Greetings Willistown Parks & Recreation Friends,
 
We love breaking good news!

During this season of giving, gratitude, and good cheer, Willistown Parks and Recreation celebrates our watershed protection partner organizations and volunteers. Thanks go to Willistown Conservation Trust, Chester-Ridley-Crum Watersheds Association, Academy of Natural Sciences at Drexel University students, our Okehocking Weed Warrior crew, and the other volunteer for all that they do in our community and at Okehocking Preserve. This is important work for our drinking water resources as well as our recreational pleasure.

Please scroll along to find out more, and, as always, contact me with suggestions or to report a concern. 

Happy holidays!

Mary

Email 
Willistown Township Parks & Recreation Director
610-647-5300 x224  

OKEHOCKING PRESERVE WATER RESEARCH EFFORTS

Many Pennsylvanians won’t be surprised to hear that precipitation in the state has increased 10% since 1970 and is projected to ramp up an addition 8% by 2050, according to the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection (PA DEP). Words like “flooding” and “stormwater” and talk of the inconveniences of closed roads and washed-out bridges are commonplace in daily conversations. Significant rain events seem to be happening more frequently, the most recent courtesy of Hurricane Ida bringing nearly 8.5 inches of rain to Pennsylvania in a 24 hour period. With the additional, oftentimes heavy rainfall comes damaging runoff that carries pollutants into our streams and causes erosion and sedimentation.  Riparian buffer plantings and trash removal improve our waterways while sampling research leads to maintenance and management solutions.

LOCAL WATER QUALITY SAMPLING
Thank you, Willistown Conservation Trust! 

Local Data Contributes to Bigger Picture Watershed Improvement

Willistown Parks and Recreation partners with Willistown Conservation Trust  (WCT) in their water quality research program. WCT has been collecting baseline water quality data in the main stem of Ridley Creek at Okehocking Preserve since 2018. Okehocking is one of ten WCT water chemistry sampling sites in the headwaters of the Ridley, Crum, and Darby watersheds.  

Sample results are sent to the Academy of Natural Sciences to test for the presence and concentration of nitrogen, phosphorus, and total suspended solids. The data is then used by the Delaware River Watershed Initiative (DRWI) for their conservation efforts. The DRWI collaborates with conservation organizations across the four states of the Delaware River watershed to monitor water quality at over 300 locations across the basin.

WCT's ten-site monitoring program began with funding provided by the William Penn Foundation in affiliation with DRWI. They also survey for macroinvertebrates (water organisms without backbones) which are indicators of stream health—they vary based on the pollution levels of the water. Read WCT's A Macroinvertebrate's Thanksgiving Feast article here.

Sampling Findings May Surprise You—Salt, Fertilizer, and Microplastic?

The section of Ridley Creek running through Okehocking Preserve is designated as High Quality – Cold Water Fishery by PA DEP, a superior quality ranking. That said, WCT reports that the section of Ridley Creek running through Okehocking Preserve is “fairly healthy”.

Dissolved oxygen levels remain high enough to support many aquatic species; however, the creek is impaired by elevated temperatures in the summer that stress sensitive aquatic organisms. The creek is slightly basic and has a highly variable pH that ranges from 7.35 to 8.92, barely remaining within the range of 6.0 - 9.0 deemed safe for aquatic life. Chloride levels are elevated above natural background levels throughout the year indicating that road salts applied in the winter impact the stream throughout the entire year.

Nutrients, which can enter streams through fertilizer runoff and leaky sewer and septic systems, are elevated above natural levels as well. We know, as private landowners, that minimizing lawn and garden fertilization and winter salting will benefit our waterways. What you may find surprising is that WCT found micro plastics throughout their samplings of the Ridley, Crum, and Darby Creek headwaters as well.
 
What are microplastics?
WCT explains that microplastics are pieces of plastic that are less than 5 millimeters in diameter. They spread widely within the air and water due to their small size. Emerging research from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration shows that microplastic particles can attract toxic chemical contaminants in the environment like PCBs and DDT, which are linked to cancer and hormonal disruption in birds, fish, and humans.

While this form of plastic pollution has been documented in oceans, the atmosphere, and urban rivers, “very little has been done to document microplastic pollution in small streams like ours, so this data is a new insight into the prevalence of microplastics right where we live,” explains Zack Smith, WCT’s Water Quality Program intern. 
 
Where do microplastics come from?
Lauren McGrath, Director of the Watershed Protection Program at the Trust, believes that “water waste is where much of the microplastic pollution they’ve found originates. Microplastics are formed when larger plastics break down, including plastic packaging and synthetic clothing, ultimately entering our waterways. This means the average person swallows a credit card’s worth of plastic every week!” 
 
