Perkiomen Watershed Conservancy
1 Skippack Pike
Schwenksville, PA 19473

Contact:
Alexandra Curran
(610) 287-9383
(610) 287-9237 (fax)
pwc@pvwatershed.org

Environmental Results:

800 native trees and shrubs planted.

15 feet of buffer created along a 1-mile section of stream.

Protection & Restoration
Perkiomen Watershed Conservancy

Community Partnership Restores Riparian Corridor

Founded in 1964, the Perkiomen Watershed Conservancy is committed to providing an integrated approach to watershed protection and restoration in the Perkiomen Watershed area of Eastern Pennsylvania. Through environmental education, watershed stewardship and conservation programs, the conservancy has focused its recent efforts on a multi-phase plan to restore a riparian corridor along an unnamed tributary to the West Branch of Skippack Creek.

The restoration design divides the corridor into two categories - areas for augmenting existing vegetation and areas that require grading or structural changes prior to planting. The first component, launched in spring 2000, concentrated on defining and enhancing a vertically stratified forest buffer by planting canopy and understory trees in areas that did not require engineering fixes. Other activities included analysis and hydrologic modeling of field data, finalizing design criteria and specifications for the entire riparian corridor project and refining the timeline and scope for future phases.

The Perkiomen Watershed Conservancy holds workshops to educate township officials and residents about the benefits of riparian corridors and how they can prevent non-point source pollution. Furthermore, students from the Souderton Area School District will work on the project as part of their environmental curriculum, which will include water quality monitoring, storm drain stenciling and stream cleanups.

As the Perkiomen Watershed Conservancy continues to implement its plan, future projects will include:
• Re-grading and stabilizing undercut banks;
• Reinforcing in-stream point bars with woody plants;
• Stabilizing eroding banks with cribbing or other engineering techniques;
• Removing or demolishing concrete slabs in drainage swales;
• Enhancing in-stream aquatic habitat and ephemeral wetlands; and
• Controlling invasive species.

Working to preserve and promote the natural resources of the watershed, the Conservancy has developed a comprehensive plan that will continue to produce results today and into the future.

" This project demonstrates that when conservation organizations, government and the community work together, results can be achieved which benefit both people and the environment."
Alexandra Curran
Conservation Coordinator
Perkiomen Watershed Conservancy

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