Large Swath Of Montgomery County Land Protected For Conservation, Public Use

A huge historic farm in Lower Gwynedd Township will be protected forever, thanks to the Wissahickon Valley Watershed Association.

The conservation nonprofit acquired the rights to the Byrne Family Preserve, a 15.9 acre farm adjacent to Oxford Park on Welsh Road, on September 24.

The farm is strategically important ecologically as it lies at the headwaters of the Trewellyn Creek, one of the Wissahickon’s most significant tributaries.

The watershed association said that the purchase could only have been possible with the charity of Dr. Byrne, who offered it at a fraction of the market value to ensure it would be preserved.

“As a memorial and a promise to his daughter who passed away in 2014, Dr. Byrne ensured that her vision to preserve the land became a reality,” the association said on their website.

Within the fifteen-plus acres are two streams, several acres of freshwater marsh, an extensive riparian corridor, and an opportunity for conservation measures to restore populations of vanishing animal and plant life.

Hiking trails will also be dug. While the work is being carried out, the preserve will be temporarily closed to the public, the association said.