Southampton Watershed Association
The Southampton Watershed Association (SWA) was formed in 2001. The citizen organization's mission is to promote the long-term environmental health of Upper Southampton's watersheds through community programs of restoration, education and conservation. Goals of the SWA include the restoration and protection of streamside buffers as well as monitoring and assessing watershed health.
Since its inception it has written bylaws, attained nonprofit status, commenced visual assessments of all major Township streams, provided input for plans to install and improve various stormwater controls, advocated best management practices (BMPs), and engaged in the production of a video to spread its message, generate more interest, and recruit additional members. The SWA has recently participated in several municipal events including Earth Day, and Southampton Days. And, it is currently reaching out to partner with other associations that are both upstream and downstream; as well as planning a Fall project that will include marking all stormwater inlets, either by stenciling or by attaching a metal plate, with a warning not to dump undesirable materials into them.
SWA meets the 2nd Monday of each month @ 7:00 PM in the meeting room located in the rear of the Tax Collector's Office, and is funded, in part, by a grant from the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection's Growing Greener program, and the League of Women Voters Resource Education Network.
On April 26,
2003, the Upper Southampton Township Park & Recreation
Department celebrated Earth Day with a project designed to further
beautify Tamanend Park. Some of the tasks assigned to volunteers on
Earth Day included weeding, undergrowth clearing, wood chip
spreading, and tree pruning. Also, during the event the Southampton
Watershed Association (SWA) planted 150 trees which were obtained
from the National Tree Trust's Community Tree Planting Program.
This photo shows Hans Peters of the SWA planting a Red Maple in a
field that receives and filters runoff from Second Street Pike. A
follow-up site inspection by Hans Peters on September 10 was
described as "very encouraging" with 2/3 of the trees having
survived.
Southampton Watershed Association (SWA): Premiere Video Screening
SWA is announcing the completion of its latest project: an educational video centered entirely on Upper Southampton's watersheds. Included in the video are descriptions of the watersheds' historical usage such as those related to the evolution of the steamboat, and the manufacturing industry. And, as the video progresses there is discussion of how the waterways are now viewed, and what can be done to protect and restore their value. The video is 25 minutes in length and scripted with some supervisory help from the Stroud Water Research Center and from the Consortium for Scientific Assistance to Watersheds (C-SAW). The project was funded by grants from the PA DEP, and the League of Women Voters. A "Premier Presentation" for the production was held on October 9.
Watershed Tips
In the autumn, most of us have lots of leaves that we want to get rid of. If we have a stream running by or through our property it may be tempting to dump the leaves there (or grass clippings, brush, etc.) but there are many reasons why this is harmful to the environment. Three of the most important are:
Organic material adds excessive nutrients to the stream,
upsetting ecological balance.
Material dumped in the stream can clog the watercourse, aggravating
flood damage.
Dead matter piled on the banks retards or prevents the growth of
plants that thwart erosion by establishing and strengthening their
root systems.
The main thing to remember is that streams, creeks and other
watercourses are not dumping areas, but are part of the whole
system of nature that we must cherish in order to maintain the
quality of life that we all want.
Other Information
The first meeting of the Southampton
Watershed Association was held in September. Approximately 50
township residents attended the meeting and discussed the new
organization's responsibilities. This picture shows guest speaker
Ann Smith, director of watershed programs for the Pennsylvania
Environmental Council, stating that the association could play an
important role in instructing homeowners, especially those living
near streams, on how to reduce water and sedimentation runoff from
their properties. "How much of their back yards do homeowners
really use?" Smith asked the audience. "They should grow native
plants and shrubs that hold the water, rather than mow their lawns
up to the edge of the stream," she said. The Southampton Watershed
Association continues to meet on a regular basis - the 2nd Monday
of each month at 7 PM in the meeting room located in the rear of
the Tax Collector's Office.
More in Southampton Watershed Association
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