Welcome to the Crabby Creek Watershed Webpage!
Keep and Eye on Crabby Creek!
Tredyffrin's Crabby Creek is poised to make a name for itself in the world of urban stream ecology. The creek, which runs between Rt. 252 and Howellville Road, is the subject of a wide reaching urban stream restoration project directed to flooding and erosion problems on the waterway. If all goes as planned, the effort to restore Crabby Creek will be chronicled in a guide to urban stream restoration, making it a prototype for communities throughout the state undertaking similar projects.
Crabby is an urban stream with uncommon potential. Valley Forge Middle and Conestoga High School students monitoring the stream waters in the spring of '06 discovered baby trout in their samples, indicating the stream has potential as a trout nursery for Little Valley and Valley Creeks.
But Crabby also is an urban stream under serious stress. The creek exists in a developed watershed with excessive storm water runoff that degrades its capacity to function as a healthy stream system.
The restoration plan is two part. It involves upland storm water BMPs (Best Management Practices) to reduce storm water runoff within the watershed, and downstream engineering to reshape the stream to a more natural contour that is better able to cope with fluctuations in water flow. The goal is to stabilize the stream, reduce the flooding, stop the erosion that feeds detrimental sediment into the stream system, and improve the biological habitat of the watershed.
Many local groups are investing themselves in the restoration project, which is funded by a grant from the William Penn Foundation to the Chester County Conservation District. The groups include the Valley Creek Restoration Partnership, of which Tredyffrin Township and the Valley Forge Chapter of Trout Unlimited are active participants; Stroud Water Research Center, Cabrini College and the TE School District.
How you can help!
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Answer Cabrini College Survey - Many residents of the Crabby Creek watershed have contributed already to the
project by taking time to express their outlook on conservation and their concerns for the protection of Crabby Creek,
in response to mail and door-to-door surveys being conducted by Cabrini College professors and biology and psychology
students.
Consider Backyard BMP's - Residents of the Crabby Creek watershed have the additional opportunity to participate in the restoration project by incorporating backyard BMPs, such as rain gardens and rain barrels, to reduce storm water runoff from their properties. Adopt Crabby Creek - Researchers and students will monitor Crabby Creek annually to study its response to the restoration. They do their water testing and stream ecology studies in the spring of each year. The rest of the year, the project needs us-Township Residents-to step in and watch the stream, take inventory of changes after storm events, and do monthly water testing. The Township Environmental Advisory Council is organizing volunteers in this effort. If you are interested in joining with friends and neighbors and playing a role in this restoration project email the Tredyffrin Township EAC at eac@tredyffrin.org. |
Join the Community Watershed Association:
If you have questions or comments, please email us, tredyffrin@tredyffrin.org or call (610) 408-3625.
