Schuylkill Water Stewards is part of an innovative, science-driven initiative – launched in 2013 by the William Penn Foundation – that seeks to protect and restore water resources in the Delaware River Watershed.
The Delaware River Watershed, which includes the Schuylkill River and tributaries such as the French, Hay, and Pickering Creeks, provides drinking water for more than 15 million people and covers parts of Pennsylvania, New York, and New Jersey.
In northern Chester and southern Berks Counties, participants in the initiative are focused on preserving land around the high quality creeks of the French, Hay, and Pickering Creeks. Maintaining natural areas around streams is one of the most effective ways to keep them clean and to minimize the impacts of stormwater.
Schuylkill Water Stewards play an important role in gathering information about the current health of the creeks and, ultimately, providing the data needed to measure the impact of land preservation efforts in the area.
Why Clean Water Matters
As Leonardo Di Vinci put it, "Water is the driving force in all nature."
Protecting our rivers and streams is essential to our environment, health, economic propsperity, and quality of life. As the Clean Water Act suggests, we should be able to swim, fish, and play in our local waterways without worrying about whether they're safe to use.
Unfortunately, freshwater resources - like those of the Schuylkill River Watershed - are limited and at risk:
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Only 3% of all water on Earth is freshwater.
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Only about 1% of all water found on this planet is easily accessible for human use
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Pennsylvania currently has 16,000 miles of streams that are unfit for swimming or fishing;
In our area, streams face threats from over-development and from pollution associated with industrial and agricultural activities.
You Can Help!
Schuylkill Water Steward volunteers play a critical role in acheiving the goals of the William Penn Foundation initiative, to protect and restore the Delaware River watershed.
You can contribute to the scientific data that will help guide decisions about how to best protect our local water resources.
You can help to steward our streams, helping to keep them healthy.
What's at Stake