Golf Course Reach of Ithan Creek: A Case Study for Watershed Protection and RestorationKate Goddard, Ph.D., Associate Professor, Ursinus University

1. Golf Course Reach of Ithan Creek:
A Case Study for Watershed
Protection and Restoration
_________________________

2. A Reach of a Creek through a Golf
Course: Two Questions
____________________________
• How can best practices for turf lawn
maintenance be encouraged or better
regulated on golf courses?
• What is the best way to carry out stream bank
restoration if it is to occur?

3. Typical Pennsylvania Streams of
Centuries Ago
_______________________________
www. Landstudies.com

4. For several centuries
in the mid-Atlantic
states, erosion from
agriculture delivered
tons of sediment to
streams
and sediment built
up behind mill dams.
www.ohiobarns.com
Shaping Banks over Time through Erosion, Sedimentation,
and Erosion

5. Sediments Accumulate behind Dams and Spread Both
Upstream and Parallel to the Stream flow
_________________________________________
http://www.vtwaterquality.org/wqd_mgtplan/images/DamEffects02.jpg

6. • In the past the land denuded by farmers melted away as
erosion and filled flood plains with sediments
• Now, rapid and forceful stormwater run-off occurs due to
impervious surfaces
• Banks erode,
particularly
alluvial sediments
• Result = Streams
deeply incised.
www.bucknell.edu
Shaping Banks over Time by Erosion, Sedimentation,
and Erosion
____________________________________________

7. Streams Cut Down through Alluvial Sediments
Walter and Merritts, Science Jan 18, 2008

8. Deeply Incised Stream in New Sediments
Walter and Merritts, Science Jan 18, 2008

9. www.bucknell.edu
Familiar steep, straight
(or undercut) banks
--Probably not the way
that streams looked
prior to European
colonization of this part
of the country.
Shaping Banks through time by erosion, sedimentation,
and erosion.
______________________________________________

10. Ithan Creek Matches this pattern

11. • Ithan Creek stretches that are deeply incised.
• Radnor Valley Country Club wished to restore the banks
of the Ithan Creek where it ran through their property.
• Studied macroinvertebrates and fish in Ithan Creek
where it courses through Radnor Valley Country Club.
• Compared golf course reach to upstream section of
creek through forested area that belongs to Conestoga
Swim Club upstream.
Our Study of A Golf Course area of the Ithan
Creek
vs. A Forested Area
___________________________________________

12. Darby Creek Watershed
http://www.nap.usace.army.mil/portals/39/siteimages/Civil/RSM/watershed.jpg
Radnor
Valley
Country
Club on
Ithan
Creek

13. Upstream forested area Ithan Creek
Thus there is food
and shelter for
macroinvertebrates
Through the swim club- the streambed is free stone,
boulders, logs, branches, and leave packs with riffles,
runs and deep pools.

14. The shallow grass
roots allow erosion.
Any rocks are buried
in coarse sand.
There is no habitat
for any
invertebrates
except burrowers
such as worms.
Downstream in the grassy area

15. METHODS
• Fish
surveyed by seining
• Macroinvertebrate IBI score
PA DEP scoring system between 0 and 100 calculation based on:
Total taxa
Intolerant taxa
Shannon diversity index
Modified Beck’s index
Hilsenhoff biotic index
EPT taxa
• A stream with a score over 90 =an “A” Stream
• Developed by Chalfant et al., 2007 PA DEP

16. RESULTS
Fish use both sections of the stream
• Several species of minnows and shiners, plus
white suckers, abundant blacknose dace, and
in a deep area with submerged vegetation-
the banded killifish.
• Fish cruise back and forth ---
– Hide under the rocks and logs in the deep pools
and upstream forested area.
– Can be seen in the golf course section in multi-
species schools.
http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-
Whr8IyfE4n4/UV8e_SwWK3I/AAAAAAAAAEA/NbYgkSPcZR4/s1600/banded_killifish.jpg

17. Average IBI scores over two years
15.2 16.3
24.2
30.1
30.5
16.4
45.5
43.7
Feb April July Oct
Forested
Reach
Grassy
Reach

18. Total IBI scores over two years out of a possible
score of 100- values similar to those found by
PA DEP in same watershed
0
10
20
30
40
50
60
70
80
90
100
Feb April July Oct
RVCC
CSC
Forested
Reach
Grassy
Reach

19. Average Total Taxa Forested
vs. Grassy Areas
0
5
10
15
20
25
February April July October
Forested
Reach
Grassy
Reach

20. Grassy vs. Forested Area Average EPT
over two years
0
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
February April July October

21. Conclusion from Golf Course vs.
Forested Reach Study
• Overall, IBI scores are low, but similar to PA
DEP scores in same geographical area.
• The forested area of the stream supports a
vibrant community that could colonize the
restored area downstream if the restoration
occurs.

22. Bottom Line
• Lack of riparian buffer has led to significant erosion
of the golf course soils.
• The eroded sediment have apparently covered the
free stone streambed that previously provided
habitat for the macroinvertebrate community.
• The golf course reach does not support a healthy
aquatic macroinvertebrate community.

23. Questions to Consider
• How can best practices for turf lawn maintenance be
encouraged or better regulated on golf courses?
– How to convince clubs to use less pesticides and
herbicides?
– Riparian buffer an obvious aid--How to convince the club
members that wild is beautiful?
– Or should this be regulated?

24. Second Question
• What is the best way to carry out restoration if it is
to occur?
How to transition between a restored reach and the
adjacent properties?
What to do with sediments removed?
What type of bank restoration given that
current streams are so far from their original
form?

25. Acknowledgements
• Thank you to Radnor Valley Country Club and
Conestoga Swim Club for permission to study Ithan
Creek on their properties and Gary Kleiman for
facilitating the study at RVCC
• Thank you to Adam DiCaprio, Rachael Vietheer, Matt
Dougherty, and Sarah Polekoff for their contributions
to this research project.
• This research was supported by VanSant and Mellon
Funds at Ursinus College.

26. Photo Credits:
• Radnor Valley Country Club and Conestoga Swim Club:
Kate Goddard
LandStudies
Sarah Wadsworth
Gary Kleiman
• Incised stream www.bucknell.edu
• Forested creek http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-
3pF9LvECRF8/UcuOjRYdzQI/AAAAAAAAJMA/cQ1bHy48wEc/s1600/darby-creek-2.jpg
Permits:
All collections done under PA Fish and Boat Commission Scientific Collection Permit No. 254, Aquatic
Educator Permit Type 1 No. 32, and a permit from the US Fish and Wildlife Service.
Studies Referenced:
Walter, Robert C., and Dorothy J. Merritts. "Natural streams and the legacy of water-powered mills."
Science 319.5861 (2008): 299-304.
PA DEP Macroinvertebrate Studies of Philadelphia Area Watersheds http://DCVA.org

27. http://www.gaepd.org/Files_PDF/techguide/w
pb/Streambank_and_Shoreline_Stabilization_
Guidance_Book_Revised_April_2011.pdf

28. Kent Park, Drexel Hill PA October
2012 photo by Sarah Polekoff