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Chester Ridley Crum Watersheds Association Selected 2007 Accomplishments 

Planting 500 Trees along streams

 In 2007 CRC planted over 500 trees along our streams at project sites in six municipalities in the Ridley and Crum Creek watersheds.  The largest site is a multi-year restoration of a 16 acre floodplain forest below Sycamore Mills in Ridley Creek State Park. This major effort is a partnership effort between CRC, Delco Manning Trout Unlimited, and the State Park, with funding and volunteer support from Lyondell Chemical and Aqua PA/TreeVitalize.     

Working with municipalities on improving local protective ordinances 

• CRC collaborated with the Nether Providence solicitor and Commissioners in drafting  the Township’s first Steep Slope Ordinance, which is slated to be adopted this fall.

• At the request of Edgmont Township residents, CRC presented testimony at a Special Planning Commission meeting and then at the Zoning Hearing Board in opposition to weakening the riparian buffer provisions in Edgmont’s Zoning Code.

• CRC submitted recommended language changes to close potential loopholes in Newtown Township’s newly adopted Cluster Ordinance to the Township’s solicitor.

 Ridley Creek Watershed 

CRC’s efforts on Ridley Creek have resulted in the reclamation of many acres of vulnerable and ecologically important lands from Japanese knotweed and other  aggressive invasive plants.   Trout Unlimited volunteers are helping CRC to care for the trees which have been planted.

• A stormwater basin “retrofit” project, funded by a Delaware Estuary program grant, was completed by CRC and the Toft Woods Community Association.  The redesigned and naturalized basin will decrease the quantity and improve the quality of stormwater washing into Ridley Creek’s fly fishing section.

Crum Creek  Petition for Upgrading Winter Run to High Quality Designation 

CRC petitioned DEP to upgrade Winter Run, a tributary of Crum Creek discharging into the lower Crum Reservoir near the intake, from Warm Water to High Quality.  The petition was supported with macroinvertebrate data collected by CRC’s water quality monitoring professionals showing High Quality organisms.  DEP confirmed CRC’s findings, and requested CRC’s assistance with a Cold Water assessment of the stream this past August.

Incorporating Crum Creek into 9^th Grade Curriculum 

A field study of four sites along Crum Creek was conducted with 300 ninth grade students from Marple Newtown High School. The study was part of a new Crum Creek based curriculum developed by three MNHS instructors in partnership with CRC with the US Forest Service, Northern Research Station in Newtown Square.  Chemical and biological stream sampling data collected by the students were analyzed and can be viewed on CRC’s new web site. 

A Partnership for Little Crum Creek

 The Little Crum Creek Watershed Partnership was formed at the initiative of Ridley Park Borough’s engineer and CRC to address the stormwater problems on a watershed-wide basis.    CRC submitted two grants to the PECO Green Region program on behalf of the Partnership municipalities, one as a match for a Watershed Priority Action Plan with Swarthmore College, and one to implement a Stream Channel Stabilization in Ridley Park Borough.   CRC volunteers continued to assist Ridley Park Borough with the maintenance of the new riparian buffer project installed by CRC along Little Crum Creek in East Lake Park. 

 Chester Creek  

• CRC has continued to support Villanova University’s Engineering Department on their innovative FAME profiling methodology study and their source tracking of pathogens in Goose Creek.  Chemistry data collected monthly by CRC’s eight Chester Creek monitors, along with the fecal coliform data, has been shared regularly with the waste water treatment plant managers, public works directors, and Aqua Pennsylvania.

• The Chester Creek municipalities officially adopted resolutions endorsing the Partnership and chose to continue collaboration on outreach programs for the MS4 requirements.  The Second Annual Chester Creek Earth Day Cleanup was a huge success, with over 18 tons of trash collected by 200 volunteers and with substantial resources provided by West Goshen, East Goshen, and West Chester Borough.

• CRC supplied technical assistance, resources, and volunteers to help maintain East Goshen’s Chester Creek Restoration site.   CRC co-authored a Growing Greener grant for the Township to extend the restoration downstream.  

 Homeowner and Land Stewardship Outreach 

• Stormwater outreach materials for homeowners were developed by CRC and distributed to 30 municipalities through the three municipal partnerships.  CRC’s new web site was launched, and is regularly updated with events and homeowner resources.

• The 2007 lectures series addressed identification and protection of vernal pools, environmentally friendly pond care, global water and global warming.  CRC’s Annual Dinner featured the reknown author and landscape restoration leader Leslie Jones Sauer, who spoke on the use of the Plant Stewardship Index to restore landscape diversity.

 Another great Streams Cleanup, and more CRC supporters and members  

• A record number of businesses chose to sponsor CRC’s 10^th Annual Streams Cleanup.  The 35-site cleanup  was another great day for over 400 volunteers who participated .

• CRC’S roster of members and supporters topped the 500 member mark this fall. 

•  We are pleased that James O’ Rourke of Unionville has agreed to serve as our first Development Director.