A sign that will describe the native plantings and environmental benefits of waterside buffers along the Walnutport Canal has been given the green light.

Borough council on Thursday unanimously granted permission to the Watershed Coalition of the Lehigh Valley to place the sign on Lehigh Street by the boat launch.

However, council noted the sign can’t be placed there until after the construction is completed by the Walnutport Authority.

The sign will be placed by the Watershed Coalition, and not by borough employees.

Council’s action came after it heard from Rebecca Hayden, president of the Watershed Coalition of the Lehigh Valley.

In July, Hayden told council that the group had been working on an important environmental restoration project.

Hayden spoke about the planting and the project to see if council was happy with the project and if it had any unresolved questions or concerns, and then pitched the question about a one-sign versus four-sign approach.

In June 2023, Lehigh Valley Greenways Conservation Landscape presented a $5,000 check to the Watershed Coalition of the Lehigh Valley and project lead Bertsch, Hokendauqua and Catasauqua Watershed Association for the Walnutport Buffer Walking Tour Installation.

Hayden said the grant was to carry out knotweed removal and Pennsylvania native planting at four location along the canal, one of which is at the boat launch.

She said that as part of that grant proposal, they planned on putting an educational sign describing the project at each of the four sites — the walking tour referred to in the grant title.

But, as they did the planting in May and early June, they realized that three of the sites are directly across from residents who may not wish to have people stopping to read signs in front of their homes.

As a result, Hayden proposed to council to consolidate the information the group intended to put across four signs onto one sign.

Public Works director Mike Wentz agreed one larger sign should go at the boat launch site.

Hayden noted that the grant period was from last spring through Nov. 30 of this year. At that point, she said they had to have all expenditures complete and a final project report completed.

Afterward, Hayden then presented council with a story map that depicts the Bertsch, Hokendauqua and Catasauqua Watersheds as a gift from the Watershed Coalition of the Lehigh Valley to the borough.

The artwork on the map was designed and illustrated by Keri and Tom Maxfield of Maxfield Design