Efforts over the years by the Philadelphia Water Department and the Pennypack Watershed Partnership have been made to improve water quality, the environment, and the quality of life of residents. She spends “a lot of time hiking, driving around — I actually work in New Castle County along the Red Clay Creek.”. In other words, a stream that looked one way 20 years ago isn’t going to look the same now. Meet a Master Watershed Steward Trainee; Rachel Rosenfeld Speaks About Her Experiences, Aquatic Ecosystems Restoration Research at Big Springs Run Documents Flood Plain Restoration Benefits That Can Help MS4 Permit Holders, Estuary Science Summit – Balancing Progress and Protection – 10 Years of Science In Action. Fill in your details below or click an icon to log in: You are commenting using your WordPress.com account. “It could be relatively easily done,” she said. Whether you’re biking along the new rail-to-trail in Lorimer Park or strolling along the creek in Fairmount Park or the many municipal parks, you can enjoy seeing many types of birds, fish, plants, reptiles and amphibians. “So there’s always going to be some erosion and some deposition that’s happening.”. Many areas are environmentally sensitive, so please do not venture off the main trails into the woods. “It goes from being crystal clear, to where you could easily see three or four feet down to the bottom, to looking like chocolate milk.”. This conservation organization is dedicated to preserving the natural landscape of the Pennypack watershed. Meet New Poquessing Monitoring Coordinator! Click the link for further details on each one of the watersheds. They’re all around the region: shifting sediment and rock, exposed tree roots, even entire trees toppled into a creek. Of course most of the Species of fish portrayed here are the only ones that I've personally caught. DEP orders Sunoco to reroute pipeline after Marsh Creek Lake spill. The report outlines data needs and analytical tools for this information transfer. Wide, graveled trail through floodplain forest with views of Pennypack Creek, Crossroads Marsh, forest restoration and several sites of historic significance. The creek then drops into the winding greenbelt of Philadelphia’s Pennypack Park before discharging into a broad mudflat on the Delaware River. Deanne Ross lives in Garnet Valley and often kayaks on the Brandywine River. She said erosion has always been an issue, but recently it seems to be getting worse. Biological (fish, habitat, and macroinvertebrate) data, Water Related (wetland delineation, bridges & culverts, dams, riparian buffers, discharges & withdrawls, base, flow, floodplain) data, Demographic household density, median household income, population density) data, Land use (land cover, tree canopy density, impervious surface, slope, road density, forest fragmentation) data. Fortunately, new models and better topographic and hydrologic information allow researchers to more accurately assess variables such as water volume and impervious surface under different future conditions. Endangered piping plover shows signs of recovery along Delaware beaches. (Emma Lee/WHYY) Chester County resident Kristen Travers sees some area stream banks almost every day. Pennypack Creek rises from headwater springs and wetlands in the suburbs of Horsham, Warminster, and Upper Southampton, then gains strength along its middle mainstem in Upper Moreland, Bryn Athyn, Lower Moreland and Abington. Protect and restore watershed health through innovation and collaboration. Chester County resident Kristen Travers sees some area stream banks almost every day. Act 167 Plan for Pennypack Creek Watershed. Total Maximum Daily Load (TMDL); What’s It All About? Introducing the newest members of the Friends of Poquessing Team! “These kinds of effects from bridges are very limited and localized … dams, on the other hand, will have a much greater effect on flow and sediment, because the purpose of a dam is to regulate flow for human benefit.”. The river changes, too. When the hydrologic cycle is disrupted, Welker said, “[the solution is] trying to keep as much of the water on your own individual site as possible.” Rain gardens, flood plains and stream buffers can serve to stabilize stream banks and absorb water before it accumulates enough to do damage. Mile-long alternative route will avoid area where 8,000 gallons of drilling mud escaped. Ross said she’d like to see more open space designated specifically for water protection purposes: buffer implementation, forested areas, and natural marshes designed to act as flooding zones in the event of a storm. Regional Vulnerability Assessment (ReVA) Program. Finally, the ReVA modeling process also can be used to develop watershed sustainability indicators. Change ), You are commenting using your Google account. Across the region, WHYY readers and listeners report an increase in wildlife in and around their local waterways. Multi-Municipal Collaboration is in the Water (of Pennsylvania)! More than 50 piping plover chicks were born along Delaware's beaches this year, well above the long-term species recovery goal. History from the Philly Watersheds Page: The name “Pennypack” is derived from the Lenape, meaning “deep, dead water; water without much current.” The creek also was known as Dublin Creek in the late 17th century, based on the mapping of Thomas Holme (1624-1695), Pennsylvania’s first Surveyor General. The New Yorker Radio Hour features a diverse mix of interviews, profiles, storytelling, and an occasional burst of humor inspired by the magazine, and shaped by its writers, artists, and editors. Home; Academics and Research; Faculty; Funded Research; Act 167 Plan for Pennypack Creek Watershed; Lead Investigators: Jeffrey Featherstone. Pennypack Watershed Map; Check out the History of the Pennypack; Pennypack Creek rises from headwater springs and wetlands in the suburbs of Horsham, Warminster, and Upper Southampton, then gains strength along its middle mainstem in Upper Moreland, Bryn Athyn, Lower Moreland and Abington. All photos are dated and all Species are identified. The Pennypack Creek Watershed (Pennsylvania) showing the degree of urbanization (pink), forested (greens) and crops/pasture (yellows). ( Log Out / During recent storms in Delaware County, rainwater “inundates the streams and overwhelms them, and that’s where all the erosion comes from — that torrent, rush, of water,” Ross said. Elizabeth Thorpe, who lives in Bensalem in Bucks County, said she sees the stream across a nearby parking lot fluctuate and erode every time a storm hits. Creek Road Trail (1.4 mi.) The objectives of the project were to assemble individuals from the federal, state, and local levels of government; local universities; and non-government organizations (NGOs) to. The free WHYY News Daily newsletter delivers the most important local stories to your inbox. (Emma Lee/WHYY). New Flooding and Stormwater Management Plan Drafted for Ambler Area of Wissahickon Watershed, Congratulations to the first Montgomery County Class of Master Watershed Stewards, Clean Your Water: A Helpful website to aid in MS4 Compliance. Rain Garden Campaign Launched in Eastern Delaware County. Patricia Lowe walks near the Pennypack Creek most evenings and notes erosion where it empties into the Delaware River, just behind a prison. Other watershed attractions include the restored warm season meadows, open spaces and wooded trails of the Pennypack Ecological Restoration Trust, numerous golf courses, Fetter’s Mill Historic District in Bryn Athyn, and Bethayres Swamp, an important wetland habitat recently acquired in Lower Moreland Township. The 57 square-mile Pennypack Creek Watershed (PCW) in southeastern Pennsylvania was used to assess the applicability of ReVA methods and the following datasets were assembled for the evaluation: In less urban areas, that kind of riparian restoration is already being encouraged by state officials or boosted by support from local water research organizations. Watershed residents and organizations continue to acquire and restore a network of preserves, parks, and protected lands with the ultimate goal of establishing a greenway along the length of the creek that offers a variety of recreational, personal, and stewardship experiences. That’s why she’s worried. They often noted its proximity to infrastructure and buildings, or asked whether it could be linked to nearby development. D. The College Settlement Wetland Project will Help Improve Water Quality in Pennypack Creek, Academy of Natural Sciences of Drexel University, Eastern Delaware County Stormwater Collaborative, Temple-Villanova Sustainable Stormwater Initiative.