Upstream Suburban Philadelphia Cluster

Upstream Suburban Philadelphia Cluster

The Center for Sustainable Communities is providing restoration project oversight, hydrologic and hydraulic modeling, stormwater control measure performance monitoring, and Geographic Information System watershed assessments in the priority areas and sub-watersheds of the Upstream Suburban Philadelphia Watershed cluster. This is part of the William Penn Foundation’s Delaware River Watershed Initiative (DRWI).

The Upstream Suburban Philadelphia Cluster contains the most concentrated development of the eight targeted watershed clusters in the DRWI. All watersheds have high amounts of impervious surface cover. Almost all reaches of the Cluster’s main stems and tributaries are on the state’s 303(d) list of impaired streams. In addition, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Region III (EPA) has established three Total Maximum Daily Loads (TMDLs) within the Pennypack and Wissahickon watersheds. Most of the watersheds are completely built-out. Many sub-watershed areas have little to no stormwater management.

Measuring an improvement in such a densely developed area in the short term on the watershed scale will be difficult. Therefore, the Cluster team strategically decided to focus on five priority subareas or that are likely to implement a critical mass of stormwater control measures (SCMs) within the project period. This focused effort presents a unique opportunity to connect monitoring and modeling of individual SCMs with monitoring and modeling of the subareas and sub-watersheds. In addition, the opportunity to develop a monitoring program that informs the modeling program and vice versa is a tremendous opportunity. This coupling of monitoring/modeling and individual SCM/priority subareas can serve as a model for other restoration programs and improve the science behind the strategic use of SCMs to improve receiving streams. The Upstream Suburban Philadelphia Cluster is home to many active and dedicated watershed groups. Temple is excited to work with these groups to monitor and model their projects and work with them on how to do monitoring within their watersheds. The potential for extensive, fruitful collaborations is plentiful and the dynamic between the universities and the watershed groups should lead to robust, adaptable, and scalable approaches to monitoring and modeling that will inform future decision-making about the effectiveness and placement of SCMs and SCM treatment trains in sub-watersheds.

With WPF funding, the CSC prepared a cluster implementation plan that was endorsed by the cluster partners in September of 2013. In February of 2014 the CSC secured a $1.235 million grant from the WPF to perform technical support and research for the cluster initiative. Additional funding is being pursued for 2016 and beyond. Through its work on watersheds since its inception in 2001, the CSC has developed high-level expertise in modeling, monitoring, and project management and oversight. The CSC also has a significant expertise in GIS applications, applying them to both micro-scale and macro-scale geographies for the past 14 years. The CSC has successfully completed over 60 studies and plans, most of them targeted on environmental issues. The CSC served as lead investigator/contractor for two Act 167 studies (Pennypack and Wissahickon) and support for the Poquessing Act 167 Plan. The Cluster work is well suited to our expertise, and, in collaboration with Villanova University, we look forward to leading the technical work for the Cluster in 2016-2017.