Photo: Gerald
S. Williams
Forward
The land and waters of the Schuylkill River watershed reflect the heritage
of working rivers in Pennsylvania and across America. Three hundred years
of human use – from early settlement, through the industrial revolution,
to the past century’s rapid development – has left its signature
on the landscape. In what condition we will leave this precious resource to
our children and grandchildren is the central question underlying this report.
Along the banks of the Schuylkill River, we built our cities, our commerce and our livelihood. Yet at the height of industrial and urban expansion, communities from Pottsville to Philadelphia began to turn their backs to the river. As a consequence, the health, quality, and natural beauty of the Schuylkill River watershed declined. Now our cities and communities are returning to the river. From the headwaters to the Delaware Bay, communities are restoring and protecting the important resources of the Schuylkill River watershed.
Restoring our rivers is an all-hands-on-deck endeavor. Pennsylvania has over 83,000 miles of rivers and streams, more than any other state in the continental United States. Under Governors Ridge and Schweiker, the Commonwealth has taken a leadership role in watershed protection and river restoration. Through Growing Greener, Keystone grants, and the Pennsylvania Recreational Trails program, DEP and DCNR are proud to be working with 25 local and regional nonprofit organizations in the Schuylkill watershed on diverse projects including wetland and riparian restoration, shad conservation, greenway and park development, historic preservation, water quality monitoring, and integrated surface and groundwater management.
We hope the process of developing this report will encourage other river basins to communicate and collaborate with watershed stakeholders. We congratulate The William Penn Foundation, The Claneil Foundation and the Philadelphia Water Department for their leadership and support, as well as The Conservation Fund and the 25 nonprofit organizations who participated in the development and publication of this Report on the State of the Schuylkill Watershed.
December 2002
David E. Hess,
Secretary
Pennsylvania Department of
Environmental Protection
John C. Oliver,
Secretary
Pennsylvania Department of
Conservation and Natural Resources
Site Design: Tevlin & Clarke
