: French Creek Project, Pennsylvania Environmental Council, USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service, Chautauqua County Soil and Water Conservation District Office, Cornell Cooperative Extension, The Nature Conservancy's Mexico Program, Creek Connections, Western Pennsylvania Conservancy, Cornell University, Freshwater Initiative, 4-H Club, W.K. Kellogg Foundation, Woodcock Foundation, Allegheny College, Ralph C. Sheldon Foundation, and The Atlantic Philanthropies Inc.

Conservation Action & Goals:
In 2002, The Nature Conservancy and partners launched a single, watershed-wide conservation program. One of our principal strategies is to implement best management practices (BMPs) on farms along stream corridors to reduce runoff of sediment, nutrients and pesticides that threaten French Creek's incredible biodiversity and its community aquifer. Our BMPs include:

• Riparian fences to reduce erosion and capture runoff before it enters the water
• Nutrient management plans to minimize overuse of fertilizers on cropland
• Treatment programs to minimize chemical runoff from milk processing areas and barnyards
• Waste-storage structures so that farmers can spread manure at appropriate times
• New technologies such as sand separators allow farmers to reduce materials used for animal bedding, and reduces the amount of waste sand (sand and manure and urine) that leaves the farm. In addition, it will pay for itself in less than three years!

These strategies protect the stream and make good economic sense for farmers. In 2001, Cornell University researchers found that farmers who implement nutrient management plans significantly reduced their fertilizer costs. We've set up rigorous monitoring programs related to mussels, fish and water quality in order to help us understand the environmental benefits of our best management practices.

Clickable map

French Creek Watershed Project Facts

• Location: Western New York (Chautauqua County) and Northwestern Pennsylvania
• Size: 1,300 square miles
• Animal Species: 89 species of fish including the spotted darter, mountain brook lamprey and northern madtom; 27 species of mussel including clubshell and northern riffleshell. Other animals of interest include river otter and northern redbelly snake.
• Plant Species: Hemlock, sugar maple, red maple, hawthorn and sycamore trees. Wildflowers include trout lily, Virginia blue bells, hepatica, skunk cabbage, and many orchids.

How to Visit
Our French Creek Preserve in Sherman, NY, (Chautauqua County) can be visited year round and includes more than three-quarters of a mile of frontage on both sides of the creek, as well as a portion of a significant tributary system. A loop trail follows the variety of habitats at the French Creek Preserve: The floodplain forest, found in low-lying areas near the creek, is characterized by sugar and red maples, hawthorn, and sycamore, with a ground layer of sensitive fern and spice bush. The trail also winds through a mixed hardwood forest and up along the creekside bluff. The entire loop can be hiked in approximately 1 hour.

Directions:

• From the east, take exit 6 on the Southern Tier Expressway (Route 86 / 17) near the Village of Sherman; follow NY-76 south for 3.5 miles.
• Turn right (west) onto County Route 4 and follow this for 5 miles.
• From the west, go to the village of French Creek, near the Peek 'n' Peak Resort and Conference Center; then follow County Route 4 north for 2 miles.
• The preserve entrance is marked by a large wooden sign.

French Creek © The Nature Conservancy