Berwyn-Stream Health Study for the Darby Creek Headwaters

Darby Creek Valley Association (DCVA), Willistown Conservation Trust, and Stroud Water Research Center are collaborating to investigate and study Darby Creek headwaters that run through Berwyn. DCVA and Willistown Conservation Trust have been conducting water research locally and Stroud Water Research Center, globally. Now they have joined together to study the Darby Creek and its headwater tributaries.
The Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection has determined that 99% of Pennsylvania waterways are impaired. While numerous studies and information have been collected in the lower portion of the Darby Creek, little is known about the quality or health of the Darby Creek headwaters that run through Easttown Township.
What is known is that the Darby Creek watershed’s impairments are due in large part to impervious surfaces. An impervious surface is something that does not allow for water to absorb into the ground, like a roof, driveway, parking lot or road. Much of the area in Darby Creek headwaters are highly urbanized, with a lot of impervious surface. This infrastructure causes problems during storms because most of the rainwater that falls on those hard surfaces cannot seep into the ground. Instead it flows off of the impervious surfaces, carrying trash and pollution away with it. This creates a large amount of polluted stormwater runoff, which is a major problem in these densely developed areas because the polluted stormwater runs off into pipes which drain into our streams (point-source pollution) or rushes directly into our creeks (non-point source pollution). When there is too much water for the pipes or the stream to handle, flooding will occur. The high speed and large volume of stormwater can cause streambanks to rapidly erode, which harms aquatic life and degrades the stream.
DCVA, WCT and Stroud Water Research are working together to create a stream health research program to develop a baseline understanding of these waterways, study the changes taking place, and identify source and non-source pollution in order to get a better understanding of the Darby Creek headwaters.
DCVA, Willistown Conservation Trust and Stroud Water Research will be presenting a “Get To Know Your Watershed, Darby Creek Watershed 101” on March 18, 6:30-8:30 at the Easttown Township Building . They will discuss the creeks and tributaries, why they are important, what and where they will be studying and how you can help. Seating is limited, please pre-register at https://argentasoftware.com/interfaces/dcva/frmEventTicketSalesForm.aspx?EventID=1504.