Guest blog by Nicole from Patch-Abington.com. Originally posted here on November 16.
Partnership encourages residents to get involved to improve water quality
On November 13, 2018, The Tookany/Tacony-Frankford Watershed Partnership (TTF) and Cheltenham Township announced that they are collaborating on the Jenkintown Creek Restoration Project at the Charles D. Conklin, Jr. Pool and Recreation Area in Cheltenham Township. A representative of the Montgomery County Planning Commission, which providing key funding for the project, also attended. The project will improve water quality in that branch of the Jenkintown Creek and enhance the community site. Neighbors were invited to get involved with the initiative and learn about the actions they can take to improve area creeks.
TTF Executive Director Julie Slavet, Cheltenham Township Manager Bryan Havir, Cheltenham Township Commissioner Mitchell Zygmunt-Felt and Montgomery County Planning Commission Planner Daniel J. Farina, Jr. addressed the audience.
This project involves removing 25 linear feet of the concrete channel and directing the creek’s flow into a meandering constructed wetland. The project will convert 7,500 square feet of turf grass to meadow and create a walking trail for residents across the property. The project will manage 42 acres of stormwater runoff pollution.
“We look forward to working with our long-time partner, the TTF, to design and complete this project along with our Township Engineer Boucher & James. The project will not only manage polluted runoff and improve this important headwater creek, it will also provide a beautiful natural area that our residents can enjoy, while learning about our environment. The project will be maintained by the Township in partnership with the TTF,” said Township Manager Havir.
This project is made possible with a Montco 2040 grant from the Montgomery County Planning Commission. Speaking on behalf of the county, Mr. Farina said, “This project ranks highly in our grant program because it not only affects the local area, but links up with other projects up and down the TTF watershed. For us this meant the project leveraged local improvements to have an affect region-wide and was a solid use of county grant funds.”
Additional funding is provided by a Delaware River Restoration Fund grant from the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation and the William Penn Foundation. Funding for featured projects, and for upcoming and planned projects is supported by the DRWI, a clean water collaborative funded by the William Penn Foundation. It’s the most ambitious effort of its kind in the region’s history, aligning 65 organizations working across four states.
Since 2014, TTF and a variety of partners, including Abington Township, have installed 7 green stormwater features, which have been planted along 1,500 linear feet of waterways and restored wetlands. More than $750,000 has been secured to support these projects and hundreds of volunteers have participated.
Commissioner Zygmunt-Felt stated that, “This project demonstrates how we as a Township can benefit by working with local non-profit organizations. TTF has shared their resources and expertise with us in the development of our Pollution Reduction Plan as well as the applications that funded these grants. They will collaborate with us on the community engagement, design, and implementation of this exciting effort to manage stormwater runoff and enhance this community site. I look forward to lending a hand and bringing out volunteers from our community to help make this project a success.”
TTF is part of the Upstream Suburban Philadelphia Collaborative of the Delaware River Watershed Initiative (DRWI). The Upstream Suburban Philadelphia Collaborative has secured $4 million in funding for clean water projects.
To learn more about how to work with the TTF to improve area creeks, please visit TTF at https://ttfwatershed.org/.
About the TTF Watershed Partnership
The mission of the TTF is to improve the health and vitality of the watershed by collaborating with municipalities and leading communities in education, stewardship, restoration, and advocacy.
