Pennsylvanias Pennypack Creek Watershed

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Pennsylvanias Pennypack Creek Watershed

• Center for Sustainable Communities
• Temple University

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I. WHY THE PENNYPACK CREEK WATERSHED
COLLABORATIVE WAS FORMED

• A. HISTORY
• ? Past 30 years of urbanization ? topographic,
  ecologic/hydrologic changes (deteriorated water
  quality), damage to natural vegetative buffers
  (flood/drought cycles).
• ? Outdated floodplain maps
• ? Recurrent flooding ? loss of life, property
  destruction, deteriorated water quality,
  ecological degradation.

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I. WHY THE PENNYPACK CREEK WATERSHED
COLLABORATIVE WAS FORMED

• B. IMPETUS
• ? No single community could deal effectively
  with watershed problems (limited resources,
  limited jurisdiction).
• ? Difficult to coordinate with multiple agencies
  (fragmented governance).

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I. WHY THE PENNYPACK CREEK WATERSHED
COLLABORATIVE WAS FORMED

• C. IMMEDIATE GOALS
• ?Reduce flooding
• ?Improve water quality
• ?Manage development more effectively

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II. HOW THE COLLABORATIVE WAS FORMED

• ? Montgomery County consortium of township
  managers approached Temple Universitys Center
  for Sustainable Communities.
• ? Other local governments in watershed joined in
  and dedicated funding to CSC to create up-to-date
  floodplain maps, conduct water quality
  monitoring, develop technical information for
  municipal officials to use in open space and
  stream corridor protection plans.

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III. COLLABORATIVE MEMBERS

• Pennypack Creek Watershed 12 municipalitiesAbing
  ton, Bryn Athyn, Hatboro, Horsham,
  Jenkintown,Lower Moreland, Rockledge, Upper
  Dublin, Upper Moreland, Upper Southampton, and
  Warminster. 56 sq.mi., area, 640,000 pop.

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IV. COLLABORATIVE MISSION AND GOALS

• ? Mission Mapping out community floodplains in
  order to preserve the watershed and enhance
  community life in a streamlined, effective,
  holistic manner.

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IV. COLLABORATIVE MISSION AND GOALS

• ANTICIPATED SHORT-TERM AND LONG-TERM STUDY
  OUTCOMES
• ? New maps accurately delineating floodplain
  zones to help communities reduce potential
  flooding.
• ? Identification of at-risk homes located in
  floodplain areas that should be removed.
• ? Analysis of existing storm water facilities,
  recommendations for improved storm water
  management (Best Management Practices handbook,
  recommended ordinances).

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IV. COLLABORATIVE MISSION AND GOALS

• ANTICIPATED SHORT-TERM AND LONG-TERM STUDY
  OUTCOMES, continued
• ? Water sampling to help pinpoint pollution
  sources and Best Practices for water management
  to improve water quality.
• ? Detailed GIS maps and identification of
  alternative open space and riparian corridor
  proposals
• ? Record of public comment and response to help
  guide decision-makers.

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V. FUNDING AND RESEARCH FORMAT

• PROJECT FUNDING SOURCES
• William Penn Foundation, FEMA, grants from each
  municipality, Philadelphia Water Department,
  Pennsylvania Department of Environmental
  Protection.
• (Study expected to be completed in late 2004).

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V. FUNDING AND RESEARCH FORMAT

• STUDY FORMAT
• ? Hydrologic modeling to determine new floodplain
  boundaries.
• ? GIS mapping of entire watershed
• ? Water quality monitoring
• ? Assessment and recommendation of open space and
  corridor alternatives
• ? Evaluation of existing storm water facilities
• ? Comprehensive communications program to provide
  information and opportunities for public input,
  including use of GIS/Community Viz for
  environmental visioning.

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VI. PUBLIC EDUCATION AND INVOLVEMENT IN PHASE I

• PURPOSES
• ? To educate/inform watershed community members
  and public-at-large about conditions and stresses
  on the Pennypack Creek Watershed and the purposes
  of this project.
• ? To encourage environmental stewardship by
  creating a sense of ownership of the watershed
  and its resources (Community-based environmental
  protection).
• ? To ascertain community concerns and their
  relationships to the watershed.

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VI. PUBLIC EDUCATION AND INVOLVEMENT IN PHASE I

• TECHNIQUES AND MEDIA
• ? Project website posting progress reports and
  inviting public comment.
• ? Workshops on the project and water resource
  issues in general for municipal officials and
  interested members of the general public.
• ? Brochure describing study and expected results,
  to be made available to public libraries,
  schools, organizations and individuals.
• ? Periodic news releases.
• ? Customized handouts for workshops and meetings.

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VII. THE NEXT STEP A PHASE II FOR WATERSHED
PROTECTION

• WHY A PHASE II IS NEEDED
• ? Phase I only sets the baseline it does not
  provide a mechanism for protecting the watershed.
• ? Restoration and protection of the watershed
  requires an ongoing multi-municipal organization
  and coordinated plans.
• ? Phase I is essentially a collaboration of local
  governments collaboration of their citizenry
  (environmental stewards) is needed to translate
  watershed protection goals into actions.

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VII. THE NEXT STEP A PHASE II FOR WATERSHED
PROTECTION

• CHALLENGES
• ? Parochialism (home rule)find common ground,
  deal with turf issues.
• ? Make complex environmental information
  understandable/relevant.
• ? Identify local concerns incorporate them into
  sustainability planning.
• ? Identify feasible actions, policies, and means
  of implementation and measurement.
• ? Determine what techniques for public
  involvement work and have applicability
  elsewhere.
• ? Tie local watershed planning to state water
  resources goals and indicators.

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VIII. BUILDING ON THE PENNYPACK EXPERIENCE FOR
WIDER SUSTAINABILITY PURPOSE

• ? Educate public on interconnections among
  watershed health and development (location, type,
  amount), transportation choices (road runoff),
  and quality-of-life (recreation areas, public
  safety, adequate water supplies and purity).
• ? Build on watershed stewardship to encompass all
  sustainability issues.
• ? Tie local actions to state goals (CSC role in
  DEP-sponsored sustainability indicators project).

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