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Upper Schuylkill River Conservation Landscape The Schuylkill River is the dominant and unifying feature of this landscape. Although the Upper Schuylkill landscape has long been the site of intensive industrial development, riparian habitat remains along the river and some of its tributaries. The riparian corridor along the river is also the location of major transportation arteries, including the Norfolk and Southern and Conrail railroad tracks, Route 422, and the Industrial Highway.

Description Location The Upper Schuylkill Conservation Landscape extends along the Schuylkill River from just above Royersford to the Berks County line. It includes a total of 2,392 acres and covers parts of West Pottsgrove, Lower Pottsgrove, and Limerick Townships and Pottstown Borough (Figure 12.1). The Schuylkill Trail will traverse the Upper Schuylkill River Corridor; however, only a portion of the trail has been constructed to date. This landscape is not contiguous with any of the other areas described in this report.

Hydrology The Upper Schuylkill River Conservation Landscape lies completely within the Schuylkill River watershed. In addition to the Schuylkill itself, it includes the lower portions of several tributary streams including Manatawny Creek, Sprogels Run, and Sanatoga Creek. The Manatawny Creek is classified as CWF (cold water fishery), Sprogels Run and Sanatoga Creek are WWF (warm water fishery) and the Schuylkill River is classified as WWF, MF (warm water fishery, migratory fishes). Two smaller tributaries, Possum Hollow Run and Brook Evans Run, both WWF, enter the Schuylkill on the property of the Limerick Nuclear Power Plant.

Geology Most of the Upper Schuylkill River Conservation Landscape is underlain by reddish-brown shale, siltstone, and mudstone of the Brunswick Formation. The only exceptions are several narrow parallel bands of Lockatong Formation argillite that cut across at the bends in the river east of Pottstown and a diabase dike that parallels Sanatoga Creek on the east (Figure 12.2).

Box turtle at Sanatoga Park

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Forest Cover The Upper Schuylkill Landscape includes 1,064 acres of forest; 274.5 acres qualify as interior forest (Figure 12.3). Riparian forest borders the Schuylkill River.

Critical Features Linfield Bluffs was one of the eight top priority sites identified in the 1995 Natural Areas Inventory due to the presence of a population of the state endangered Missouri rockcress. Despite a thorough search of the area in 2006, no individuals of this species were located at this location; it was last seen in 1987. The site is on privately owned land above the railroad tracks. Reptiles and Amphibians – Surveys by Marlin Corn for this project documented the presence of nine species of reptiles and amphibians in the Upper Schuylkill River Conservation Landscape (Table 12.2). All are native to Pennsylvania with the exception of the red-eared slider, which is introduced.

Wild pink at Linfield Bluffs

Table 12.1 — Reptiles and Amphibians of the Upper Schuylkill River Conservation Landscape Frogs and Toads Green frog Bullfrog Pickerel frog American toad Fowler’s toad Turtles Painted turtle Snapping turtle Red-eared slider Snakes Northern water snake

Birds – Data for the Breeding Bird Atlas block centered at Linfield documented the presence of 29 species of birds confirmed to be breeding. Seventeen additional species were probably breeding in the area and 28 more were listed as possible local breeders (Table 12.1). We used 19841989 data because 2004-2008 data were not available for this block.

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Black-crowned Night Heron, photo by Howard Eskin

Table 12.2 — Birds of the Upper Schuylkill River Conservation Landscape (Source: 1984-1989 data from the Breeding Bird Atlas block 81C61) Confirmed

