You may drive by it every day on the way to work, pick up or drop off children for after-school athletics, or you may be on your way to a yoga class or dinner in a nearby restaurant. But have you ever really stopped long enough to ask yourself, “What exactly is a ‘watershed,’ and why should I care?”
A watershed is an area of land that drains surrounding streams and tributaries to a single, larger body of water such as a creek, river or ocean. The Wissahickon Watershed consists of 64 square miles, flowing downhill to the Wissahickon Creek or one of its tributaries. Over many decades, the replacement of forests with housing and commercial development has resulted in a decrease in the amount of water that seeps into the ground.
As a result, creeks and rivers flood more often with heavy rains, bringing increased pollutants to our waterways. Whatever happens to the surrounding land in our communities affects the water quality of the creek. Protecting the Wissahickon necessitates that we all have a stake in protecting the land in this vital watershed. Read more…