Now that the goats have munched away the Japanese knotweed and poison ivy in the township stormwater detention basin, Salisbury Township officials still have to get to the root of the problem.

"We've mitigated a lot of that," said Kreg Ulery, Salisbury Township Environmental Advisory Council chairperson, said. "We're going to have to go back [to pull up the roots]."

The use of the four goats, a project of the STEAC June 3 to 26 was successful in clearing the detention basin at the Salisbury Township Municipal Building, 2900 S. Pike Ave., of the knotweed and ivy.

Work was to have begun the week of July 13 on the basin, including, in addition to removing knotweed roots, removal of diseased trees, removal and securing of cattails for later planting and removal of gravel and soil deposits.

Cleanup and restoration of the pond is funded by a $15,106 grant from the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection Environmental Stewardship-Watershed Protection.

In other business at the July 15 meeting, the STEAC discussed:

- Distributing EAC information about watersheds at township "Community Day" in September;

- Walking Purchase Park cleanup. There were an estimated 400 volunteers at the April 26 cleanup when about two dumpsters, eight dump trucks and numerous of debris, including mattresses, carpentry items, automotive parts and some 200 tires.

"And that's not all of it," Salisbury Township Commissioner and STEAC representative Joanne Ackerman said.

Recommendations to consider include speed humps to slow vehicles, more 20 mph speed limit signs and evaluation of surveillance cameras.

- Stormwater runoff. "If they [residents] have stormwater issues, they should come here first," Cynthia Sopka, Salisbury Township director of planning and zoning, said.

- Applying for a street tree grant, which was due July 30;

- Laubach Park Master Site Plan. "If there's any kind of planting that we could do, they should be native plants," Ulery said. It was noted the pond in the park is manmade. "Most of that water comes off Lehigh Mountain and is through people's yards," Sopka said. "Trout Creek is a coldwater fishery and the water is measurably warmer."