Probable

Possible

Canada Goose Wood Duck

Spotted Sandpiper American Woodcock

Northern Bobwhite Great Blue Heron

Mallard

Barn Owl

Green Heron

Ring-necked Pheasant

Chimney Swift

Black-crowned Night Heron

American Kestrel

Great Crested Flycatcher

Yellow-crowned Night Heron

Killdeer

Red-eyed Vireo

Black Vulture

Rock Pigeon

American Crow

Turkey Vulture

Mourning Dove

Carolina Wren

Broad-winged Hawk

Ruby-throated Hummingbird

Wood Thrush

Red-tailed Hawk

Downy Woodpecker

Northern Mockingbird

Yellow-billed Cuckoo

Eastern Phoebe

Brown Thrasher

Eastern Screech Owl

Eastern Kingbird

Cedar Waxwing

Great Horned Owl

Warbling Vireo

Yellow Warbler

Belted Kingfisher

Blue Jay

Ovenbird

Red-bellied woodpecker

Barn Swallow

Common Yellowthroat

Northern Flicker

Carolina Chickadee

Northern Cardinal

Eastern Woody Peewee

Tufted Titmouse

American Goldfinch

White-eyed Vireo

House Wren

Fish Crow

American Robin

Northern Rough-winged Swallow

Gray Catbird

White-breasted nuthatch

European Starling

Eastern Bluebird

Song Sparrow

Chestnut-sided Warbler

Blue Grosbeak

Scarlet Tanager

Indigo Bunting

Eastern Towhee

Red-winged Blackbird

Chipping Sparrow

Common Grackle

Field Sparrow

Baltimore Oriole

Brown-headed Cowbird

House Finch House Sparrow

Orchard Oriole

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Threats to Natural Areas The twin threats of overabundant deer and invasive non-native species have devastated remnant tracts of forest in this landscape. Deer have a distinct preference for native plants and have stripped herbaceous and shrub layers creating browse lines and barren forest floors. The diversity of native plants and animals has decreased, forest regeneration is halted, and ecological function is threatened. Invasive species, which are less attractive to deer, have spread to fill the gaps. In most urban and suburban situations traditional hunting is not feasible, and the Pennsylvania Game Commission has until recently been reluctant to allow other alternatives such as the use of baiting and sharpshooters. Effective management of open space must address the problem of too many deer.

Past Uses This landscape includes the site of Camp Pottsgrove, where General George Washington regrouped with his troops in early October of 1777 after being defeated at the Battle of Brandywine and before moving on to spend the winter at Valley Forge. The land along the Schuylkill River in Pottstown has long been an industrial corridor, based the ability of the river to provide waterpower and a transportation route. Grist, paper, and lumber mills were located along the Manatawny Creek, Sanatoga Creek, Sprogels Run, and the Schuylkill itself. Thomas Rutter began manufacturing iron along the Manatawny Creek as early as 1717. Thomas Potts, who managed Rutter’s forge, expanded the business and became the founder of Pottstown. His home, Pottsgrove Manor, has been restored. Several large industrial tracts such as the former site of Stanley G. Flag Company are currently brownfields that have been targeted for redevlopment as industrial parks. Severe environmental contamination has resulted in other former industrial sites being designated as superfund cleanup areas.

The Limerick Nuclear Generating Plant dominates the landscape

Preservation Status and Other Designations The entire conservation area is included in the Schuylkill River National and State Heritage Area, which is managed by Schuylkill River Greenway Association. The mission of the Heritage Area is to revitalize and restore the region through natural and cultural resource preservation, education, recreation, community revitalization, and heritage tourism. The Schuylkill is also designated as a Pennsylvania Scenic River. The landscape includes 342.88 acres of publicly-owned or permanently protected lands (Figure 12.4). The largest parcel is State Game Lands #234 at 91.5 acres.

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Core Areas Schuylkill River Park, Pottstown Memorial Park, Manatawny Creek Park, and Pottsgrove Manor These four sites, totaling 152.18 acres, create a protected corridor along the Manatawny Creek and the Schuylkill River. They provide a link between the proposed Manatawny Creek Trail and the Schuylkill Trail, a portion of which has been completed through Pottstown. The land along the Schuylkill River is floodplain; forested portions are characterized by a silver maple floodplain forest community. Additional species included sycamore, box-elder, white ash, and poison-ivy. The herbaceous layer is dominated by non-native invasive plants. In early spring the ground is carpeted with lesser celandine. Japanese hops, stinging nettle, and Japanese knotweed become abundant in the summer months. Pottstown Memorial Park, which stretches upstream along the Manatawny Creek, contains athletic fields and mowed areas of turf with only a narrow line of trees along the streambank. This park should provide an opportunity for restoration of a wider riparian buffer along the creek. Upstream, north of the Pottstown Airport, a small West Pottsgrove Township Recreation Area occupies 2.89 acres of land on both sides of the Manatawny Creek. The bed of the Colebrookdale spur railroad, which parallels the creek on the west side, could provide a trail corridor linking these publicly owned Manatawny Creek at West Potsgrove Township Recreation Area areas. This site also provides an opportunity for riparian buffer establishment on the east side of the creek. In addition, reduced mowing would help to curtail use of the site by Canada geese. A steep forested slope is present on the west side.

