Photo: Gerald S. Williams

Section 6. Conclusions – A Call to Action

We hope that this report has shown that the watershed is a complex, changing and interconnected ecosystem. Upstream actions can have a major impact on conditions downstream. Surface waters are closely linked to the groundwater system. The cumulative effects of activities in the watershed are especially important. Small changes, particularly in a headwater tributary, can have profound consequences for the entire watershed. All of these relationships are happening.

Many individuals have helped to bring positive changes to the watershed. Sometimes they have worked through local government, but more often they have joined or created nonprofit organizations to address the needs at-hand. Without such committed individuals and nonprofits, we would have accomplished far less.

Nonprofit organizations cannot succeed without the support they receive from individuals, foundations and government. Without it, conditions in the watershed would be much worse today and its future much more uncertain. Continued funding is vital to maintaining and improving the Schuylkill watershed.

In addition to providing an overview of the watershed, this report serves as a benchmark for assessing the success of ongoing and new initiatives to protect and enhance the Schuylkill’s resources. By tracking the data presented, we will be able to determine whether present strategies are succeeding.

Consider this report a call to action to citizens, local and state leaders, nonprofit organizations, government agencies and funders. We hope it will help direct a course towards a healthful, prosperous future and inspire continued and greater action on behalf of the Schuylkill watershed and its communities.

Section 6. Conclusions – Where Do We Go From Here?

Nonprofit groups participating in the report have suggested the following priority actions to continue to improve conditions in the Schuylkill Watershed. Listed alphabetically, they include:

• Aquatic Habitat
  Restore shad runs to the greatest extent possible with fish ladders on dams, and protect river stretches providing habitat to endangered and threatened species.
  
  
• Community Revitalization
  Promote community revitalization to conserve the watershed’s natural and cultural resources by creating economic and environmental opportunity zones at key points along the river.
  
  
• Environmental Education
  Encourage environmental education in elementary through secondary schools by developing a watershed education atlas guiding teachers to resources about the Schuylkill, and by arranging for workshops, guest speakers, websites, maps, data and other information.
  
  
• Environmental Indicators
  Monitor key indicators through a broad collaboration of government agencies, nonprofit organizations and citizen monitoring efforts, to track changes in environmental conditions over time and publish those results for public discussion.
  
  
• Greenways and Blueways
  Link and protect open space and natural habitats through land-based greenways and water-based blueways to protect natural communities and provide recreational assets for the public’s enjoyment.
  
  
• Land Use Planning
  Work with municipalities to promote creative incentives and regulatory changes incorporating best management practices to minimize the impact of development on the river and to protect the watershed.
  
  
• Natural Hydrologic Flows
  Restore the watershed’s natural hydrologic flows to the greatest extent possible by removing dangerous or nonfunctional dams and managing storm water to promote the natural infiltration of precipitation into the groundwater.
  
  
• Volunteer Outreach
  Maintain a basin-wide citizen monitoring network by supporting the annual Schuylkill Watershed Congress and promoting its outcomes.
  
  
• Water Quality
  Improve water quality by: (a) completing stream assessments of the watershed, (b) monitoring water quality, (c) reducing non-point source pollution through best management practices, (d) improving sewage treatment plants, (e) cleaning-up abandoned mine drainage; and (f) incorporating riparian restoration into all new riverside development, including Brownfield redevelopments.
  
  
• Watershed Management
  Establish a watershed-wide consortium promoting cooperation and the free flow of information among nonprofit organizations, government agencies and the private sector, to improve the efficiency of environmental protection programs.
  
  
• Watershed Promotion
  Promote the watershed’s resources for recreation, education and tourism, to raise public awareness and stimulate local economies.

It is a challenging list, but the goals are achievable. In fact, many efforts are already underway. But success will ultimately require further effective partnerships among many interests in the watershed.

The Schuylkill watershed has a complex management system that involves all levels of government, nonprofit organizations, foundations, businesses and individuals. Although much has been accomplished, this decentralized and multi-tiered system is not always the most effective way of dealing with conservation issues. It will be hard to change because the system has been in place for many years, but a more centralized management strategy could enhance the long-term protection and sustainable use of the watershed’s resources.

The Report on the State of the Schuylkill watershed was conceived as a rallying point for many nonprofits in the watershed to work together for the first time. It is the strength and unity of the nonprofit sector along with core support from government agencies, foundations and individuals that can lead the watershed forward to realize continued successes and changes that will improve our quality of life.

 

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