Change of plans and a call to action…

This coming Tuesday May 26th, was originally scheduled to be our last Chapter ‘meeting’ for the season (Fishing the Evening Hatch), but in light of some new information, the ‘meeting’ will be canceled.  

The Bethlehem Planning Commission will be hearing a waiver request from the developer of the planned housing subdivision off of Township Line RD (Autumn Estates), and in lieu of fishing, the Chapter would ask that if your are able, you attend the Bethlehem Township Planning Commission Meeting Tuesday, May 26, at 7:00 PM at the Municipal Building located at 4225 Easton Ave, Bethlehem, PA. The meeting will also be in a virtual format on Zoom: meeting ID number 822 4371 5829, passcode 837600.

This is a major concern for the future health of the creek, and we should make our voices heard when given the chance.  Here is some more detailed information as outlined in a previous post: LINK

If you feel the need to fish instead, we get it, but PLEASE make an effort to reach out to the planning commission as outlined in the post linked above.  Thank you, enjoy your summer and see you in the Fall!     

 

Draft Agenda:

The Bethlehem Township Planning Commission will hold a public meeting on TUESDAY May 26, 2026

at 7:00pm, in the Main Meeting Room of the Bethlehem Township Municipal Building, located at 4225

Easton Avenue, Bethlehem, Pennsylvania. All items listed on this agenda should be considered open for

discussion. The meeting will also be in a virtual format on Zoom: meeting ID number 822 4371

5829, passcode 837600.

CALL TO ORDER

APPROVAL OF February 23, 2026 Regular Meeting Minutes

April 27, 2026 Regular Meeting Minutes (pending submittal)

COURTESY OF THE FLOOR

CORRESPONDENCE

NEW BUSINESS

- Autumn Estates – Waiver Requests

- Convenience Store (4850 Freemansburg Ave) – Sketch Plan

- Office Building (3708 Freemansburg Ave) – Site Plan

- Healthcare Village Overlay Sign Regulations – Zoning Ordinance Amendment

OLD BUSINESS

- 2840 Santee Road – Subdivision Plan

COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT DEPARTMENTAL MEMO

- Next meeting is June 22, 2026

ADJOURN

Interested parties may appear at the public meeting and be heard with respect to the proposed items. Copies of the applications are

available for review Monday through Friday from 8:00am-4:00pm at the Bethlehem Township Community Development Department

located at the Bethlehem Township Municipal Building. ADA assistance: Any person needing special assistance at the Planning

Commission meeting due to disability should contact at 610.814.6435 at least 2 days prior thereto.

April Meeting reminder

Meeting reminder for April 28th 2026, 7 pm DAR log cabin in Bethlehem.  This month we will be featuring Jonny Kaminski, a guide with Mainstream Outfitters.  Meetings are free and open to the public, light refreshments will be served.

 

Stream Clean Up Reminder

 Just a quick reminder that our annual stream clean up is just around the corner.  Join us and help make this years clean up a huge success!

Meeting reminder March 24th 2026

 Join us for our monthly meeting as we welcome Brodhead TU Member Todd Burns for his presentation : A Tale of Two Projects. 

The program describes two different habitat improvement projects undertaken by the Brodhead Chapter Trout Unlimited in public access Pocono streams. These projects utilized vastly different resources and methodologies: a larger scale project involving heavy machinery, contractors, Fish and Boat Commission staff and multiple partners and a smaller scale, hands-on, boots in the water approach in a headwater tributary. The presentation will cover planning, fundraising, partners, construction, and pre and post improvement metrics used to assess the effectiveness of the work.

Meetings are held at the DAR Log Cabin on 8th Ave, from 7-9pm.

Development proposed on Monocacy Creek

 

Developers Sketch drawing of proposed development.  Route 22 is the northern boundary (top of page, below the blue box), Township Line road is the Western Boundary (left side of green area), and the Monocacy Creek is to the South (bottom of green area). From WFMZ.com.

A Lakewood New Jersey company will be petitioning Bethlehem City Council and Bethlehem
Township Council to build a 67-house development with 19 homes on the Bethlehem side ( County-
Line / Altonah only entrance) and 48 homes on the hill behind the large spring and farmhouse. The
development will be across the railroad tracks from Monocacy Creek and the Archibald Johnson
Conservation area. This development will be built on the high ground over 3 of the largest springs on the Monocacy Creek.

THE ISSUES:

Traffic:

This development has only one entrance - from the 2- lane County-Line / Altonah road, just south of a very tight restriction bridge under HWY 22, and across the Monocacy Creek bridge from two very narrow width and tightly restricted Altonah road hill, and Santee Mill road along Monocacy creek. Neither of these roads can handle the additional traffic and support truck requirements such as fire trucks, garbage trucks, moving trucks, as well as the private cars for 67 single family dwellings.