Pennsylvania Game Lands #234 The Pennsylvania Game Commission owns 91.5 acres of land in a bend of the river near Linfield. The site contains riparian forest along the Schuylkill and some successional forest, but most is food plots cultivated to attract deer and other game. The Vincent Dam is present in this stretch of the river.

Sanatoga Park Early in the history of the Pottsgrove area Sanatoga Creek provided waterpower for as many as 10 mills. By the 1890s, the lower part of the valley was the site of an amusement park that featured a lake, a mile-long roller coaster, a dance pavilion, and a restaurant among other attractions. Lower Pottsgrove Township acquired the site in 1965.

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Today the lake, created by a dam on the Sanatoga Creek, is used mainly by fishermen, or as a background for picnickers. We noted the presence of eastern floater (a native fresh water mussel) in the lake as well as large non-native snails. Aquatic plants included Nuttall’s waterweed, coontail, yellow water-lily, water-flaxseed, and two non-native invasive plants, curly pondweed and Eurasian water-milfoil. Second growth forest covers the slopes east and west of the lake. The forest canopy on the west side is dominated by oak and hickory species; however the understory is mostly sugar maple. Deer trails were very evident, especially on the lower slopes. Mayapple and cutleaf toothwort were the most abundant wildflowers. The slopes to the east of the lake appear to have been influenced by their proximity to a diabase dike. Sugar maple and tuliptree were common canopy trees, and the herbaceous layer was denser and more diverse than that on the opposite side of the valley. Norway maple, an invasive, non-native species had invaded both areas. The lake at Sanatoga Park Together with adjacent lands to the east, owned by Pottstown Trap Rock Quarries, Inc., Sanatoga Park represents the largest patch of forest in this highly developed part of the county.

Other Protected Open Space Trinley Park This Limerick Township park, located along the Schuylkill River, includes lands on the lower slope between the river and the railroad below the Linfield Bluffs. It includes a narrow band of riparian forest and provides an opportunity for river access.

Riverfront Park This 13-acre tract located at Porter Road and Sanatoga Station Road in Lower Pottsgrove Township includes a stretch of riverbank at the mouth of Sprogel’s Run. A stand of mature beech and oak trees covers the wooded slope along the Schuylkill River.

Recommendations Land Protection and Connectivity •

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Seek opportunities to protect additional land along the Schuylkill River to create a continuous forested riparian buffer and provide a trail corridor.

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Land Management •

Reduce deer density throughout.

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Institute invasive species management and forest restoration programs at selected sites.

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Restore forested riparian buffers along the Manatawny Creek in Pottstown Memorial Park and West Pottsgrove Recreation Area.

Bibliography Bean, Theodore W. 1884. History of Montgomery County. Everts and Peck, Philadelphia, PA. Berg, Thomas M. and Christine M. Dodge. 1981. Atlas of Preliminary Geologic Quadrangle Maps of Pennsylvania. Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, Department of Conservation and Natural Resources, Bureau of Topographic and Geologic Survey, Harrisburg, PA. Chancellor, Paul. 1953. A History of Pottstown, Pennsylvania. Historical Society of Pottstown, Pottstown, PA. Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. 2005. Pennsylvania Code, Title 25, Chapter 93. Water Quality Standards. Harrisburg, PA. Fike, Jean. 1999. Terrestrial and Palustrine Plant Communities of Pennsylvania. Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, Department of Conservation and Natural Resources, Bureau of Forestry, Harrisburg, PA. Pennsylvania Breeding Bird Atlas http://bird.atlasing.org/Atlas/PA/Main, accessed 5/30/2007. Pennsylvania Natural Heritage Program database http://www.naturalheritage.state.pa.us, accessed 1/15/2007. Shultz, Charles H. 1999. The Geology of Pennsylvania. Pennsylvania Geological Survey, Harrisburg, PA. Smith, Patricia Wanger. 2004. Around Pottstown. Arcadia Publishing, Portsmouth, NH. Toll, Jean Barth, and Michael J. Schwager. 1983. Montgomery County, The Second Hundred Years. Montgomery County Federation of Historical Societies, Norristown, PA.

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