A New Look for Clean Water Factsheet on Salt |
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This fall, we have been working with the Stroud Water Research Center to update our factsheet on road salt use. We've added data and refreshed the format. The factsheet provides data from our volunteers participating in the Winter Salt Watch, as well as other continuous and grab sample data to show the scope of challenges associated with road salt use in our watershed.
See the front side of the flyer below and access the entire flyer here! |
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The Pennsylvania Environmental Council (PEC) recently worked with us to create a video highlighting Stream Smart, explaining how the program works, and sharing the experiences of participating homeowners. Stream Smart has provided audits for a total of 29 of our watershed homeowners, leading to 15 projects installed on 10 properties in Abington and Cheltenham.
We hope to move forward to additional Stream Smart projects along the Jenkintown Creek. Contact Ryan@ttfwatershed.org to learn more. |
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Volunteers Rock Creek Care Days! |
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We have hosted 6 Creek Care Days across 4 different sites so far this year.
Thirty five volunteers showed up for one of our creek care days so far this year, for a total of 96 volunteer hours!
Your time is invaluable to us. As we add more restoration sites, we need your help to provide the consistent maintenance these projects need to flourish as community assets.
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This summer and fall, we hosted a series of tours with the Delaware Riverkeeper Network. This program explored the history of our watershed, including efforts and progress to restore life to our streams. We discussed challenges -- from stormwater runoff to regular sewage overflows -- and how these water quality impacts effect our communities and our streams.
This program featured diverse tours: the first was a walk through Tacony Creek Park starting at Cheltenham Avenue, exploring the park all the way to Juniata Park, where the historic Wingohocking Creek joins the Tacony, now the largest Combined Sewer Outfall (CSO) in Philadelphia.
The third tour was a kayak paddle on the Delaware River from the Frankford boat launch to the mouth of the Frankford Creek. We discussed challenges to the Frankford Creek from the head of tide to its confluence with the Delaware.
Our final walking tour explored the Creek from Castor to Delaware Avenue, as it winds through this dense industrial and residential area. This walk helped witness the industrial and engineering history of the creek and the impact of this history on today's landscape. We ended the program with a dinner and discussion for participants and staff at TTF's home at the Globe Dye Works, which was built over and used the Little Tacony Creek for its manufacturing process.
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In October, twenty three leaders from our watershed communities came together for our annual Municipal Task Force Meeting. Attendees included TTF Board Directors and Advisors, municipal officials, elected officials, partner organizations and landowners.
The agenda included a discussion of federal funding opportunities for clean water projects by the NJ League of Conservation Voters, a Jenkintown Creek project update, and a TTF grant opportunity update. There was a lively conversation about the work of the Abington Shade Tree Commission on its Master Tree Plan.
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Valuable Training about Salt in our Creeks |
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Streamkeepers from across the suburban Philadelphia area and interested volunteers from across the state logged on to learn about the Winter Salt Watch program in October. The program was started in the winter of 2018 by the Izaak Walton League of America. Suburban Philadelphia partners began monitoring in the Winter of 2018/2019, after a surprise snow storm that November caused a huge conductivity spikes in local waterways even though municipalities did not salt roads heavily.
Participants in the program receive a series of chloride test strips to monitor local waterways during the stages of a winter storm event. They submit this data online, and it is added to a national database of results.
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When was this site planted?
In the Spring of 2014. The picture shows the site right after the planting.
Where is this site?
Along Rock Creek at Rock Lane Park in Elkins Park. This Cheltenham park was once a row of houses that were demolished due to persistent flooding.
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What was restoration work done here? |
This site is a 15,000 square foot riparian buffer planted along a section of Rock Creek, one of tributaries to the Tookany Creek.
A riparian buffer is a creekside planting of native trees and shrubs that helps to shade the creek, reduce erosion, and provide habitat for native species. This riparian buffer of 100 trees included red maple, american sycamore, black gum, spicebush, arrowwood and 15 other native species. This project was funded through a TreeVitalize grant.
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Fun fact about this site! |
Rock Lane Park is beautiful to visit in early spring. The park is covered with Crocuses and Snowdrops, some of the earliest flowers to bloom in the spring.
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Want to get involved in maintaining our restoration sites?
Want to help, but can't make one of our regular maintenance days?
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These sensors continuously log data every five minutes in the creek. This data includes depth, temperature and conductivity. Data from these sensors is relayed to an online server and can be viewed in real time.
Now, these sensors are on the move! We have relocated both sensors to assist in monitoring a new tributary creek, Shoemaker Run, which starts underground at Abington Friends School property. It then daylights at the Abington Club, and flows downstream where it eventually joins the Tookany Creek.
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We're excited to highlight some of our over 20 Streamkeeper sites.
We'd like to share information about some of our older sites.
Streamkeepers: thank you for continuing to monitor your sites!
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TTF 1400
Located behind Manor College along the east branch of the Jenkintown Creek, which starts near Alverthorpe Park. The site is on the edge of the college. Looking upstream, the right creekbank is characterized by low brush and mowed lawn. The left creek bank is a mature forested buffer.
There is a fair amount of erosion that occurs along this stretch of creekbank with lots of woody debris. Salamanders can be found here, as well as a large number of birds and other wildlife in the riparian corridor. There also two quarterly monitoring sites located along this stretch of creek.
There are restoration sites at both Manor College and the Sisters of St. Basil the Great. The creek then flows to Mckinley Elementary, where Streamkeeper site TTF700 and another restoration project can be found.
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Shop Locally for the Planet! |
Please show love to our Partner Alliance Philanthropist Plus member MOM's Organic Market! Not only does MOM's offer a big selection of healthy, organic foods, you can bring batteries, cell phones, shoes and more to recycle to the store, as well as food scraps to compost.
MOM's is located at 925 Easton Road in Roslyn.
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