Environmental Impacts:

The slope o f the property and location over 3 major springs feeding the Monocacy is a threat to water quality and the ecosystem in the following ways: Increased run-off from an increase in pavement roof tops etc, can increase silt levels in the creek, and create warming, which has proven to decrease oxygen levels necessary to support fish and aquatic insects. The PA Fish Commission recognizes the Monocacy as one of the few streams in a suburban area with a rising population o f wild brown trout, which requires very clean and cold water. Run-off from pesticides and fertilizers used on yards of 67 houses, and high temperatures and reduced water retention of paved roads will have an immediate negative impact.  Any increase in stormwater runoff will have a compounding effect on flooding in downstream areas that have already experienced a rise in high water events.  While more water will be entering the stream, the amount of water being absorbed into the ground will be deceasing, which often leads to sinkholes occurring in areas they had not before.  Spaces under the ground that were once filled with water will now be empty, which leads to a collapse of the surface layers, impacting roads, sewer lines and other critical infrastructure.  Lastly, the development would be located just upstream of the ‘Class A Wild Trout Stream’  section of the stream.  This section holds a large number of wild, naturally reproducing Brown Trout, which should be protected from any actual or potential decrease in water quality.

Action Items:

1. Show up at the Bethlehem City Planning Commission meetings (And Township)

The Bethlehem Township Planning Commission:

• When: Fourth Monday of each month

• Time: 7:00 PM

• Where: Main Meeting Room.

Bethlehem Township Municipal Building

(Bethlehem Township, Northampton County.

PA)

City of Bethlehem Planning Commission: 

Regular Meeting Schedule

• When: Typically once per month, usually on

a Thursday

• Time: 5:00 PM

• Where: Bethlehem Town Hall,

10 East Church Street, Bethlehem, P A 18018

Meeting dates can shift due to holidays or

cancellations, so the City recommends using the

official Planning & Zoning calendar.

https://www.bethlehem-pa.gov/calendar-

planning-zoning bethlehem-pa

2. Write a letter - AND - Call the Mayor of Bethlehem: J William Reynolds > 10 East Church Street,
Bethlehem, PA 18018. Phone 610 865 7130. https://www.bethlehem-pa.gov/Meet-Your-
Government/The-Mayor/Biography

3. Write and call Bethlehem Township planning commission. Contact the Board of Commissioners
and the 5-member Planning Commission.
Subdivision and Land Development Plan Review - Planning - Bethlehem Township Community
Development 4225 Easton Avenue, Bethlehem, PA 18020 > > 610-814-6400

Stream Clean Up Time!

 Mark your calendars, it’s almost stream clean up time.  Once again we are partnering with the Monocacy Creek Watershed Association, and we would like to extend a heartfelt ‘Thanks!!’ For organizing this event.  Details below, hope to see you there!

  

February meeting is a go!

 Just wanted to provide a quick update on our meeting for tonight.  The sidewalks and walkways to the DAR are clear and hopefully the streets are clear enough to find parking.  Please still be very careful as any melting today could make things slippery.  Looking forward to finally having a meeting!

Quick Reminder for February

 

Join us on February 24th 7pm as we welcome Rick Nyles, Owner of Sky Blue Outfitters.  Rick will be sharing his presentation “Tactical Dry Fly Fishing:Rick’s approach to Dry Fly Fishing.  Equipment Rigging, Flies, Casting and Approach.”

Rick Nyles guides full time and has been fly fishing for over forty years. Rick started guiding in 1999 (26 years, that’s a long time). Sky Blue has grown to a staff of ten (10) guides to support all aspects of fly fishing in Pennsylvania and beyond. Rick prides himself on being one of the best “Dry Fly” fishing guide you will find in Pennsylvania.  It does not matter if you are a novice or experienced fly fisherman, Rick offers guided trips that will increase your understanding and skill level when fishing for rising trout.  If you want to learn how to match the hatch, understand the feeding pattern, identifying the hatch, type of rise, when and where to cast, you have found the right guide.

As always, meetings are free and open to the public.  Light refreshments will be provided. Meetings are held at the DAR Log Cabin on 8th Ave in Bethlehem (in the Rose Garden).

Broadhead Rd Amazon Stormwater Permit

The Monocacy Creek Watershed Association has recently made us aware of a permit renewal application being submitted by Amazon to the PADEP, and we are asking that members take a few minutes to send and email to the PADEP expressing your concerns.  The permit is for storm-water discharge into the Monocacy Creek, and is up for renewal.  The main issue is that Amazon has violated the terms of their permit 8 times in the past 3 years: (TSS= Total Suspended Solids, which adds sediment to the creek).

 Permit limit is 100mg/L 

In 2023 they had TSS violations at all three of their outfalls or storm-water discharge points.

