French Creek Family Retreat Protected in Perpetuity
When George Kuebel Jr. passed away, his son Roger wanted to ensure that the family property on French Creek was put into the hands of conservation-minded owners.
French Creek in the winter.
“My father had a keen interest in nature. Although he owned lakefront property in Erie, too, the land on French Creek was our favorite,” said Kuebel of the 27-acre parcel in French Creek Township. Purchased by the elder Kuebel in the 1960s, it is bordered by Flatts Road on one side and French Creek on the other.
Now living in Boston, Kuebel was delighted when the Western Pennsylvania Conservancy contacted him about purchasing the property. “We knew it was my father’s intent that the property be used by people who love the outdoors as much as he did,” Kuebel said. “It’s gratifying to me too, because I have fond memories of fishing, rafting and picnicking there. I caught some pretty big muskellunge in that creek, as well as walleyes, panfish and bass.”
Rare species like the clubshell mussel live in French Creek, which runs through this newly protected property.
Photo by: Craig Stihler, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service
The stretch of creek that runs through the property is home to rare species. “The eastern sand darter, which is quite rare across its range, lives right in proximity to this property. It’s a transparent fish. If you hold it sideways, you can see its internal organs. To escape enemies, it will dive and wiggle into the sand,” said Charles Bier, WPC’s senior director of conservation science. But the sand darter is on the decline, Bier said, in part because it is vulnerable to sedimentation.
Managing the property and keeping the stream clean will be a priority, to protect the darter and other species, including endangered clubshell mussels. “The property is in the floodplain, where we’re focusing a lot of our conservation work,” Bier said. “We would like to reforest parts of the parcel with sycamore, ashleaf maple or other species naturally occurring along the stream.”