What can we do?
“There is no silver bullet solution for microplastics,” says Stephanie Wein, Clean Water & Conservation Advocate for PennEnvironment, “but fundamentally, we need to cut plastic pollution off at the source and change the way society deals with our waste. When we continue to increase the amount of plastic waste we generate, even well-protected headwater streams like these aren’t safe.”
 
WCT suggests that “some of the easiest ways to reduce your plastic footprint are to choose plastic-free alternatives, add microplastic filters to your washing machines, and make sure that all items are getting used to their maximum potential prior to disposing of them. If we can decrease the plastic leaving our homes, local water treatment plants will discharge less into our local waters.”
 
WCT is working on a detailed report summarizing their sampling findings over the years. It will be posted on the Okehocking page at Willistown.pa.us when complete. 

ASSESSING RIDLEY CREEK in OKEHOCKING PRESERVE
Thank you, Drexel University Environmental Science Majors

Willistown Parks and Rec volunteers always have fun! This silly selfie is taken just south of the old dam where students will be surveying the Ridley Creek stream channel.

On a cold but sunny November morning, Beth Watson, Ph. D., brought her students from The Watershed Approach course of The Academy of Natural Sciences of Drexel University to Okehocking for some field study. Mary, Willistown's Director of Parks and Recreation, began the day with a stream observation walk, taking the Environmental Science majors to different sections of the main stem of Ridley Creek and visually assessing nature’s clues—the conditions there. She spoke of the importance of observation, both visual and quantifiable, in discovering the story of a stream.

A component of The Watershed Approach course is for students to gain field experience learning how to assess the physical properties of a stream, measure and monitor water quality, and sample invertebrates and vertebrates (the stream’s critters). At Okehocking, the students are surveying changes in the stream channel width and depth over time to help understand the dynamics of the stream. This research will contribute important intel for future stream corridor management projects. Assessment results will be posted on Willistown.pa.us on the Okehocking page as it becomes available.

OKEHOCKING WEED WARRIORS
Thank you, Dave, Paul, and Jason!

Thanks go to Dave Smith, our Head Weed Warrior, Paul Grimm, and Jason Thompson for all they do at Okehocking. Dave has undergone invasive removal training through the John Heinz National Wildlife Refuge and Friends of Heinz Refuge Weed Warrior program, and has shared his knowledge with Paul and Jason. The team has spread the wisdom and donated many hours of service with numerous volunteers over the years.

If you are looking for fresh air and exercise during fall and winter, join us to help fight the invasive species that threaten the overall health of the Preserve and encroach on trails. After the leaves fall is a perfect time to tackle unwanted non-native plants. Please email Mary and the team if you are interested in pitching in. Find out more about invasive plants from the PA Department of Conservation and Natural Resources. 

CHESTER-RIDLEY-CRUM WATERSHEDS ASSOCIATION The Area's Watershed Warrior Leaders

CRC Watersheds Association is a mainstay of watershed conservation in the Willistown area. Their mission is to protect, conserve, and restore the natural resources of the Chester, Ridley, and Crum Creek watersheds. Willistown Township houses the headwaters of the Ridley and Crum Creek watersheds. CRC has partnered with Willistown Parks on two riparian buffer plantings at Okehocking and one at Serpentine Preserve.

Riparian buffers are the vegetated strips of land on either side of a water course or body. Check out the Penn State Extension article, Riparian Buffers: using the Power of Plants to Help Clean Our Waterways to discover the benefits of this streamside work. This year alone, CRC has planted over 800 trees and shrubs and engaged over 1,200 volunteers. The effort of the Association and their volunteers has resulted in removing over 12 tons of trash in 32 sites in the three watersheds, including Okehocking Preserve. Way to go CRC and team!

WILLISTOWN COMPREHENSIVE PLAN UPDATE

STAY INFORMED

Visit the Comprehensive Plan Update page to see the project kickoff presentations and all things Comprehensive Plan. Sign up for Comprehensive Plan Update Bulletins here.

HEAD OUTDOORS

WHERE TO GO to GET OUTSIDE

• Check out our  Willistown Township Park Land and Open Space Fund Map, an at-a-glance view including short descriptions of the wonderful recreational assets Willistown has to offer. 

• Check out Chester County's Parks & Trails 

• Get the dirt on the best trail navigation and exploration mobile map applications here.

• Locate PA state parks through PA Department of Conservation and Natural Resource and their Find a Park by Region service.

• Scroll down for quick links to our award-winning GO WilMa! The Adventure Continues outdoor adventure program. It's easy to register and is free.

TOWNSHIP NEWS

BE IN THE KNOW!

The Willistown Township website has loads of info & news about your township!

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