Outfall 001 TSS 410 mg/L

Outfall 002 TSS 130 mg/L

Outfall 003 TSS 760 mg/L

In 2024

001 TSS 1,980 mg/L

002 TSS 390 mg/L

003 TSS 163 mg/L

And in 2025

001 TSS 263 mg/L

002 TSS 211 mg/L

There is an open comment period until the end of February, and we are asking everyone who can to send a quick email to:

RA-EPNPDES_NERO@pa.gov

With a subject line of:

Draft Permit Comments, PA0276308, Amazon Com Services LLC, 2595 Brodhead Road, Bethlehem, PA.

 

The email can be as simple as letting PADEP know that you are unhappy with Amazons repeated violations and that you care about the health of the creek.  You can mention being a TU/MCWA member, but it isn't necessary.  Emails from concerned local residents can really move the meter.

  

 

 

Meeting reminder for February

Join us on February 24th 7pm as we welcome Rick Nyles, Owner of Sky Blue Outfitters.  Rick will be sharing his presentation “Tactical Dry Fly Fishing:Rick’s approach to Dry Fly Fishing.  Equipment Rigging, Flies, Casting and Approach.”

Rick Nyles guides full time and has been fly fishing for over forty years. Rick started guiding in 1999 (26 years, that’s a long time). Sky Blue has grown to a staff of ten (10) guides to support all aspects of fly fishing in Pennsylvania and beyond. Rick prides himself on being one of the best “Dry Fly” fishing guide you will find in Pennsylvania.  It does not matter if you are a novice or experienced fly fisherman, Rick offers guided trips that will increase your understanding and skill level when fishing for rising trout.  If you want to learn how to match the hatch, understand the feeding pattern, identifying the hatch, type of rise, when and where to cast, you have found the right guide.

As always, meetings are free and open to the public.  Light refreshments will be provided. Meetings are held at the DAR Log Cabin on 8th Ave in Bethlehem (in the Rose Garden).

Fly Fishing Show 2026

 It’s show season and the biggest is coming soon.  The Fly Fishing Show, Edison NJ edition starts on January 23rd and goes through the weekend.  As always there will be tons of exhibitors, classes, lessons and everything in- between. If you are making the trip, be sure to check out Tim Flagler’s Featured Class: Tying Effective Pheasant Tails, Hare’s Ears & Everything in Between. *FYI the is a paid class.*

Link for more info : https://flyfishingshow.com/edison-nj/

Happy Holiday’s and 2026 Schedule

 Happy Holiday’s from Monocacy TU!

Just a reminder there will be no meeting in December and we will resume our monthly meetings at the DAR House on January 27th.  The schedule for our remaining meetings will be:

January 27th: Todd Burns “A Tale of Two Projects”.  Comparing and contrasting two projects completed in NE PA which differed in size and scope.

February 24th: Rick Nyles “Tactical Dry Fly Fishing”.  Rick is the owner/operator/  and a guide at Sky Blue Outfitters.

March 24th: TBD

April 28th: Fly Tying for Fishing the Evening Hatch

May 26th: Fishing the Evening Hatch

As you may have noticed, the Fly Fishing Film Tour is not currently scheduled for 2026.  After nearly a decade partnership with ArtsQuest, we will have to find a new venue for this event.  The Frank Banko Cinemas at ArtsQuest were a fantastic venue for this event, and ArtsQuest always went out of their way to make the night a success, but because change is the only constant in life we will be looking for a new place to hold this event.  Rest assured we are working on several ideas that will continue the tradition of Monocacy TU hosting this event.

Thank you, have a happy Holiday and a great start to the new year!

Monocacy TU

November Meeting Cancelled

 Due to the proximity of the Thanksgiving Holiday, the November 25th meeting has been cancelled.  The Monocacy Chapter would like to thank all of our members and supporters for their on-going dedication to the Trout Unlimited mission.  Please enjoy your time with family and friends, maybe a little fishing, and take a moment to be thankful for the amazing cold-water resources right here in the Lehigh Valley.

October Meeting

 Just a quick reminder that our October meeting is just 5 days away.  Join us, 7pm at the DAR Log Cabin on 8th Ave in Bethlehem.  Featured presenter: Michael Lohman, CDC Caddis.

October Meeting reminder

 Just a quick reminder that our monthly meeting will be held October 28th, 7pm.  Same location, DAR Log Cabin on 8th Ave.  This month will be our annual elections, followed by a presentation.  We have been operating without a secretary for some time and it would be great to fill that position.  There are also several board seats that could be filled. More info to follow.

The presentation this month is on tying and fishing Caddis and CDC Emergers, with Michael Lohman. Michael has been fly fishing for over 50 yrs,  is an accomplished angler of everything from trout to tarpon, regularly does fly tying classes for Mainstream Outfitters and is also a local guide with Wild East Outfitters.