Philadelphia Water Department

This River Conservation Plan for the Darby Creek Watershed aims to restore, maintain, and enhance river resources by inventorying significant assets, identifying threats, and proposing management strategies aligned with a future vision. The plan outlines a Goal-Based Action Plan with key strategic pillars: restoring stream and tributary corridors, riparian buffers, and wetlands; restoring floodplains; improving stormwater management for both quantity and quality; enhancing development patterns to protect ecological resources and open space; increasing open space and recreational access; identifying and protecting historic, cultural, and ecological resources; fostering inter-municipal cooperation; educating residents and officials; and managing land development activities to reduce pollutants. The overarching vision is the comprehensive implementation of the Darby Creek Greenway.

This Integrated Watershed Management Plan, developed by the Tookany/Tacony-Frankford Watershed Partnership, serves as a roadmap to restore and protect the beneficial uses of the Tookany/Tacony-Frankford Creek basin. The plan focuses on improving environmental health and safe enjoyment of the watershed through cooperation among stakeholders. Key strategic pillars include improving stream habitat and living resources, optimizing instream flow conditions, enhancing water quality and reducing pollutant loads, protecting and restoring stream corridors, mitigating flooding, enhancing community quality of life, and fostering stewardship, communication, and coordination. The plan aims to achieve fishable, swimmable, and enjoyable streams by addressing dry weather water quality and aesthetics, promoting healthy living resources, and managing wet weather water quality and quantity.

The Philadelphia Water Department (PWD) outlines its comprehensive approach to addressing the challenges posed by climate change. The strategy encompasses three main pillars: mitigating PWD's contribution to climate change through energy efficiency and renewable energy, studying climate science and conducting risk assessments to understand impacts on water systems, and adapting to expected changes by implementing proactive, cost-effective strategies. Key initiatives include the PWD Energy Program, the Climate Change Adaptation Program (CCAP), and the Green City, Clean Waters program, all designed to ensure the continued provision of high-quality water services, build resilience, and enable Philadelphia to thrive in future climatic conditions.

This management plan provides a roadmap for improving the long-term health of the Tookany Creek Watershed, involving municipalities, landowners, conservation groups, and citizens. It focuses on five key management options: enhancing the health of the riparian corridor, improving recreation opportunities and economic development, establishing public outreach and education programs, developing land protection and preservation strategies, and strengthening watershed communication. The plan aims to protect the vital resources of the Tookany/Tacony-Frankford watershed for future generations through coordinated municipal efforts and ongoing stewardship.

This River Conservation Plan serves as a guidebook to enhance the long-term health of the Schuylkill River watershed. It focuses on three major areas: an analysis of watershed lands for ecosystem sustainability, a broad-scale water quality assessment, and an evaluation of watershed institutions. The plan aims to identify conservation issues, prioritize land and water resources, establish a watershed-wide conservation agenda, and recommend a management structure for implementation, guiding future studies and actions at local levels.