BEECH CREEK — The state is stepping in to pay for the repair of stream sides, which were washed away during a big rain storm in Clinton County.
Caution tape lines the edge of Queen Bee Collectibles in Beech Creek. Owner, Melanie Rupert says she put up the tape so people don`t get too close to the eroding stream bank behind her store on Maple Avenue.
“It`s a pretty big drop off. It`s probably about 20 feet, so we want to make sure that nobody gets hurt.” said Melanie Rupert.
Rupert says the drop off wasn’t always this high. About a year ago a dangerous rainstorm caused flooding in the Beech Creek area. The flooding damaged properties and washed away some of bank side.
“We`re still having erosion when it rains now we`re losing even more of the bank.” said Rupert.
Now the Clinton County Conservation District will use 100-thousand dollars in state grant money to repair the crumbling stream side. The money will be used to stabilize sections of the stream behind Maple Avenue and a portion of a stream along Ramsey Hollow Road in Beech Creek Township.
Jeremy Munro`s home is along the stream on Maple Avenue. Munro’s backyard is full of rocks and mud. Just a year ago, it was filled with grass and was flat. Munro says after that big storm his backyard has become a part of the stream.
“Frustrating. It’s very frustrating.” said Jeremy Munro.
Munro says he paid about 40 thousand dollars out-of-pocket to fill in what was washed away in last year’s storm.
“We brought in about twenty tons of dirt to back-fill.” said Munro.
Work to stabilize the two streams in the Beech Creek area should be completed by the end of the year. If there’s money left over, the Clinton County Conservation District plans to use it to stabilize a third stream.
